Cascade Canyon

School Experiences Growth in Staff and Programs!

Off to a great start, the 2009-2010 school year at Cascade Canyon School promises to be an exciting year of growth and change. The school's 2009 Strategic Plan established the goal of  transitioning from a primarily part-time teaching staff to a predominantly full-time teaching staff in order to serve students more fully and build more cohesion and continuity among the staff. Whereas the prior staffing model included three full-time core teachers and six part-time core and specialist teachers, this year's more robust model includes five full-time core teachers, a full-time specialist, and one part-time specialist. The 2009 Strategic Plan also prioritized research on current practice in middle level education and a potential restructuring of our middle school program in order to better meet the needs of today's middle level learners. We have begun to make exciting changes in grades 5-8, adding new technology, switching to subject specific teaching in grades 7-8,  promoting the role of science teaching to a full-time staff position, and creating an integrated, project-based learning class. Our middle school students and teachers are enjoying the program changes. Other programs are expanding as well. Based on knowledge of second language acquisition theory, and the importance of the frequency of exposure to the target language, we have increased the number of Spanish periods per week to two classes a week in grades K-4 and three classes a week in grades 5-8. We have also expanded our elementary art program to include two periods of visual art for grades K-4, based on the success of our twice a week Kindergarten art program. Enrollment is also growing at Cascade Canyon: the school is currently in its second consecutive year of growth in enrollment, with several grade levels at capacity. Our classrooms and the yard feel full and vibrant. This is a great time for our small school! Cascade Canyon. Small School: Big Change.

 

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