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"Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin
Our teachers role is “a guide by your side”, encouraging deeper inquiry and grounded understanding of subject matter, often incorporating the Socratic method of questioning. Classroom work is supplemented with online curriculum allowing one teacher to support a group of students meeting each child at their individual level. Together, student and teacher measure the student’s developmental achievements in ways that motivate learning and build mastery.
To help each student reach their full potential, My City School tracks skill level by grade level, aligning to the Common Core for Language Arts and Math and Literature to ensure proper pacing to high school. Individualized strategies are scaffold into the learning for each student while supporting the development of executive functioning skills.
My City School has incorporated Verticy, a respected multi-sensory curriculum from Calvert for Language Arts and Math. Students are assessed in subject matter and their individual level and progress is tracked with on-line tools that are accessible to instructors and parents. Teachers provide immediate feedback based on frequent quizzes, which ensures foundation learning is taking place before moving deeper into subject matter.
To help each student reach their full potential, My City School tracks skill level by grade level, aligning to the Common Core for Language Arts and Math and Literature to ensure proper pacing to high school. Individualized strategies are scaffold into the learning for each student while supporting the development of executive functioning skills.
My City School has incorporated Verticy, a respected multi-sensory curriculum from Calvert for Language Arts and Math. Students are assessed in subject matter and their individual level and progress is tracked with on-line tools that are accessible to instructors and parents. Teachers provide immediate feedback based on frequent quizzes, which ensures foundation learning is taking place before moving deeper into subject matter.
Reading, Writing & Math
Our teachers ensure each student is met at their level for the fundamentals of reading, writing and math. We incorporate a multi-sensory, hands-on approach utilizing foundational methodologies from Orton Gillingham, The Barton Method, and strategies and techniques from The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss. Slingerland and Lindamood Bell techniques are utilized for select students based on their learning needs.
My City School implements Educational Kinesiology with Brain Gym and Yoga breaks to increase focus and retention and recall. Assisted technology is incorporated for pre-teaching as well as practice.
My City School implements Educational Kinesiology with Brain Gym and Yoga breaks to increase focus and retention and recall. Assisted technology is incorporated for pre-teaching as well as practice.
Project Based Science and History
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My City School delivers History and Science through interactive content, technology and project based classroom activities while leveraging bay area resources. Additionally, Math and Language arts are integrated into these subjects to strengthen these fundamentals.
My City School's experiential program coordinator ensures the integration of all activities and curriculum. Classroom studies are experienced and reinforced with Bay Area resources including: |
Students exploring science
at the Exploratorium
Digging for fossils at
Mission Science workshop
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Science
My City School maintains its commitment to science and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Science is delivered through a familiar and effective middle school approach: a combination of hands on exploration, design thinking, respectful discussions to deepen critical thinking, analysis, and the collection and interpretation of data. Students are focused primarily on engagement with the NGSS scientific processes. MCS does not focus on memorization of scientific facts or rely on testing to evaluate a student’s performance, but rather looks at a student’s engagement, participation, interest and ability to learn about the process for evaluation.
Science themes for 2015-2016 include:
Social Studies
Students focus on a broad study of the development of America. MCS exposes students to history through a combination of tools that help them understand, process and retain historical narratives. These include videos, discussions, research, and textbook reading paired with annotation skills, the creation of timelines and connect to their personal history to the building of America. Additionally students visit local museums and cultural exhibits to deepen their understanding of specific topics.
Year One History Themes include:
Year Two History Themes Include:
My City School maintains its commitment to science and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Science is delivered through a familiar and effective middle school approach: a combination of hands on exploration, design thinking, respectful discussions to deepen critical thinking, analysis, and the collection and interpretation of data. Students are focused primarily on engagement with the NGSS scientific processes. MCS does not focus on memorization of scientific facts or rely on testing to evaluate a student’s performance, but rather looks at a student’s engagement, participation, interest and ability to learn about the process for evaluation.
Science themes for 2015-2016 include:
- Growth development and reproduction of organisms
- Natural selection and adaptation
- Space Systems and the history of earth
- Forces and interactions
- Waves and electromagnetic radiation
- Humans and their impact on the earth
- Engineering design and long-term projects
Social Studies
Students focus on a broad study of the development of America. MCS exposes students to history through a combination of tools that help them understand, process and retain historical narratives. These include videos, discussions, research, and textbook reading paired with annotation skills, the creation of timelines and connect to their personal history to the building of America. Additionally students visit local museums and cultural exhibits to deepen their understanding of specific topics.
Year One History Themes include:
- World Geography; Personal History; Rise and decline of the Roman Empire; Begin Islam in the middle Ages
- Islam in the Middle ages and begin China in the Middle Ages
- China in the Middle Ages and Medieval Africa (Ghana and Mali)
- Medieval Japan
- Medieval Europe
- Mesoamerica and Andean Civilizations
- The Renaissance
- The reformations
- The Scientific revolution
- Age of Exploration, the enlightenment, the age of reason
Year Two History Themes Include:
- Development of American constitutional democracy
- U.S. Constitution
- American political system
- People of the new nation
- U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic
- American people in the South and West from 1800 to mid 1800's
- Declaration of Independence
- Civil War and the Reconstruction
- Industrial Revolution
Physical Education
Physical Education is a fun active living curriculum that provides exposure to physical activities that support a lifelong social community. This encompasses tennis, golf, fencing, swimming, kayaking, basketball, yoga, hiking, rock climbing, and sometimes running to catch the bus!
Visual & Performing ArtsArt is provided by specialists from the Bay Area with a curricular connection to specific exhibits at local museums including the De Young, Asian Art Museum, Mission Cultural Center, and others. The students attend local plays and participate in weekly Digital Arts Studio sessions.
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Drama
Drama is experienced in the New Conservatory Theater Center with highly experienced instructors. Students learn acting skills from scripted work to improvisation, all of which are proven to encourage life skills such as self-esteem, team building, creativity and public speaking.
My City School TABLE
Students collaborate on creating one group meal as it relates to the current history connections, planning and preparing for each meal assignment. Science is woven into the experience with studies on nutrition, water impact, and food sources from farm-to-table. Students learn confidence in the kitchen and gain understanding of peer's food preferences and requirements. They participate in outside experiences to understand where food comes from and how it can be sourced in responsible, sustainable ways. Programs include:
•Slide Ranch Middle School Program
•Garden For the Environment
•San Francisco Urban Agriculture
•Randall Museum Cooking in the Garden
•Slide Ranch Middle School Program
•Garden For the Environment
•San Francisco Urban Agriculture
•Randall Museum Cooking in the Garden
My City School SPARKS
Students at My City School are immersed in subjects that ‘SPARKS’ their interest. Students conduct research, develop concepts, practice thought mapping, and engage with peers and the community advisors to present their Spark project as a presentation at the end of the project cycle. The Spark Project is project-based learning that demands supported planning, builds organization skills, increases reading & writing, and develops each student’s public speaking skills.
My City School NEIGHBORS
Service programs help students understand their capacity to contribute to the world around them. Activities include: