Archway School

F.A.Q.

Q: What is the school's philosophy?

A: Academics, Responsibility, Community and Hands-on learning (the A-R-C-H way) are woven in to all aspects of learning.  Consistent with our mission, we:

• provide a safe environment for emotions and individual expression
• develop personal relationships with each child and parent
• respect each student's learning style and ability level
• engage students in a stimulating, hands-on curriculum
• build an open community of parents, teachers and children

Q: What is the class size?

A: Grades K-6 have one class of 12-16 students.  Grades 7-8 have two classes of 8-12 students.

Q: Do you have an age cut-off for entering Kindergartners?

A: No. We make our decisions based on the maturity level of applicants at the time of their visit (see Admissions). In practice, it is rare that we admit a new kindergarten child who is younger than five (by September 1st).

Q: Do you offer day care?

A: On the Lower School, we have an excellent before and after school program on site for Archway students, from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM. The popular program offers outdoor playtime; an afternoon snack; homework help; arts and crafts; and an array of special activities, which in the past have included computers, drama, studio art, cooking, and chess. The Upper School campus offers before-school care from 7:30-8:30 AM and some after school enrichment programs, including MixLab multimedia classes and woodwinds and brass instruction.

Q: What is your curriculum?

A: We have constructed our own rich program, using the most recent California State Frameworks as a foundation. Teachers bring meaning to the content by including topics of personal interest to the students and to themselves. Our curriculum is designed to be rigorous yet flexible, thought-provoking, and yes, fun! Our math program emphasizes thinking skills. Teachers use units from the Investigations and Math By All Means series, among others, to explore arithmetic, measurement, geometry data, statistics and probability. Students learn to compute accurately and to develop problem solving skills using a variety of strategies. Our middle school uses College Preparatory Mathematics, a state and nationally recognized program that emphasizes algebraic thinking. Language skills are taught using high-quality children's literature, with an emphasis on comprehension and enjoyment. Teachers adapt their approaches to reading instruction to suit the learning style of each child. Students write daily for a variety of purposes and leam to employ a wide range of forms, including narrative, expository, biographical, poetic, persuasive, and letterwriting. Specific skills (phonics, spelling, paragraph formation, etc.) are specifically taught, and related directly to the reading and writing being done by students. Our science program is designed to engage children's intellect and imagination. Students leam to ask their own questions, design investigations, carry out experiments, make observations, draw conclusions, and report on their results. Teachers draw from a variety of published resources such as Lawrence Hall of Science units and the Prentice-Hall Science Explorer series, which are designed to be engaging and hands-on. In addition to this summary, there are several other major program areas, including social studies, art, PE, computers, Spanish, and our extensive life skills and values curriculum. Upper School students can choose from a variety ofelectives, including dance, T'ai Chi, creative writing, Abantey (roleplay), chess, drama, cooking, documentary making, and computer animation.

Q: How do you teach basic skills?

A: Teachers spend the first month of school identifying each child's ability level in reading, writing, and math, and use that assessment to set goals and plan curriculum for the year. We use a developmental approach, meaning that our primary purpose is to support each student's growth toward his orher "next step," regardless of age.

Q: How do you evaluate student progress?

A: The school year is divided into four marking periods for the purpose of assessment. We use conferences, written comments, and letter grades (in 5th-8th grade) to provide information to parents. Students in grades 2-8 take standardized tests in May. The objective data provided by these tests complement our other means of evaluation. We hold a "Portfolio Party" midyear, at which parents, teachers, and students gather in the evening to allow children to share and demonstrate their learning. This unique event is quite popular and acclaimed by our families.

Q: What is the homework like?

A: In general,it is related to ongoing classroom activities and tailored to the student's particular needs in skill development, not "homework for the sake of homework." The time spent varies with the age of the children, ranging from very little in Kindergarten to about one to one and a half hours daily in the upper grades. Parents are expected to provide a suitable place and time management. Some assignments are designed to be done with an adult, such as a family interview or a math game.

Q: What do you do to promote relationships among students?

A: We take a proactive stance. Teachers showcase the unique contributions of each member of a class, and emphasize deferring judgment and accepting differences. Cooperative problem solving in all areas of the curriculum allows students to teach and learn from one another. Teachers work closely with parents to encourage budding friendships among classmates. We monitor student interplay closely (especially on the playground) and model conflict-resolution techniques. Faculty and staff are available for one-on-one, "quality time" throughout the school day. Values are given center stage, and we talk about fairness and right and wrong. An Archway class was once asked to rate school based on "how nice people are to you" (10=very nice, 1=mean). Everyone replied "Eight or nine,"except for one child who said, "Fifteen...on a bad day!"

Q: Where do your graduates attend high school?

A: Recent graduates have attended Athenian, Bentley, Bishop O'Dowd, CPS, Head Royce, Orinda Academy, St. Mary's, Holy Names, Berkeley High's Communication Arts and Sciences Program (CAS), and Piedmont High School. We offer high school counseling and preparation to our 8th graders (and their parents!).