Pioneer - Academics
 
ACADEMICS
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  Project Based Teaching and Learning: This method promotes individual responsibility, and helps students take charge of their own learning. It ties theoretical learning to practical, concrete experiences, and through individual success, promotes students' seeking additional academic challenges. Students take advantage of their individual learning styles, as well as incorporate various alternative methods. It promotes independent thinking and builds confidence.
   
  Role modeling: Teachers at Pioneer Academy actively participate in the daily routine and educational process of their students. The power of role modeling is especially important in demonstrating a respect for others and the environment.
   
  Family Involvement: The involvement of the family in the educational process is a very powerful tool. It is a fundamental part of a child's education and has profound effects on a child's success. Therefore parents are welcomed into the school and the classrooms. Continuous communication is maintained through teacher initiated phone calls, meetings, and invitations. Parents are offered opportunities not only to volunteer their own expertise to the school, but to participate in programs that benefit them educationally.

 
The goal of the educational program is to help PAS students realize their potential through developing strong academic skills.

Our school bases its actions on kindness, honesty and respect for self and others. We provide a traditional academic program that challenges both the intellect and the imagination. A solid foundation in core subjects is taught along with moral values.

Surprise and Discovery: In addition to teacher-directed lessons, it is important that students utilize methods that prompt their own thinking skills, and help them "discover" not only information, but solutions to problems. This is accomplished through such strategies as presenting open-ended questions, permitting peer interaction, encouraging hands-on exploration, and infusing an element of surprise into the lessons to stimulate thinking about the unpredictable nature of life.

Multiple Intelligence: There are many forms of intelligence; many ways by which we know, understand, and learn about the world. Seven attributes of intelligence have been identified: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, body/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. Pioneer Academy teachers use to challenge the students' various intelligence:

Visual/spatial: Charts, graphs, photography, visual awareness, organizers, visual metaphors, visual analogies, visual puzzles, 3D experiences, painting, illustrations, story maps, visualizing, sketching, patterning, mind maps, color, symbols.

Verbal/Linguistic: Stories, retelling, journals, process writing, reader's theatre, storytelling, choral speaking, rehearsed reading, book making, speaking, nonfiction reading, research, speeches, presentations, listening, reading, reading aloud, drama.

Bodily Kinesthetic: Field trips, activities, creative movement, hands-on experiments, body language, manipulative, physical education activities, crafts, drama.

Logical/Mathematical: Problem solving, tangrams, coding, geometry, measuring, classifying, predicting, logic games, data collecting, attributes, experimenting, puzzles, manipulative, scientific model, money, time, sequencing, critical thinking.

Music/Rhythmic: Singing, humming, rhythms, background music, music appreciation, mood music, patterns, form, rhythm, playing instruments.

Intrapersonal: Individual study, personal goal setting, individual projects, journal log keeping, personal response, personal choice, individualized reading, and self-esteem activities.

Interpersonal: Co-operative learning, sharing, group work, peer teaching, social awareness, conflict mediation, discussion, peer editing, cross age tutoring, social gathering, study group, clubs, brainstorming.