CORE KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM
The La Cumbre Core Knowledge program is a rigorous and challenging choice for junior high students, but it’s also a lot of fun! So what is Core Knowledge? Established by education professor and author Dr. E.D. Hirsch, it’s a carefully sequenced, specific curriculum that helps students build a strong educational base. You can read more about it at the Core Knowledge Foundation’s website at www.coreknowledge.org. Because of the amount of material that’s covered, La Cumbre Core Knowledge students spend three periods together in a row: a double period of Language Arts plus one period of Social Studies. In practical terms, this gives students the opportunity to delve into subject matter in depth, with hands-on projects, extended writing periods, Socratic seminars, group work and performances. It also means that each child spends a longer block of time with one teacher, which leads to closer teacher-student-parent connections, more time on task, and the opportunity to build strong peer relationships. Because of the high level of the classes, Core Knowledge only offers a GATE strand and an Honors strand.
7th and 8th grade Core Knowledge students interact closely with each other and typically meet together once a week for joint activities. 7th graders are matched with an 8th grade mentor, and both groups participate in an end-of-the-year transition celebration.
Does a student need to have been at a Core Knowledge elementary school in order to be part of this program? Absolutely not. We are happy to make Core Knowledge recommendations for summer reading for our incoming 7th graders, but the vast majority of our students have no prior experience with Core Knowledge and are very successful. Please check our Core Knowledge Curriculum pages for more specifics on what our students are learning.
Sometimes parents ask why every student doesn’t participate in this program. At La Cumbre, we seek to infuse elements of Core Knowledge in our regular classrooms, too, but participating in the full program is not a good fit for every student. It requires a strong commitment of time and effort, since students are required to attend school 0 through 7th period and to read and write at levels beyond what is required in a typical junior high classroom.
Please come visit La Cumbre Junior High School to see which course of study works best for your student and family!