The Master's Academy

List of 26 items.

• Why the three-day model?

  The Master’s Academy’s unique organization is designed to support learning both at school and at home. It is a three-day alternative to our traditional five-day Lower School program. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. learning happens on campus and is facilitated by content area experts. For a few hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, academic lessons taught at school are reinforced at home by students’ first and most important teachers, their parents. This organization provides parents with larger expanses of time to guide faith and worldview development and to individually curate extracurricular experiences.

• Is there an admissions process?

  Yes, the admissions process includes the submission of an inquiry, completion of an application, a review of previous educational experiences and records, assessments of reading, writing, math, learning dispositions, and skills, recommendations, and family and child interviews.

• Am I able to enroll my child(ren) in only part of the program?

  Unfortunately, no.

• Am I able to apply for financial aid?

  • Financial aid is available for Academy students in the form of family grants.
  • With family grants, tuition for the second student enrolled in each family is reduced by $500.00, for the third student enrolled, tuition is reduced by $600.00, and for the fourth and each successive student enrolled, tuition is reduced by $700.00.

• Does our family qualify for Family Grants for the Academy if we also have children enrolled in the traditional Lower, Middle, or Upper School at The Master’s School?

  Yes!

• Does my child(ren) need to be vaccinated?

  Yes, the Master’s Academy is required to follow Connecticut State law regarding immunization requirements for school entrance. Please find immunization requirements linked here.

• What training or credentials will The Master’s Academy teachers have?

  Master’s Academy teachers are experienced educational experts with degrees in content area specialties and advanced training in Academy curricula and instructional approaches.

• How many students will be in each grade?

  Each grade has capacity for up to 12 students.

• How are students grouped?

  Students are grouped in multiple ways throughout the day including in grade-level cohorts of up to 12 students, cross-grade small groups for precisely individualized instruction, and cross-grade groups of various sizes for project-based research and learning.
  
  

  Grade-level cohorts of up to 12 students:

  • Students begin the day in grade-level cohorts of up to 12 students with grade-level teachers.
  • Grade 1-5 students move in grade-level cohorts to content area specialist classrooms for Reading and Writing instruction.
  • Grades 2-5 students move in grade-level cohorts to the content area specialist classrooms for Math.
  • Kindergarten and Grade 1 students remain in their classrooms and receive Math instruction from their grade-level teacher.

  Large groups with five-day cohort peers.

  • Academy K-2 students attend recess on the Lower School playground with K-2 students from the five-day cohorts.
  • Academy Grade 3-5 students attend recess on the Academy playground with Grade 3-5 students from five-day cohorts.
  • Academy K-5 students eat lunch in the Dining Hall with peers from the five-day cohorts.

  Cross-grade small groups for precisely individualized instruction

  • In addition to reading instruction in grade-level cohorts earlier in the day, later in the day, Academy students are divided into small cross-grade groups for precisely individualized reading instruction.

  Cross-grade groups of various sizes for project-based research and learning,

  • At the end of the day, students are assembled in various size cross-grade groups according to project-based research interests.

• Will my child be with the same group of children each year?

  Yes. Academy students will join and remain in a grade-level cohort of up to 12 students.

• What does a typical day look like for an Academy student?

  Each day begins with Academy students gathering for devotions, prayer, and announcements. In addition, a typical day would include the following:
  

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Math
  • Science
  • Lunch
  • Recess
  • Walk to Read
  • Reflective Plan
  • Homework Review

• Are there added specials such as Physical Education, Music, Art, and Foreign Language?

  The Master’s Academy organization (8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) provides parents with large expanses of time to individually curate extracurricular experiences outside of Academy school hours.

• Is lunch provided?

  Students may bring lunch from home or pre-purchase lunches prepared in our Dining Hall.

• Will The Master’s Academy students have recess?

  Yes! Additionally, Academy students will meet some curricular goals in outdoor contexts.

• Will Academy students use technology?

  The majority of daily work will be done with pencil and paper. 

  Students who read and write independently will use technology to conduct research and to provide evidence of learning.

• Will Academy students have homework?

  Homework is designed to support students to practice as they approach mastery and develop automaticity.

  
  Depending on a student's age, homework will range from 30 minutes to two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  
  Younger students will need parent support to complete homework. Older students will need limited parent support to complete homework.

  
  Homework is not assigned on weekends.

• Are there field trips?

  As part of project-based research and learning, Academy students invite visiting experts to campus and will participate in on- and off-campus field trips.

• Does this program extend beyond Grade 5?

  The Master’s Academy serves K – Grade 5 students.

• Is there 5th grade commencement?

  We celebrate our students' achievements at a ceremony at the end of each year!

• What happens after 5th grade?

  Academy students master rigorous educational standards preparing them for admission to The Master’s School’s traditional five-day Middle School program.

• Will my child be prepared to enter the traditional Middle School program if they attend the Academy?

  Yes! Academy students master rigorous educational standards preparing them to transfer or matriculate into The Master’s School’s traditional programs.

• Will The Master’s Academy parents use the TMS Portal?

  Yes. Academy parents will use The Master’s School Portal to complete the admissions process and, once enrolled, to access announcements (e.g., snow days, early release), calendars, schedules, assignments, instructional resources, report cards, attendance, the resource board, lunch registration, and the like.   

• Will The Master’s Academy students participate in any part of the traditional Lower School daily schedule or Lower School events?

  In most ways, the Academy’s daily schedule and events are separate and different from the traditional Lower School daily schedule and events. However, Academy students will join five-day cohort counterparts to enjoy recess and lunch.

• Will there be a picture day?

  Yes!

• How can I be involved?

  We welcome parent volunteers to support community engagement activities and special events.

• Will there be events for parents to connect?

  Yes! The Master’s School hosts many events that connect families such as the Back-to-School Celebration, Homecoming, Grandparents' Day, Parent-Child events, group attendance at professional sport contests and fine arts performances, family restaurant dinners (e.g., Chipotle, Flatbread) and the Festival of the Fine Arts. In addition, Academy families also join together to attend project and research presentations several times per year.