George Washington Academy Curriculum

George Washington Academy uses the research based, academically rigorous Core Knowledge Sequence (www.coreknowledge.org) to ensure that students meet and exceed the Utah State Core Curriculum. Core Knowledge is a solid, sequential, and specific curriculum, based on the principles of establishing a national cultural literacy, or broad common knowledge base.

The Curriculum Committee meets the first Tuesday of every month from 3:30-4:30 PM in the Library. In the 2023-2024 school year, this committee will select a new ELA curriculum sixth and seventh grades to replace Collections. if you have any questions, please contact Christine Giles, the Curriculum Committee Chair and the GWA Assistant Director of Academics at cgiles@gwacademy.org.

 

2023-2024  DATES

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Members:

The Curriculum Committee includes, but is not limited to: grade level representatives for each grade level, a school specialist, a member of the administrative team, a member of the Board of Directors, and a parent representative.

Purpose:

The Curriculum Committee’s primary purpose is to continuously improve the educational programs offered to the students at George Washington Academy.  The committee ensures all decisions align with George Washington Academy’s overall mission and vision statements.  In-depth discussions regarding curriculum development, curriculum and/or primary learning materials, and policies related to the improvement/management of curriculum-related topics should be based on research and the expertise of the committee.  After approval by the Curriculum Committee, curricular changes are to be communicated to the staff, community, and Board of Directors.

Guidelines:

Members are expected to abide by the following guidelines:

  • Bring necessary materials in order to participate and engage in conversations.
  • Accurately reflect the opinions and ideas of the grade level/committee/group he/she is representing.
  • Take notes throughout the meeting, to accurately recall/reiterate/convey the information accurately to team members and reflect the tone in which the decisions/discussions were made.
  • Follow the outlined voting procedures.
  • Conduct conversation in a professional and constructive manner. 

Core Knowledge is used to teach science, social studies, health, history, geography, music, and visual arts. Core Knowledge’s best attributes can be summed up in the three S’s: solid, sequential, and specific. Each academic year builds upon information attained during the previous years, avoiding heavy repetition and gaps. By clearly specifying important information in the core areas, teachers, parents, and students will have well defined academic goals for each grade level. Core Knowledge is research based and proven to be effective at meeting and exceeding Utah and National Standards.

To download the full Core Knowledge Sequence for grades K- 7, click here.

The key to learning mathematics is understanding the "why" behind the "how". Into Math emphasizes the importance of establishing conceptual understanding and reinforces that understanding with procedural practice. The learning model asks students to first develop their reasoning before connecting their understanding to concepts and skills.

Into Math is more than just a solution, it’s a vision for student growth.

 

GWA uses the Core Knowledge reading program in conjunction with many other resources. If parents wish to prepare their children for enrollment in George Washington Academy , we suggest selecting from the following booklist, according to the PREVIOUS grade level of the student. The booklist is not comprehensive, but is helpful to acquaint families with appropriate reading expectations. We strongly advise that parents read with their student daily, and encourage him/her also to read independently.

7th Grade Health consists of six strands of Health I provided by the state of Utah. The core guide for Health I is located HERE.

ENROLL Today

Applications for the 2023-2024 school year are open as of October 1, 2022. The lottery for the 2023-2024 school year took place on February 1, 2023. All applications submitted by January 31, 2023 were included in the lottery. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 in order to attend school for the 2023-2024 school year.  All applications received after January 31, 2023 will go on a waitlist and will be contacted as space becomes available.

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year opened on October 2, 2023. The lottery for the 2024-2025 school took place on February 1, 2024. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024 in order to attend school for the 2024-2025 school year. All applications received after January 31, 2024 will go on a waitlist and will be contacted as space becomes available.