Programs

ESSER III Funding

Scholar Academy will be using the ESSER III funds awarded by the state in the following ways:

• 20% of the funds may be used to address student learning and accelerate student achievement to regain ground lost in learning.

• 80% of the funds may be used to upgrade wireless technology, technology devices, equipment, and services to ensure the health and safety of students.

If you would like to provide feedback on the plan, please contact Traelle Gailey at tgailey@scholarcharter.org

ESSER III Plan

Wilson Fundations

Wilson Fundations for K-2 is a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program for the general education classroom. Fundations is based upon the Wilson Reading System? principles and serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure. Rather than completely replace core curriculum, Fundations will provide the research-validated strategies that complement Scholars Literacy Program.

Destination Imagination

Students grouped in grade teams will participate in creative problem solving challenges as an extra-curricular activity sponsored by the school and PTO. Destination Imagination is a research-based program offered in Utah and throughout the United States and 30 other countries. From their mission, ?The Destination Imagination (?DI?) program encourages teams of learners to have fun, take risks, focus, and frame challenges while incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the arts, and service learning. Our participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the creative problem solving process.? DI teams showcase their solutions at tournaments in Utah and our students may attend national competitions they qualify for. DI creates the challenges, including a service learning challenge, and aligns their challenges to the Utah Language Arts and Math Core Standards.

Through cooperative learning students are enabled to:

• Challenge, share and discuss their ideas

• Improve self-esteem, motivation and empathy

• Learn accountability

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task or project. This teaching method is an excellent way to allow students to think critically without relying on the teacher for every question they may have. Scholar Academy is aware of some of the limitations of cooperative learning. High performing students when regularly grouped with low performing students may become discouraged because too much time is spent assisting others and less on group performance. Scholar Academy will utilize multi-aged grouping in literacy and math allowing groups to work within a smaller range of student ability. Multi-aged ability grouping will always be a method of instruction used as a supplement to whole group instruction at Scholar Academy. This strategy may also be applied when students work on DI teams.

Thinking Maps

Thinking Maps are eight specific visual patterns. Visualizing our thinking allows us to have a concrete image of our abstract thoughts. Visual representations enhance the brain's natural ability to detect and construct meaningful patterns. Thinking Maps reduce anxiety by providing familiar visual patterns for thinking and working with complex ideas and situations. "Skillful Thinking Must be cultivated" -Art Costa

Kahn Academy

Students will have the opportunity to work online with Math instructor Sal Khan?s, the internationally acclaimed Math and Science online support instructor. Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere. All of the site's resources are available to anyone. Khan Academy's materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.

Power Hour

Power Hour is an expeditionary program where 4th-6th grade students attend six 45-minute classes on a single topic offered by staff, community specialists or parents. Each term students will participate in a variety of classes on offered in small groups by staff and parents. A menu of classes will be developed and students will choose courses during their technology class.

Singapore Math

Singapore Math is the country of Singapore's national math curriculum. It covers primary and secondary mathematics instruction. Singapore is first in the world for math and second in the world for science according to the Third International Mathematics and Science study. Scholar teachers will be trained in Singapore math strategies such as model drawing, and mental math. Singapore math is a concept-driven curriculum that seeks to develop math skills using familiar examples and how to apply them to other real-world situations a teaching method that sets Singapore Math apart from other curriculum is the emphasis on visual images and illustrations in math lessons.

The Great Artist Program

The Great Artist Program is a volunteer elementary art education program for grades K-6. The art program uses the great artists of the past to inspire and teach the great artists of the future. Students not only learn about great artists, they are given the skills and confidence to be a great artist.

Tuesday After-School Program

A variety of classes will be offered on Tuesday afternoons from 3:00-3:45 PM. These classes may be offered with or without a fee (up to $30 for six week course), depending on the instructor and class offerings. Wrestling, soccer, dance, choir, violin and additional courses, as teachers or parents are available to teach, will allow students to enjoy a number of extra-curricular activities.