Mission Statement – Gifted Education for All
We challenge the gifted minds and empower children with undiscovered talents.
Scientifically validated
The education based on the latest findings in pedagogical science and the best international practices.
Integrated
The education combines intellectual merit and character development; math and its application in science; reading comprehension and grammar.
Having no limits
No borders strategy: combination of classic academic setting, projects oriented education, and guided discovery. As methodology and technology progresses, novel approaches are incorporated into school curriculum.
Outreaching
Our gifted level education is not limited to gifted students. A combination of hard work and progressive educational methods leads to superior results for all.
Fostering Leadership
The curriculum structured to increase students’ logical and creative thinking, search for innovation, entrepreneurial skills, and social conscience.
Providing Fundamentals for Future Engineers
In-depth knowledge in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education: high level bench-marks, special courses on problem solving, robotics, and computer programming from early ages.
Nondiscriminatory Policy
The Stella Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Holistic Approach to a Child
Family-like environment insures growth in emotional and intellectual intelligence and healthy well being
Our school works for a child as an extended family
- Small classes allow for deepened attention toward formation respectful and friendly relations between all classmates and schoolmates as well.
- We use European approach to the organization of the learning process: our classes are 45 minutes long, followed by 10-15-minute periods of physical activity or free play. It allows children to recharge intellectually, physically and emotionally.
- Our teachers are able to adjust the curriculum to the individual needs of a child to maximize children’s intellectual growth and stimulate their continuous love of learning.
Individualized attention leads to instilling omnipresent human values
- We devote special time for ethic development via reading and discussing fables and other stories from classic literature
- We solve conflicts and prevent bullying by using well established pedagogical methods: discussion through “alien eye” (students discuss conflict situations as they were happening with puppets)
Emphasis on values generates pride and responsibility for the studies and peer-to-peer relations
High expectations to students’ work and behavior: academics, arts, sports, and peer relations
- All students work to their highest potential
- Students acknowledge and correct their mistakes
- Students help other students in the area of their greatest competency
Project-oriented education with strong emphasis on STEM development
Children will work on age appropriate projects applicable to their lives. The examples of projects include:
- creating an interactive electronic book in a programming class,
- making a scene decoration in a crafts class,
- programming a robot in engineering class
Children will see the results of their education starting at an early age.
Our educational philosophy combines ideas of the classics of pedagogy
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
- We teach children the best available strategies providing scaffolding as needed. Our curriculum is created to build new knowledge based on the prerequisites students have.
Maria Montessori (1870-1952) & Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
- We design exercises which help students discover new knowledge rather than obtain this knowledge through lecturing.
Ference Marton (1939-present)
- According to Marton’s “necessary conditions for learning,” we teach one topic at a time while adding other material based on Marton’s recommendations.
Ference Marton is Professor of Education at the Göteborg University, Sweden and Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. He is internationally known for introducing the distinction between deep and surface approaches to learning… (wikipedia).
Strong academics results in superior academic expectations
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
Curriculum in Stella Academy was developed based on the listed approaches with the goal of providing academically solid and highly applicable education. The benchmarks in Stella Academy are aligned with or surpass the benchmarks of Common Core State Standards.
Competitions
Stella Academy students will compete with the students of other schools mathematics, chess, robotics, and other aspects of engineering and entrepreneurship.
