The OVCA Vision of Education
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At OVCA, success in the classroom means that we equip our students lifelong spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. A vision helps us to clarify what we believe is effective in education so that we can be successful in equipping our students. When we have a vision, we can pinpoint what works at our school and omit what is ineffective.
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An easy way to remember the elements of our vision is to think about it in terms of the why, the what, and the how.
What do we Teach?
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First, we teach rigorous content, carefully coordinated.
If we are perennialists and essentialists, then there is a specific body of knowledge that we teach. And we respect the teacher as a repository of content that is to be taught. We recognize that there are effective and ineffective methods of passing that knowledge on. So we are continually developing curricular materials to reflect selection of the of the most valuable knowledge and skills and the best ways to instruct students in them.
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Second, we teach skills for the future.
Our imparting of skills for the future reflect the essentialist side of our mission. Our curriculum includes not only a pre-determined body of knowledge, but foundational skills students will rely upon in college and beyond. These skills include reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking, using technology, researching, and applying mathematics.
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Third, we teach content for the development of the mind--a mental framework for future knowledge.
Content for mental development relates to both the perennialist and essentialist orientations.
We learn all of our lives. The more extensive foundation and framework for learning we can give our students, the more they will have to build upon in the years after they graduate. Future learning will occur. With a strong and comprehensive framework in place, that learning will be faster and easier—it will grow exponentially. |
Our Curriculum
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The curricular materials we use are selected through a rigorous process of faculty review. From preschool through 12th grade, the curriculum we select must meet certain criteria and objectives in order for it to find its way into an OVCA classroom.
Here are just a few of the things we consider when making curriculum decisions.
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That said, the curriculum we use sometimes varies from grade to grade and from subject to subject. We use an array of curriculum; A Beka, Bob Jones Press, as well as other large and independent educational publishers.
If you have additional questions regarding our curriculum, please feel free to contact an administrator by clicking here.
If you have additional questions regarding our curriculum, please feel free to contact an administrator by clicking here.
