Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships:
A Mission & Vision for the Gilbert Classical Academy
Rigor - We embrace the belief that all students must be prepared for further study beyond high school through the delivery of a guaranteed and viable honors curriculum. In addition, a majority of students need to be provided the opportunity for advanced high school study in a wide variety of disciplines. However, in a classroom environment, rigor is not synonymous with "difficult" or "hard." We define rigor as a condition of the learning environment which stretches the individual learner to move beyond his/her current "comfort zone" and grow as an independent learner.
Relevance - In the information age, schools that rely on content delivery as the primary purpose for teaching are under-serving their students. While we cherish the importance of in-depth content in our curricula, we insist upon an emphasis on skills of inquiry, problem solving, and analysis in the work of all of our students. To the greatest extent possible, our lessons must be relevant to the experiences of the 21st century citizen. In addition, engagement of the adolescent student is of vital importance when examining both content and approach to learning.
Relationships - In a small school setting, students need to interact with adults who both help them to think about their futures and model appropriate civic and social connectedness. We believe that both students and adults must be known as individuals, treated with respect and fairness at all times, and celebrated when they meet our expectations. Furthermore, all school community members should interact with a diversity of the population and have the potential to make significant connections in the wider community. The defining characteristic, for both students and adults, in a school that values relationships is a pervasive sense of civility and respect.
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Gilbert Classical Academy is the development of young men and women of character who embrace a passion for learning, all built upon a solid foundation of knowledge and technology. The Classical Academy provides students with a rigorous, integrated curriculum in a small-school setting, utilizing the Socratic method of instruction to encourage students to think critically and prepare for study at the university level.
Vision Statement
The Gilbert Classical Academy, in striving for academic excellence, seeks to provide a comprehensive, honors-level education that engages all students in meaningful learning and to develop the intellectual, creative, social, emotional, technological, and physical skills necessary to prepare them for the next phase of their lives at a four-year college or university.
