Our Fundamental Principles
Castlehill’s program of instruction challenges students and gives them the tools to succeed.
Our fully researched and structured program of instruction ensures students are appropriately challenged while giving them the tools to succeed at Castlehill and beyond. Castlehill’s program of instruction is multi-faceted and encompasses everything from the core curriculum and assessments for students and professional development for instructional staff. Having the curriculum and assessments in place are important, but ensuring that there is sufficient staff development to prepare instructors is vital to students’ success.
The Core Curriculum focuses on English, Math, History and Science classes with the incorporation of various teaching strategies and cooperative learning groups. With the inclusion of and instruction in technology, students will be expected not only to learn about advances in technology, but also how to use them efficiently and effectively to produce real-world artifacts.
Castlehill Country Day School is advanced academically and seeks to strengthen students in the areas in which they excel and support them to improve in the areas in which they struggle. We offer classes with excellent faculty members so students are able to make great strides over a year’s time.
Developing partnerships between students, their families and the school personnel is a vital element in Castlehill’s comprehensive development plan that will ensure that all students are given the tools and support they need to be successful. Families will be encouraged to fully participate in their child’s education while businesses and members of the community will be sought to share their expertise with the students. In addition, students themselves will learn to take responsibility for their own educations as they learn the value of intrinsic motivation and understand the importance of striving for their best personally and academically.
Castlehill is dedicated to offering a number of non-core classes that appeal to the interest of the students while helping them become more well-rounded students as they learn to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the arts and humanities. With the addition of classes such as theater arts, visual arts, music, physical development and foreign language, students are challenged to excel in more than just the traditional, core-subjects. These classes also supplement and support the curricular goals already established in the core classes.
Having a small student-to-teacher ratio is very important to Castlehill. Students are able to have more specialized and focused instruction, as well as individualized attention in small classes. The student-to-teacher ratio is limited to 18:1. Each class also has a teaching assistant to ensure that academics remain rigorous, and that there will be support for any struggling students.