PHILOSOPHY
The Focus
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” ~ Mark Van Doren
* Project-based, experiential learning
* Scientific discovery and creative investigation in the outdoor campus
* Atelier Artspace for kids
* Engage the senses through arts and outdoor classroom
* School, family, and community interaction
* Critical and creative thinking skills, using a variety of instructional strategies in age-appropriate curricula
* Quality education while maintaining affordable tuition
* Certified, experienced teachers
* Low-class size and student-teacher ratio
* Education of the whole child, mind, body, and spirit
The Approach
“Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it.” ~Aristotle
Why count objects on a page in a textbook? Why not count sticks and rocks and plants that are out there in nature and translate that into an art or mathematics project? Arts and outdoor education are part of the daily routine at Saint Sophia School. The children’s flower garden is one example of our belief that children discover the wonder, explore the outdoors, create in the Atelier, and imagine the possibilities at Saint Sophia as active learners. Teachers provide sound learning environments with hands-on, project-based curriculum to promote innovative thinking. Classroom approach is designed to engage curiosity, prompt problem solving, and encourage inquiry into how things like math, science, and language are connected. Saint Sophia School provides the educational setting for continuous intellectual, social, spiritual, physical growth, and overall balanced development during the Pre-K years of children’s lives.
Our Roots
“Teach a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
Our philosophy of “early years” education follows the ideal of sound mind, sound body (Ένα υγιές μυαλό σε ένα υγιές σώμα), rooted in Classical Greece (Hellenism) and in basic Christian traditions of faith, love, hope, and caring for each other.
The Curriculum
“The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.” – Carl Jung
Our academic curriculum is based on the Utah State Department of Education Core Standards for Pre-K and kindergarten ages. Instructors provide Core skill-building through real-world experiences. We incorporate experiential learning, extensive art education, and science exploration. In our unique wooded campus, we integrate the outdoor environment into our academic studies. Our curriculum maps outline the entire year's curricula.
The Arts
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” – Plato
* The expressive arts and outdoor classroom activities play a key role in facilitating children’s abilities as active learners.
* Investigative exploration in the Outdoor Classroom provides an innovative way to discover and explore the world.
* The Children’s flower garden teaches the life cycle and care for the environment.
* Art education through the Masters' artistic traditions broadens children’s awareness of color, shape, form, and art history.
The Classroom
“Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered himself, that child is kept from inventing it and consequently from understanding it completely.” ~ Jean Piaget
* Our highly qualified staff promotes the love of learning in a nurturing environment.
* We are committed to maintaining a low student-teacher ratio to provide individualized attention and offer affordable tuition.
* Small classes engender a learning environment in which children gain feelings of confidence, trust, security, and validation.
Ethos
“In children, we have a great charge committed to us.” -St. John Chrysostom
* A distinctive feature of the Saint Sophia ethos is its belief that cultural heritage provides key connections to the community.
* Our philosophical tradition of educating the whole child is rooted in the Ancient Greek ideals of sound mind, sound body (Ένα υγιές μυαλό σε ένα υγιές σώμα).
* Children are introduced to culture and heritage through Modern Greek songs, rhymes, sounds, and letters.
* Children relate to the world in a positive spiritual environment based on basic Christian Principles of love, faith, hope, and service.