CURRICULUM

The immediate focus of the CJCPCS is to prepare students for academic success in their post-secondary education, to enable students to keep open a broad spectrum of options for their future endeavors, and to prepare them to be responsible and productive citizens. We believe that an educated citizen in the twenty-first century must have the skills and understanding necessary to participate and work productively in a multicultural, globally-oriented community. This includes the skills required to use technology to its full potential.

An interest in rigorous early education crosses all demographic boundaries. The CJCPCS will seek a diverse student body and offer those students both excellence and equity in education. The school's strong academic program will reduce achievement gaps by eliminating an important cause of them - the insufficient mastery of basic knowledge and skills required for further academic achievement. The CJCPCS will use a variety of teaching methods to ensure mastery of appropriate skills, ideas, and knowledge by all students, regardless of their race, gender, or family's socioeconomic background.

The CJCPCS will be responsible for meeting the educational needs of its students, without parents having to resort to outside tutoring- provided parents/guardians support the school's mission by ensuring home study sessions and homework completion. Beyond its core program, the CJCPCS is dedicated to challenging and stimulating every child. By meeting its objectives, the CJCPCS will provide children with a positive educational and social experience in a structured, challenging, yet nurturing environment. It will be a community in which students, teachers, and parents are jointly aware of and committed to the mission and goals of the school.

CJCP expects its graduates to demonstrate a mastery of specific subject competencies. The following is a list of suggested subject matter competencies that will continue to be revised and improved. These competencies are based on state, national, and international standards.

English Literature: In the area of English literature, students will

§ Understand and appreciate literature and the arts as expressions of and ways to interpret the human experience.

§ Obtain meaning from a variety of complex texts.

§ Be well read as demonstrated by reading a variety of literary works representing different genres.

§ Make informed interpretations of the purpose and meaning of literary works.

§ Convey interpretations of personal experience gleaned from literature.

§ Explain how literature from various cultural/ethnic groups expresses both distinctive and similar values, experiences, struggles and contributions.

§ Evaluate how the form and content of a literary work contributes to its message and impact.

History: In the area of History, students will

§ Understand and apply civic, historical and geographical knowledge in order to become a citizen in a diverse world.

§ Apply information, concepts and perspectives from the history of our nation and the history and development of other nations.

§ Deliberate on public issues, which arise in a representative democracy.

§ Use historical research to ask and answer questions about the past.

§ Recognize that regions can be defined in cultural, physical or political terms.

§ Accurately interpret and summarize information from maps, charts and graphs.

§ Understand the building blocks of representative government.

§ Understand the evolution of early civilizations and the development of new ideas, institutions and systems of thought.

§ Recognize that events in the past inform the present.

§ Understand the rich and varied achievements of diverse peoples.

Math: In Math, students will

§ Construct mathematical models.

§ Use a variety of problem-solving strategies.

§ Use advanced computing procedures.

§ Understand and apply advanced properties of numbers.

§ Understand and apply advanced methods of measurement.

§ Understand and apply advanced concepts of geometry.

§ Understand and apply advanced concepts of functions and algebra.

§ Understand and apply advanced concepts of probability and statistics.

§ Understand and apply advanced concepts of data analysis.

Science: In Science, students will

§ Analyze real world phenomena using scientific concepts, principles, and processes (e.g. cause and effect, energy, systems).

§ Use the scientific method to ask and answer questions about the world.

§ Understand essential ideas about the composition and the structure of the universe and the motions of objects in it.

§ Know basic earth, biological, physical and chemical concepts.

§ Understand basic concepts of matter and energy, motion and forces.

Arts: In the arts, students will

§ Participate in artistic activities.

§ Make informed interpretations of the purpose and meaning of artistic works.

§ Convey interpretations of personal experiences in expressive forms.

§ Explain how art from various cultural/ethnic groups expresses both distinctive and similar values, experiences, struggles and contributions.

§ Explain how the form and content of an artistic work contributes to its message and impact.

§ Explain the role of the artist in providing service to the community and the World.

Foreign Language: In the area of Foreign Language, students will

§ Obtain sufficient verbal fluency and written proficiency to communicate effectively in a foreign language.

§ Understand and appreciate the culture underlying a foreign language.

Technology and Computer: In the area of technology, students will

§ Use technology to increase learning.

§ Understand and use current word processing systems.

§ Understand and use current spreadsheet software.

§ Understand and use current database software.

§ Understand and use current presentation software.

§ Understand the uses of a networked system and the Internet.

§ Understand how technology can be of service to the community.