FAQ

Please get scholars to and from school on time. Hours are 8:30 – 4:00 Monday through Thursday and 8:00 – noon on Fridays.

Discuss with your scholar what is learned in class.

Join the Family Mentor Partnership (Capstone’s parent organization.)

Volunteer to mentor scholars in classrooms and hubs when possible

Volunteer expertise in career fields to mentor scholars toward college and careers

Volunteer expertise in fundraising and advertising

Support the vision, mission, and philosophy of Capstone

Abide by all communication policies

We want and need active parents.

The academy’s parent organization is called the Family-Mentor Partnership”

Research shows that gifted and highly motivated scholars benefit most from academic competitions. Capstone will provide multiple opportunities for competitive events, such as:

·         Math Counts Competition   

·         Scripps Spelling Bee  

·         Constitution Bee

·         Noetic Math Competition     

·         Brain Bee

·         FIRST Robotics     

·          National Latin Exam

·         Speech and Debate

·         Rube Goldberg Challenge

·         Physics Day at Lagoon

Every scholar will have an Ad Vitam designed by the team, which includes the scholar, the guidance department, and the family. Scholars will have opportunities to test out of coursework, and also to prove mastery and move at a pace that is acceptable to their individual plan. Scholars will also have the opportunity to take enrichment courses, and all scholars will participate in a senior capstone project consisting of an internship and a final presentation.

 Scholars will be responsible to complete the path they have chosen and will gain resiliency by overcoming challenges and still completing their plan. Mentors will guide scholars in their choices and celebrate their accomplishments as they develop their skills and self-confidence.

CCA will employ four major elements of the Finnish Model: Teacher autonomy and authority, the hub environment, a matriculation exam, and mastery. All of these elements have proven profitable for the Finnish population and most transferable to an American charter school.

 Capstone’s environment will incorporate a Finnish element where scholars work at their comfortable pace to complete their individual learning plan formed in agreement with the school and their parents (Ad Vitam). Mastery based learning will allow scholars flexibility to address their learning style and ability. As in Finland, scholars will take a “matriculation” exam in the beginning of the tenth grade year (PSAT, ASVAB) and will be counseled toward a path to take for 11th and 12th grade.

A charter school is part of the public education system and is open to all scholars, without discrimination, on the same basis as other public schools. However, the focus of the academy is to serve the needs of scholars who would otherwise be ignored in a more traditional setting.

The mission of the academy is “to empower gifted and highly motivated scholars” and the curriculum reflects this focus.  Some people believe that the gifted and talented learner can drift through school without any extra help and simply make the grade.  These scholars need to be recognized, and then taught with specific methodologies that help them to achieve their potentials. It is the vision of Capstone’s Board to empower these scholars, along with general population of the school, to be successful in the 21st century environment.  Capstone Mentors (teachers) are trained specifically to address this population each summer through training provided by the Utah Association of Gifted Children.

 These scholars need flexibility to advance at their own pace. They also need the opportunity for the deep, intellectual thinking that their minds crave through the use of rigor, not busywork. Scholars not identified as gifted and talented, but who are quick to learn and desire depth in their learning can profit from these same methodologies. All scholars, whether or not they are identified as gifted and talented will be equipped with the tools to succeed.

Capstone will follow the traditional Classical Model in terms of grades, which educates grades 6 – 8 in the middle school and 9 – 12 in the high school. Although most of the district schools include 6th in the elementary, the true classical school begins shaping those scholars during the height of brain growth (ages 11-13) and therefore we will follow this model.

 Employing a multi-disciplinary approach, grade six will be self-contained and separate from grades 7 and 8, which will be separate from scholars in grades 9-12.

First, Latin is a powerful vocabulary builder. Over 50% of English words come from Latin. Second, training in Latin lays the foundation for learning other Latin based (Romance) languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. Third, for professional careers like medicine, law, and education, Latin provides the base for many technical terms and names. Fourth, the precision of Latin and Greek provides scholars with an English linguistic tool that cannot be achieved in any other way. Using the right word, at the right time, and in the right context is empowered by the study of classical languages. And finally is the fact that scholars who take 2 years of Latin score an average of 152 points higher on the SAT test.

 Every scholar is required to complete two years of Latin.  After that, they may opt into a BYU online course for a language of their choice. 

Wearing clothes that are different from a scholar’s normal, everyday attire indicates that there is something special about what they are doing. A school uniform contributes to the atmosphere of all scholars’ sacred and serious academic endeavor. Capstone Classical Academy is partnering with Lands’ End to provide logo wear uniforms for our scholars.

 Required Full Dress Uniform for Monday and Special Events/Activities; Casual Uniform for Tuesday – Friday.

Capstone’s Board of Directors understands the need for scholars and mentors to have access to technology to meet individual needs. Sixth grade scholars will use a mobile laptop lab. The school will incorporate as many laptop carts as the budget will support.  Self-contained classrooms and hub meeting rooms will be equipped with Smart TVs and casting and mentors will be issued laptops.

 Even though Capstone Classical Academy will take advantage of some of the best technological advancements, Capstone will not employ electronic learning to replace the human connection of teaching. Electronic learning will only be employed as a reinforcement or enrichment tool. At no time will scholars be left to their own to complete coursework via computer without adult interaction.

 Capstone currently owns 11 zSpace computers, and is the only school in Northern Utah equipped with this virtual reality technology which are used for instruction in STEM courses and available for special projects as needed.