Curriculum Standards

Canterbury School’s mission is to develop the whole child by challenging the mind and nourishing the spirit in a diverse community guided by Judeo-Christian values.

Canterbury School Curriculum Standards
revised 2005-06

Standard One:  In keeping with Episcopal tradition, Canterbury School strives to create a school culture that

• embodies Judeo-Christian values;
• seeks and serves God in all people, invites inquiry, and honors the faith tradition of others;
• encourages self-examination that leads from knowledge of one’s self to knowledge of one’s relationship to others.

Standard Two:  Canterbury School provides an educational program that

• prepares students for the next academic level;
• encourages physical, emotional, spiritual, and social health ;
• gives a central place to both the life of reason and the life of faith;
• encourages a commitment to justice, fairness, mercy, integrity, and compassion in relationships within the school and in the wider community;
• takes place in a faith community engaging in a comprehensive and challenging search for truth.

Standard Three:  Canterbury School teaches a curriculum that

• emphasizes classical as well as contemporary knowledge;
• incorporates diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives;
• embraces the arts as an integral part of the human experience;
• promotes responsible citizenship through service learning and stewardship of the natural world.

Standard Four: Canterbury School employs research-based instructional methods that

• challenge the mind by offering opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills;
• employ a variety of age-appropriate multi-sensory and technological approaches to learning;
• promote self-reflection and cultivate the skills and habits necessary for life-long learning.

Standard Five:  Canterbury School uses assessment practices that

• encourage self-reflection and self-awareness and promote continuous improvement;
• recognize, appreciate, and measure different kinds of success;
• grow from the Mission and work in partnership with the Desired Results of Student Learning.

Glossary of key terms

Judeo-Christian values

The Canterbury School community is grounded in Judeo-Christian values such as justice, mercy, humility, integrity, tolerance, patience, respect, honor, hard work, forgiveness, and the Golden Rule.  The school community focuses its curriculum around the search for truth about these values, their application in life, and their source in God.

Life of reason and life of faith

The following quotation appears in the school’s Statement of Philosophy:

Consistent with the tradition and practice of the Episcopal Church, Canterbury gives a central place to both the life of reason and the life of faith. Canterbury's philosophy is that the ideal education takes place in a faith community engaging in a comprehensive and challenging search for truth.

Rather than exploring matters from either a purely academic or spiritual perspective, Canterbury believes in educating students in an atmosphere with mutual respect for the influence that faith and reason have on one another and on students throughout the learning process. 

Curriculum Standards Indicators of Achievement

Canterbury School:

• provides a challenging academic program at all grade levels.
• provides age-appropriate community worship.
• uses the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the 1982 Hymnal, and other liturgical resources in chapel to reflect both the Episcopal identity of the school and the religious diversity of the school population.
• gives children opportunities to explore issues of faith using their developing ability to reason. 
• emphasizes spiritual inquiry, education, and nurturing, rather than conversion to a particular faith tradition.
• welcomes free inquiry, including ethical and religious discussion, in all academic disciplines.
• gives students opportunities to learn from the consequences of their decisions and take responsibility for their behavior.
• seeks to build a community of trust that exemplifies openness, honesty, caring, and forgiveness.
• celebrates hope and healing through periods of crisis.
• provides adequate resources and personnel to nourish the emotional and spiritual health of the Canterbury community.
• explores ways to nurture community spirit and to strengthen the values it wants to instill in students.
• values inclusiveness and diversity, and cares about all people as children of God.
• creates partnerships among all constituencies.
• values parent volunteers in many facets of school life.
• ensures school-sponsored programs are financially feasible for all students.
• asks all members of the school community to take responsibility for living out the school’s mission and to abide by school policies.
• asks each member of the community to commit to service to others.
• provides opportunities for students, parents and staff to reflect upon their school culture.
• provides adequate staffing to meet the demands of class size.
• provides resources aligned with the mission as defined by the curriculum standards.
• supports a library that provides current and accurate materials and technology.
• recruits and retains an excellent staff by valuing and compensating them fully.
• uses constant self-assessment to improve and strengthen the curriculum of the school as it relates to its mission.
• tracks student success at the next level of schooling.

Canterbury teachers: 

• value every child.
• challenge each child academically and personally.
• use teachable moments to reinforce Judeo-Christian values.
• use the Behavior Expectation Policy and Honor Code with consistency to foster common values and provide a framework for managing student conduct.
• establish and build upon a solid foundation of basic skills.
• employ a variety of teaching techniques and multi-sensory approaches to learning.
• engage students in developing their critical thinking and problem solving skills and guide them in learning to make value judgments.
• encourage students to develop their imaginations and ability to express themselves in a variety of ways.
• encourage students to take risks.
• encourage students to examine ideas and issues from different perspectives and to appreciate diversity.
• help students develop an understanding of how people and cultures are alike and different.
• give students opportunities to work in diverse groups.
• connect service learning to the curriculum and to the wider    community.
• use resources in a manner consistent with stewardship of the environment and encourage students to do the same.
• select curriculum materials that support experiential and other forms      of multi-sensory learning, support the mission, and integrate technology.
• provide opportunities for students to use a variety of library resources.
• assess student achievement in a variety of ways, including standardized, authentic and traditional measurements
• assess for a variety of purposes, including determining readiness to learn, identifying appropriate learning goals, determining proficiency with materials and processes, and reflecting on goals and progress toward meeting them.
• provide opportunities for students to reflect on habits and attitudes.
• capitalize on professional development opportunities to enhance their skill base and performance.