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Cary Academy offers a rigorous college preparatory program designed
to prepare students for success in higher education and in other
endeavors. The program not only meets the curricular requirements of the
state of North Carolina, but it exceeds those requirements with
additional emphasis on the humanities, sciences, mathematics, arts,
technology, and independent study. This catalog outlines Cary Academy's
academic policies as well as the curriculum in detail with descriptions
of all of the courses offered in each discipline.
Student-Centered Learning
At the heart of Cary Academy’s curriculum lies a strong commitment
to challenge all students appropriate to their academic levels. Because
of this commitment, the Cary Academy curriculum includes:
- Enrichment for talented and motivated students
The Cary Academy schedule
includes a unique Tutorial/Enrichment period during which students
can meet individually with faculty members to pursue particular
interests and to discuss learning opportunities. With faculty
guidance, students can select particular areas of interest (within
each discipline) to explore in depth; students can then share their
learning with their classmates. To aid in their research, students
have access to an extensive set of resources that includes an
in-school network of online information sources, interactive
educational software developed for every discipline, and the
Internet.
Individual attention to student needs
Small class sizes enable
faculty to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of all
students and work with those strengths and weaknesses within the
classroom. When additional time is required, the Tutorial/Enrichment
period provides daily opportunities for faculty to meet with
students.
Flexibility for students to choose the topics that they want to
study and the projects that culminate their research
For example, literature
students might choose from a selection of works to read, or algebra
students might select from a list of real-life situations to
represent graphically. Similarly, students can at times choose
different ways to demonstrate their learning. For example, history
students exploring Ancient Greece might decide to create costumes or
stage sets for a Greek tragedy that they have read, create a
computer model of a Greek polis, or reconstruct the Seven Wonders of
the World in any media they choose.
Skills for Life
Cary Academy presents all students with the strong, content-based
foundation required by each discipline. But the school also goes beyond
that to instill a set of skills that enable students to succeed in
college and beyond. Through the Cary Academy experience, each student
learns how to:
- Turn information into knowledge
Although every subject requires a
certain amount of memorization, to truly master a discipline
students must learn to manage large amounts of information. They
must learn how to sort through it, analyze it, and use their
knowledge to create new information that is meaningful to them. Cary
Academy teachers focus on the mastery of a strong content base in
each discipline and then guide the students to assess this content
and use it productively.
Be a productive team member
Students learn when they cooperate with their teachers and
fellow students. The Cary Academy curriculum encourages teamwork in
all subject areas, emphasizing that students can accomplish much
more if they work together than if they work alone.
Be an explorer
Each student brings a unique set of interests and aptitudes to
the classroom. We recognize that regular class work serves to
stimulate an interest in a particular subject area, motivating a
student to pursue that subject further in depth than the curriculum
addresses. Therefore, teachers encourage and reward independent
study in pertinent areas of interest.
Influence the school environment and community
The environment at Cary Academy emphasizes discipline, but
students have a say in determining the behavioral and social
standards to which they are expected to adhere. Also, Cary Academy's
Service Learning program allows students to contribute to the
community while building their own self-esteem.
Technology as a Tool
Cary Academy aspires to mirror the business world in its use of
technology, using the latest equipment and software to enhance learning,
to communicate within the school and the community, and to keep parents
informed about their child’s progress.
To realize effective use of technology in the classroom, Cary Academy
maintains at least one computer for every two students, with that ratio
increasing to one computer per student for those disciplines that
warrant it, such as English and foreign language. In addition, all of
these computers are networked within the school to enable students and
faculty to store information and assignments in a central location. This
network access extends to the home, where students can access many of
these resources using a personal computer.
The school maintains a library of software, designed by educators,
that augments the curriculum. In addition, all faculty members are
proficient with computers and the Internet, so they know how to track
down useful resources and how to guide their students in doing the same.
Cary Academy also takes advantage of the latest technology for
efficient administration and communication, supporting an electronic
student assessment and evaluation system that both parents and students
can access from home. All students and faculty members have electronic
mail accounts and access to the Internet.
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