Curriculum

CH-CH's Curriculum

Because we are a small school, we are able to make a student’s academic journey personal. We purposefully dedicate time to know and appreciate our students for who they are. By understanding their individual stories, strengths, challenges, interests, and backgrounds, we can best guide them toward their full potential.

Our teachers are experts at developing an innovative curriculum that is both challenging and personally meaningful: We help students achieve their best. This approach inspires and engages without overwhelming. It encourages intellectual curiosity and inspires ambitious learners to expand academic pursuits through their passions. Most of all, this personal and balanced approach to learning sets our students on the path to finding joy in the lifelong practice of learning.

Select a Department

Department

English

The English Department guides students to develop specific reading, writing, and speaking skills. Students hone their abilities to think logically, analytically, creatively, and inferentially, and to gain insight through the study of literature. The curriculum exposes students to a variety of literary genres from diverse cultures and time periods. The department is committed to differentiated instruction and recognition of multiple intelligences, which both encourage students to participate in classroom discussion, develop group and individual presentations, and write personal, descriptive, analytical, and persuasive essays.

History

The History Department empowers students to be historians who question the evolution of cultures. Students begin their work with a survey of world civilization which provides them the knowledge to recognize and interpret patterns and themes of the past. Students have the opportunity to study African, Asian, and Western cultures, looking at events that include war and exploration, as well as systems of justice and inventions. Using differentiated instruction, the curriculum makes the content accessible, relevant, and engaging to students at every level.

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department believes in fostering a challenging and nurturing learning environment where students reinforce foundational math skills, engage in challenging work and bridge theory to various real-world applications. At every level, students review past material, build upon previously learned material, and investigate new material. When students delve deeply into mathematics, they gain knowledge of and experience with various approaches and techniques to solve problems.

Science

The Science Department encourages students to develop a scientific mindset, one where they simultaneously keep an open mind and maintain a healthy level of skepticism. Students become systematic problem solvers both as individuals and as group members as they use the scientific method in their work in the classroom, the laboratories and even the outdoors or the campus greenhouse. All Science classes prepare for the Science Expo, an annual school-wide celebration of science and discovery.

World Languages

The World Languages Department maintains that competency in more than one language enriches the life of the individual and fosters understanding in a global society. Students are provided authentic opportunities to use language with differentiated instruction/MI and Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). Teachers nurture a love of language learning by supporting individuals as they gain confidence in communicating. Students also gain an appreciation of diverse cultures through exposure to music, literature, film, art, and cuisine connected to the language they are studying.

Skills and Academic Strategies

The Skills and Academic Strategies program (SAS) offers a very specific and unique approach to learning. The focus of each class is not on the completion of work but on the development of skills and the ability to complete work. Students use their regular assignments to practice skills and strategies that will ultimately enable them to be independent learners. SAS is an optional program that comes with an additional fee.

Visual and Performing Arts

The Visual and Performing Arts Department awakens and nourishes the creative process in every student. The Department offers a selection of courses in musical arts, photography, digital art, ceramics, sculpture, art history, and studio art. The curriculum promotes creativity, original thinking, perseverance, resourcefulness, personal exploration, and safe risk-taking. Students have the opportunity to curate and show work in gallery spaces, develop a portfolio throughout their CH-CH career, participate in musical performances, work with industry-level design programs, and collaborate on projects with students as well as visiting artists.

English Language Learner

The English Language Learner Workshops help students to develop the English language skills they need to be successful in school and in their personal lives. International students are enrolled entirely in integrated classes with native-English speakers, but some can use additional guidance. When they arrive on campus, international students take a language assessment that guides the school in determining what level of support they need. Many new international students will participate in an ELL Workshop, a small class taught by a trained ELL instructor, where they practice active reading, research techniques, written expression, vocabulary building, and class discussion strategies. This workshop provides an environment that maximizes learning by emphasizing process, communication, and constructive risk-taking; students also receive support time management, planning, and prioritizing as they adapt to the culture of CH-CH.