Calvert Middle School Program Guide

2 CALVERT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM GUIDE

CALVERT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM GUIDE 3

A Tradition of Excellence 4

A Note from our Chief Academic Officer 7

ACADEMIC PROGRAMCalvert Curriculum 8

PROGRAM ELEMENTSProgram Options 10

Pacing Options 12

Tuition & Fees 13

COURSE CATALOG 14

CONTENTS


Calvert Education has a rich tradition of serving the academic needs of homeschool students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade for over a century. Beginning in 1906 with the very first Kindergarten lesson taught in a Baltimore home, Calvert evolved into a world-renowned educational institution with curriculum that is shipped worldwide. Through the years, Calvert proudly served students from many different cultural and educational backgrounds, including talented artists and athletes, missionary and military families stationed on every continent, and students with home-bound illnesses who possess a deep desire for learning.

Building on the reputation for excellence, Calvert developed a high school program in 2014. Utilizing primarily online materials as well as live instruction, Calvert High School’s unique Learn-Use-Teach model breaks new ground in the delivery of online education.

Many of the improvements designed for the high school program have been incorporated into the Calvert Middle School experience as well. The Calvert Middle School Academy includes more live instruction than in previous years and the benefit of high school courses available as middle school electives.

Virgil Hillyer, a Harvard-trained scholar, develops a Kindergarten curriculum for parents of children who are unable to attend school.

Calvert begins shipping boxes of textbooks, workbooks, lesson manuals and school supplies to students in more than 50 countries around the world.

Soldiers stationed in Japan and Korea teach their children using the Calvert curriculum, recommended to them by the U.S. Foreign Services.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

19061930

1940


Calvert launches computer-aided learning with specially designed educational CDs.

Calvert launches Calvert Academy Middle and High School

WELCOME TO CALVERT MIDDLE SCHOOL!

Calvert Education acquires Vschoolz and their state-of-the-art Learning Management System.

1987 2014

2013

We look forward to welcoming our new class of middle school students and are excited to now be offering a path to higher learning through our ground-breaking high school programs.


Welcome to Calvert Middle School! Your experience with our school is thoughtfully designed to help you fulfill your potential in ways that encourage you to inquire further, demand your best performance, and celebrate your mastery successes. As such, the Calvert Middle School curriculum asks you to be an active learner, taking ownership and responsibility for your achievements.

And, as you build those achievements, please remember Plutarch, who in his Essays, said,

“The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.”

The material with which you are about to engage describes the flame that will ignite your mind and inspire your exploration of uncharted worlds. Before you begin, take a moment to breathe in the scent of this anticipatory moment, look around and note where you are right now, listen to the sounds of possibility.

Turn the page. Strike the flame. Plan on being the best you that you possibly can be. As you peruse these pages, thinking about yourself as a Calvert Middle School student, imagine that Calvert Middle School is right beside you, sometimes guiding, sometimes following—always supporting you as you strive towards your potential.

Eric M. Isselhardt, Ph.D. Chief Academic Officer

A note from our

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER

The mission of Calvert Education Services, the leading, national provider of home-instruction services, is to empower students to be independent and inquisitive lifelong learners through an inspiring educational experience, rigorous and proven curriculum, personalized support, and a user-friendly learning management system.


CALVERT CURRICULUMThe centerpiece of Calvert Middle School’s academic program is the Calvert curriculum. The curriculum is intentionally designed to maximize each student’s potential as he or she engages with the material. With that guiding principle, the middle school program offers a high degree of sophistication and complexity, reflective of pedagogical best-practices, and in support of goals and objectives that enable each student to reach his or her potential and be prepared to succeed in our increasingly complex world.

A College Preparatory Curriculum The curriculum and coursework for Calvert Middle School is college preparatory in nature. The curriculum is academically rigorous and reflective of the highest international standards, preparing students to successfully attend any high school and go on to any college of their choice.



EDUCATIONAL TEAMA highly capable team of teachers and support staff is a the hallmark of Calvert Middle School. Our educational team is comprised of Education Counselors, Academic Coaches and Certified Teachers.

Every staff member participates in an extensive professional development program. This includes an grade-level and departmental peer session along with annual reviews.


PROGRAM OPTIONS Students may enroll in Calvert Classic Curriculum, Calvert Classic PLUS ATS or Calvert Academy Middle School.

Calvert Classic is designed for families who want to homeschool their 6–8th grader with the parent as the primary instructor in all courses. Calvert equips parents with the necessary materials to successfully teach their student. This program option is consistent with the way many families currently utilize the Calvert curriculum for their K-5 students. The Calvert Classic package includes all elements of the Calvert curriculum, including access to a rich array of digital courses as well as printed guides on a course-by-course basis. In addition, parents have access to Calvert’s Education Counselors for advice and information throughout the year.

Calvert Classic PLUS Advisory Teaching ServiceCalvert PLUS ATS is designed for families who want to homeschool their 6–8th grader with the parent as the primary instructor but also want additional motivation and support for their students.

The Advisory Teaching Service (ATS) begins with the assignment of one experienced Calvert instructor to work with your student throughout the school year. A set of tests is conducted in each subject area at specific intervals and the instructor provides detailed feedback. This may include suggestions on composition, mechanics, and processing skills.

Upon successful completion of each course, a Certificate of Completion is awarded. Transcripts are also available upon request.


Calvert Academy offers a variety of outlets for social interaction with peers through class and group sessions as well as a variety of clubs.

The Calvert Academy is a complete program designed for families who want their 6–8th grade student to attend an online middle school full-time. Students attend Calvert Academy for all courses and receive live instruction in every course.

Students enroll in a full schedule of courses and attend online sessions with other Calvert Academy students, creating unique opportunities for peer relationships and engagement.

The teacher monitors student performance and provides support and direction, including live teaching and learning opportunities. The teacher grades all assignments and tests and is the primary point of contact for parents and the student.

Live instruction is provided through the following methods:

Class sessions - Structured, planned lecture sessions and teacher-planned weekly classes.

Small group sessions - Opportunities for peer collaboration and interactivity across subject areas.

Ad hoc sessions - Teachers can create sessions on the fly to meet the immediate needs of students.

Student-generated sessions - Students can always request one-on-one sessions with their teacher for a specific learning need.

High School Electives - One fully digital elective per year. Students in grades seven and eight can choose from a list of High School electives.

PACING OPTIONS


Flex-Paced

All three Calvert Middle School programs are designed for students who want to progress through coursework at their own pace. Students have flexibility in beginning and completing courses with no pre-planned breaks during the year. Calvert Academy students that choose Flex-Paced will not receive high school credit for any electives.

School Year-Paced

Calvert Academy Middle School is conducted on a variable school-year schedule. It is patterned after the traditional academic calendar, running September through June with semester breaks and a summer break. There are three individual start dates for each semester when a group of students will begin live instruction for their coursework. Students may move within these cohorts as needed to allow time for mastery of the material. Calvert Academy students may receive high school credit for select electives.


MIDDLE SCHOOL TUITION & FEES*2014

CALVERT PLUS Advisory Teaching Service

Full Year Tuition $1,625 $2,269 $4,500

Curriculum CALVERT Curriculum: Lesson plans, Textbooks, Workbooks and materials for a a full year of teaching. Along with access to online resources along with Education Counselor support

Detailed Feedback Not Included INCLUDED INCLUDED

Live Instruction Not Included Not Included INCLUDED

Electives Not Included Not Included INCLUDED one per year

Clubs Not Included Not Included INCLUDED

*Tuition and fees subject to change without notice

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Sixth GradeAn emphasis on independent learning

Math OptionsSingapore Math Method – Students draw on problem-solving skills and prior knowledge to develop an understanding of ratios and proportions, summarize data distributions, compare numbers with percents and ratios, write and evaluate algebraic expressions, and express and compute rates.

Calvert Math – Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills continue to be developed as students solve proportions, graph functions, work with metric measurement, and perform operations with integers, decimals, and fractions.

Language ArtsStudents develop literary analysis skills while enjoying poetry, drama, novels, and nonfiction. Grammar study is intensified as students learn how to diagram sentences. Composition skills are honed through various assignments, including a research report.

ScienceChemical properties and interactions, weather and climate, earth science, and the environment are studied

HistoryFrom the birth of Western civilization through the fall of Rome, students are awed by the past.

GeographyStudents study the Eastern Hemisphere.

TechnologyURLs, web searches, and presentations are critical skills used for study across subjects.

ArtStudents study Egyptian line drawing, soft-dough sculpture, relief sculpture, and symmetry design. Lessons are coordinated with Art History study.

Art HistoryA Child’s History of Art: Sculpture offers the study of great sculpture from ancient times to the present.

INSIDE YOUR BOX

• Core Lesson Manual

• Grammar/Composition/Spelling Manual – Includes Activities and Tests

• Theras and His Town

• The Phantom Tollbooth

• Explorations: An Anthology

• City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction

• The Master Puppeteer

• One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children

• Esperanza Rising

• Everyday Spelling

• Elements of Language

• Inside Earth

• Chemical Building Blocks

• Chemical Interactions

• Earth’s Waters

• Weather and Climate

• A Message of Ancient Days

• Geography - The World and Its People, Eastern Hemisphere

• A Child’s History of Art: Sculpture

• Art Card Portfolio

• Singapore Math Method Option: Lesson Manual, Math in Focus Textbook A+B • Calvert Math Option: Lesson Manual, Calvert Math Textbook, Calvert Math Practice and Enrichment Workbook

• Core Tests

• Core Activity Pages

• Science Kit• Supplies

ONLINE RESOURCES

• Online Lesson Manual• Interactive Computer Skills• Curriculum Checkpoints• Calvert i-Library• BrainPOP Online Interactive Activities• Discovery Education STREAMING• Calvert Instructional Videos• Calvert Mastery Series: Spelling• Answer Keys• e-Textbooks• Learning Strategies • How to Diagram a Sentence

ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND RESOURCES

Math Manipulatives

Advisory Teaching Service

Calvert Academy

Verticy Learning program for struggling readers Course content subject to change based on standards and curriculum updates.

15

Seventh GradeInspired and integrated art and historyMath OptionsSingapore Math Method – Students develop a strong conceptual understanding of math skills and concepts. They draw on problem-solving skills and prior knowledge to develop an understanding of proportional relationships, add and subtract integers, perform operations with rational and irrational numbers, simplify algebraic expressions, approximate probability and relative frequency, and construct different geometric figures. Calvert Math – Students are introduced to advanced topics such as exponents, scientific notation, inequalities, constructions, volume, and surface area, as well as prerequisite algebra concepts.

Language ArtsStudents continue to build strong grammar and composition skills through descriptive narrative, expository writing, and poetry. Understanding and analysis of literature continue as students enjoy novels, poems, and works of nonfiction.

ScienceLife and physical sciences, characteristics of living things, and sound, light, motion, forces, and energy provide understanding of the world around us.

HistoryStudents are captivated by the past as they study the fall of Rome through the Enlightenment.

GeographyA study of thematic maps and the Western Hemisphere expands world knowledge.

TechnologyMore sophisticated topics such as networks, web research and validation, desktop publishing, and databases are introduced.

Art Students apply concepts from Art History, including creating trilithons and step pyramids and designing various buildings.

Art HistoryA Child’s History of Art: Architecture is explored with applied lessons designing structures.

INSIDE YOUR BOX

• Core Lesson Manual • Grammar/Composition/Spelling Manual – Includes Activities and Tests • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry • The Door in the Wall • Out of the Dust • Across America on an Emigrant Train • A Single Shard • Classic Poems to Read Aloud • Everyday Spelling • Elements of Language • Animals • Human Biology and Health • Motion, Forces, and Energy • Sound and Light • Across the Centuries • Geography - The World and Its People, Western Hemisphere • A Child’s History of Art: Architecture • Art Card Portfolio • Singapore Math Method Option: Lesson Manual, Math in Focus Textbook A+B • Calvert Math Option: Lesson Manual, Calvert Math Textbook, Calvert Math Practice and Enrichment Workbook • Core Activity Pages • Core Tests

• Learning Strategies • Science Kit • Supplies

ONLINE RESOURCES

• Online Lesson Manual • Interactive Computer Skills • Curriculum Checkpoints • Calvert i-Library • BrainPOP Online Interactive Activities • Discovery Education STREAMING • Calvert Instructional Videos • Calvert Mastery Series: Spelling • Answer Keys • e-Textbooks • Learning Strategies • How to Diagram a Sentence


Math Manipulatives


Calvert Academy


16 L PROGRAM GUIDE

Eighth GradeHigh school preparation and confidence building

INSIDE YOUR BOX

• Core Lesson Manual • Grammar/Composition/Spelling Manual – Includes Activities and Tests • The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle • The Pearl • The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman • Reflections: An Anthology • Stories in Verse • Elements of Language • The Growing Vocabulary • Cells and Heredity • Earth’s Changing Surface • Astronomy • Electricity and Magnetism • Environmental Science • America: History of Our Nation • History and Geography Workbook • Nystrom Atlas of United States History • Singapore Math Method Option: Lesson Manual, Math in Focus Textbook A+B

• Calvert Math Option: Lesson Manual, Calvert Math Textbook, Calvert Math Practice and Enrichment Workbook • Core Activity Pages • Core Tests • Learning Strategies • Science Kit • Supplies

ONLINE RESOURCES

• Online Lesson Manual • Interactive Computer Skills • Curriculum Checkpoints • Calvert i-Library • BrainPOP Online Interactive Activities • Discovery Education STREAMING • Calvert Instructional Videos • Answer Keys • e-Textbooks • Learning Strategies • How to Diagram a Sentence


Math Manipulatives

Algebra I


Calvert Academy


Math OptionsSingapore Math Method – Students draw on problem-solving skills and prior knowledge to develop a deep understanding of algebra through statistical applications and representing and comparing functions. Students will also add and subtract using scientific notation, use exponential notation, graph linear equations, analyze data, and apply geometric transformation.

Calvert Math – Students learn problem solving, algebra, scientific notation, rational and irrational numbers, and graphing functions.

Optional Algebra I track – For advanced students.

Language ArtsNarrative poetry and prose correspond to American History. Students are immersed in the country’s intellectual, physical, and political identities. Vocabulary, grammar skills, and reading comprehension are built through reading poetry, speeches, sonnets, plays, and award-winning novels.

SciencePhysical, life, and earth sciences such as electricity, magnetism, the structure of plant and animal cells, genetics, space, topography, and erosion are studied.

HistoryStudents study American History from the discovery of America to the modern United States.

GeographyStudents review geographic themes, such as spatial growth, demographic patterns, and climatic issues, in the historical context of the United States.

TechnologyStudents gain experience using presentation skills, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and HTML.

Learning StrategiesStudents master study skills, organizing, test taking, note-taking, and research needed for high school.


KEYBOARDING AND COMPUTERSGrade 6Keyboarding and Computers teaches students basic parts of the computer and common computer terms. Students will learn to use correct posture and learn to key by “touch.” Keying by touch means they are feeling the keyboard rather than watching their fingers as they key. They learn to use correct techniques and correct spacing as they key the alphabetic keys, the numeric keys, symbols, marks of punctuation, and the numeric keypad. Student will be able to show improvement in accuracy and speed.

DIGITAL ARTS(One semester with Music Appreciation)Grades 6, 7, 8This course provides computer science students with an introduction to visualization graphics programming on personal computers. The course focuses on using a digital camera and practical application of digital imaging programs. Students learn how to place images in photos and how to mock up drawings of three-dimensional spaces.

MUSIC APPRECIATION(One semester with Art Appreciation)Grades 6, 7, 8Music Appreciation introduces the student to the history, theory, and genres of music, from the early music forms through the classical through contemporary. The course explores the interface of music and social movements and examines how the emergent global society and the Internet bring musical forms together in new ways from all around the world.


HEALTH(One semester with Personal Fitness)Grade 6, 7, and 8The course concentrates on the principles of being healthy and focuses on physical development, mental and emotional stress, relationships, substance awareness, social disease awareness, and personal safety. Students develop critical life management skills necessary to make sound decisions and take positive actions for healthy and effective living.

PERSONAL FITNESS(One semester with Health)Grade 6, 7, and 8

Students focus on principles of being fit, including evaluating fitness, flexibility, physiology of body systems as related to being fit (oxygen transport, heart health, muscle fibers, etc.), nutrition, hydration, and designing a personal fitness program. Students understand physical fitness concepts and the influence of lifestyle on health and fitness and begin to develop an optimal level of fitness.

SPANISH I Grade 7 and 8Students focus on successful communication through speaking, writing, reading and listening. This course introduces the student to the beginning level of the Spanish language. It ranges from vocabulary and grammar rules to literary and cultural activities. After completing the course, students will be able to engage in short conversations within simple, standard situations that convey basics about their personal information and their environment. Students will be given the tools necessary to understand simple questions and respond to them when other individuals speak slowly and have a familiar accent.

SPANISH IIGrade 7 and 8This course helps students reinforce concepts learned in Spanish 1 and assimilate the vocabulary and structures of the Spanish language. After completing this course, students will be more confident in talking about their daily activities, spelling, situating themselves in space and time, and communicating through more detailed sentences. Students will be exposed to native speakers of Spanish during laboratory activities.

INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYGrade 7 and 8Students are introduced to the basics of Information Technology. They learn to maintain a computer system, keep it free from viruses and receive a basic introduction to networking computers. Keyboarding practice builds their word processing skills.



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Calvert Middle School Program Guide