Cordis Academy

                a division of Master’s Academy of Fine Arts

Creative Academics through a Biblical Worldview

K thru 9th grade

(please note that each year we will be adding a different grade level as we grow)

 Offering academic classes: Language Arts, Math, Science, History, Foreign Language, etc.

An integrated and creative approach to learning.

Using logic and problem solving as the basis for understanding.

Teaching the academic classes with a creative twist while integrating the time period into the academic subjects.

Cordis ACademy      CrEative Academics Through A biblical worldview

Our Definition:

The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts is excited to offer Cordis Academy to our Master’s Academy, Masterkey Academy, and Portfolio Academy families.  Cordis Academy is an academic program that integrates the applicable historical time period with core academic class instruction and an eye toward better qualifying children for advanced education. 

The word Cordis comes from the Greek and means twisting fibers together to make a rope.  In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says that “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” For Cordis Academy the three cords represent the ACADEMICS, the ARTS, and the HEART.

Cordis Academy combines the best parts of several homeschool philosophies with a creative twist to develop students who are well-educated, historically grounded, well read, independent learners who can think logically, solve problems creatively, and approach life in a complete and integrated manner.  We believe by emphasizing learning from a whole-hearted and individual standpoint, Cordis Academy can aid busy homeschooling parents in instructing and training the heart, soul AND mind of each student.  .

Each year, Cordis Academy the K-5 thru 6th grades follow the same time period that Master’s Academy will be studying.  Students attending Cordis Academy do NOT have to be enrolled in Master’s Academy, Masterkey Academy, or Portfolio Academy at any of our locations.  Parents are given the choice whether to enroll in Master’s when they enroll in Cordis Academy.  We strongly encourage parents who wish to enroll their child(ren) in Cordis to also enroll their children at Master’s so that they can have a well-rounded education which includes the arts.  Studies have shown that integrating the fine arts into your school schedule helps the student improve their performance across all academics.  By stimulating the right brain with training in the arts (art, music, drama, film), this stimulation helps the left brain in a child to do better and even excel in their academic courses.

Cordis Academy provides a hands-on, creative environment within the classroom while integrating the fine arts for a complete and well rounded education.  Instead of the students merely learning facts in each subject that are not related, they are totally immersed into the historical time period with as many subjects as possible thus encouraging an excitement for learning. 

New information taught to the students will be taught in a creative manner while taking into account the different learning styles so that the student is able to be successful in learning.  There has been new research on how people learn.  These findings suggest that effective learning happens when the student is exposed to new information and is actively engaged in the new information given to them.  In a creative environment, students will be able to listen, explore, discover, practice, and use what they are learning so that the new material is retained by the student.  Cordis Academy, therefore, provides a creative learning environment which encourages active participation in learning by providing in class discussions, investigative activities, presenting discoveries, and hands-on activities while allowing the student to express himself creatively in the learning process. 

At Cordis Academy, we offer the students the opportunity to be educated in a Creative Classical Education environment which uses history as a foundation and framework behind all of the academic subjects.  Cordis Academy uses a creative classroom teaching style which encourages deductive reasoning skills and engaging student interactions.  Students are able to think and express themselves logically in both a verbal and written format.  This approach to education helps the student assimilate and retain information for long term use in higher education.  The students will be taught using hands-on, investigative, and interactive activities while also experiencing learning through reading, listening, discussion, and writing.  The arts (music, art, and drama) are used as a creative means to teach within the classroom. 

From the Creative Classical Education method, we also glean the study of humanity based on a Biblical and historical approach. Students must first learn to distinguish good from evil and then learn to love and do the good. This is accomplished by acknowledging, learning about and discussing varying non-Christian worldviews and comparing those views to God’s truth as found in scripture.  Thus, students learn to actively put Biblical principles into practice of everyday life and become discerning to those non-biblical viewpoints expressed in various segments of society both directly and indirectly.

There are three stages in the Creative Classical Education method to learning:

Stage one – Grammar stage.  K-5 through 3^rd or 4^th grade.  Students are the most absorbent during this stage and are interested in learning new ideas, new words, new facts, and new stories.  Cordis Academy believes in providing a creative environment with hands-on, investigative and interactive activities for the students to be able to absorb the new information taught to them.  During this stage, Cordis Academy also integrates a unit study approach to teaching.  From the Unit Studies Approach, we bring in the ideas of unifying all teaching subjects around a central core so that the learning is much more integrated and accessible to children as a whole. In addition, we believe that children learn best through hands on activities and real world activities.  We also have adopted several of Charlotte Mason’s methods to teaching.  From the Charlotte Mason Method we have adopted the idea that learning is a way of life, not simply something you do from 9-3 during the ages of 5-18.  Natural creativity and curiosity are God given traits that we at Cordis Academy seek to aid and stimulate within the classroom.  Children have a creative and natural desire to learn and by providing a creative learning atmosphere at Cordis Academy, we are creating lifelong learners.  Not only are we committed to helping students in this area, but also to encouraging and enabling parents with instruction and materials necessary to creating a creative environment of learning at home.  Cordis Academy will provide a creative learning atmosphere suitable to aid children in the learning process by using several of Charlotte Mason’s methods such as narration, twaddle free books, dictation, journaling, etc.  We also integrate the Great Books Method by exposing the students to the literature of the world based on the six historical time periods of the arts - Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern.  This is done in an integrated format with each class in literature being tied to the historical time period being studied during that school year.

Stage Two – Logic stage.  4^th through 8^th grade.  Students begin to process the material taught to them and question it by asking more “why” questions. Their ability to think more abstractly is continuing to develop and mature during this stage.  Students will be able to read to learn new information given to them.  Cordis Academy offers the students purposeful in and out of classroom creative activities/projects/assignments compelling them to a more in-depth handling and processing of new information.  Our 4^th through 6^th graders also benefit from integrating the Unit Study method and Charlotte Mason Method into our teaching approach.  From the Unit Studies Approach, we bring in the ideas of unifying all teaching subjects around a central core so that the learning is much more integrated and accessible to children as a whole. In addition, we believe that children learn best through hands on activities and real world activities.  From the Charlotte Mason Method we have adopted the idea that learning is a way of life, not simply something you do from 9-3 during the ages of 5-18. Natural creativity and curiosity are God given traits that we at Cordis Academy seek to aid and stimulate within the classroom.   Children have a creative and natural desire to learn and by providing a creative learning atmosphere at Cordis Academy, we are creating lifelong learners.  Not only are we committed to helping students in this area, but also to encouraging and enabling parents with instruction and materials necessary to creating a creative environment of learning at home.  Cordis Academy will provide a creative learning atmosphere suitable to aid children in the learning process by using several of Charlotte Mason’s methods such as narration, twaddle free books, dictation, journaling, etc.  We also integrate the Great Books Method by exposing the students to the literature of the world based on the six historical time periods of the arts - Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern.  This is done in an integrated format with each class in literature being tied to the historical time period being studied during that school year.   We see 6^th grade as a transition year and a progression from a Unit Study approach to a more Creative Classical Education approach. While learning through the Creative Classical approach, our 7^th and 8^th graders classes are high school prep classes so that these students are fully prepared for the academic expectations of high school.

Stage Three – Rhetoric stage.  9^th through 12^th grade.  Students are applying information that they have learned.  We also want our students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.  Cordis Academy offers them many creative venues for them to apply what they have learned in a creative format.  For example:  Students are each assigned a certain historical figure to research and write a paper on.  They are then assigned to become that historical figure in a wax museum.  The information that they have learned about this historical figure will then need to be shared with the rest of the class when their historical figure comes to life in the wax museum.  This gives the student the opportunity to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in a creative manner.  We also integrate the Great Books Method by exposing the students to the literature of the world based on the four historical time periods of the arts - Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance/ Baroque, Classical/Romantic and Modern.  This is done in an integrated format with each class in literature being tied to the historical time period being studied during that school year.

While integrating these teaching methods into the classroom, our teachers provide an adventurous classroom environment in order to engage the students in learning as well as to build the student’s confidence, fostering trust, and encouraging them to become better students.  Our objective is for the students to enjoy learning and to understand what they are learning.  The results of learning in a Creative Classical Education approach:  meaningful learning, greater comprehension, retention of information, and an interesting class environment to learn in.

The National Standards for each subject matter and grade level are taught while using these teaching methods within the classroom. 

Cordis Academy is a college prep program giving the students a well rounded education by including the study of the arts and academics.

Cordis Academy meets one day per week for 30-32 weeks and is used in conjunction with attendance in Master’s Academy of Fine Arts, Masterkey Academy, and Portfolio Academy classes to give children a well-rounded education.  Students will receive instruction in their core academic classes: Language Arts writing, literature, grammar, (phonics for K-5 thru 2nd grade), Math, Science, History/Geography and Foreign Language.  Students will receive assignment sheets and sealed testing information for the week at the end of the class day.  It is expected that all work and tests be returned the next class day unless otherwise noted.  Cordis Academy students may receive accreditation by an accreditation agency (in association with Georgia Accreditation Commission).  Class size is limited and determined by each school location. 

 Cordis Academy

K-5 thru 12^th grade academic classes

current and future grades and classes

The K-5 thru 6^th grade classes were developed to offer a creative classroom environment for homeschool parents to enroll their child(ren) in.  In the classroom, the teacher will present the new concepts for the week in a creative hands-on investigative manner.  Every class offers stimulating activities to teach the new academic concepts.  We create an environment where the students can use their God given creativity in learning academic subjects.

A typical day at Cordis for all grades may involve:

• the dissection of an insect or shark, etc. in science

• purchasing with real coins items at our pretend store as they learn about money in math

• looking at a painting from the time period and listing all the adjectives that can be used to describe the painting in grammar

• sitting outside on the grass, placing a string around the student’s area and having them write about what is happening in their little area for composition

• reenacting a historical event in history class

• coming to school dressed up as a cowboy for the history lesson

• trying different foods from the time period

• looking through a microscope

Within our day, we also have built in time for the students to enjoy one another’s fellowship during recess and break times.  Through out the year, we have opportunities to have special events and celebrations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and any time period appropriate celebrations. 

Homework assignments will be given for the rest of the week to reinforce the new concepts that were taught in class that week.  Parents will be responsible to aid and monitor their child(ren)’s progress at home making sure that they comprehend and master the new concepts.

Class size is limited.  We only allow 12 students in a class for K-5 thru 2^nd grade and 15 in a class for 3^rd-12^th grade.

Subject and Grade Descriptions

Bible – “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Psalm 119:11

K-5 students will have a 20-30 minute character trait devotional and prayer time to start the day.

1^st-6^th grade we will be going through Summit Ministries Building on a Rock curriculum.  This unique curriculum is designed to help younger students begin to formulate and relate learned Bible facts with a genuine Christian worldview.  It is designed to help students interpret knowledge and build foundational beliefs and values from a Christian perspective.  The curriculum is written to cover six sections:  wisdom, fellowship, image-bearing, servanthood, stewardship and worldviews.  Each grade level goes through reviewing or introducing each section but concentrates and dives in deeply into one of the sections.  For example 1^st grade students will spend extra time learning about wisdom and will be introduced to the other sections the rest of the year.

7^th-12^th graders will have a devotional along with a prayer time led by one of the teachers during Cordis class time.  These students attend a Arts History class on their MasterKey and Portfolio class day.  This class takes students a step beyond the history of the fine arts and into the Worldview surrounding that fine art during each applicable time period.  We desire to equip our middle and high school students with the Biblical foundations needed to support their faith in secular higher education environments.

Historical time period science as well as basic scientific knowledge.  Important scientists and their discoveries are studied from the appropriate time period.

History – In depth applicable time period history for K-5 thru 6th grade

For K-5 thru 3^rd grade a unit study approach is taken.  We take specific topics from the historical time period that are not covered at Master’s Academy and develop a unit study on each historical subject that lasts 3-4 weeks.   The students are thus able to go in depth in each historical subject matter.  History comes to life as the in class teaching may involve the teacher reenacting portions of history for the students or having the students participate in the reenactment themselves. Homework assignments are hands on project oriented.  Occasional work sheets will be assigned as homework.  Class time:  45-60 minutes

4^th-6^th grade students will cover specific topics from the historical time period that are not covered at Master’s Academy.  The teacher uses innovative teaching methods to convey the historical events to the students so that they learn in a creative environment.  Reading from a designated Christian based textbook for further investigation of various historical topics will be assigned for homework as well as hands on projects and journaling.  Class time:  1 hour

7th -11^th grade students will use Christian based historical textbooks to cover all the historical topics from the four historical time periods: Ancient, Medieval/Renaissance, Baroque/Classical/Romantic, and Modern.  Each year we will cover a different time period.  The teacher will use creative teaching methods to make history come alive to the students.  Presentations by the teacher with short video clips, power points, interactive games, etc. will be used in the classroom to enhance learning.  Use of websites (previewed by the teacher) in homework assignments in conjunction with their textbook may be used to deepen their study of the time period.  Class time:  1 hour

12th grade will be taking Economics and Government.  Class time:  1 hour

Science –

K-5 thru 4th  graders will be studying the creation week while integrating the important scientific discoveries of the time period.  Every 3-4 weeks students will study a different day of creation thus exposing them to all of the wonders of God’s creation.  Depending on the subject matter, lab time will also be included during the class time as often as possible such as dissecting a fish, building a volcano and watching it erupt, etc.  The teacher will bring science to life by developing an in class atmosphere full of discoveries and investigations into God’s creation.  Homework assignments will be hands on and project oriented. Class time:  45-60 minutes

5^th grade: Science 5  The following scientific subjects will be studied during the course of the year:  Minerals & rocks; Fossils; matter; energy & heat; weather; biomes; the ecosystem; sound, light, respiratory system, circulatory system.  Scientists and their discoveries from the time period will also be integrated into the year.   All these topics are taught from a biblical worldview.  In class lab time and hands on activities will help reinforce and complement the material being studied.  BJU Science 5 textbook will be used.

6^th grade: Science 6  is an excellent bridge between elementary science and junior high science.  Earth science, physical science and biology.  The earth, the solar system, and concepts of physics are covered during the course of the year as well as the scientific method, classification, cell structures, and systems of plants, animals, and people.  All these topics are taught from a biblical worldview.  In class lab time and hands on activities will help reinforce and complement the material being studied.  BJU Science 6 textbook will be used.

7^th-12^th grade students will be offered Life Science, General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Marine Biology classes to meet their science requirements.  The teacher takes a hands on approach to teaching the classes thus many labs are included in their class time.  Homework assignments/projects will be given each week for the remainder of the week.  Class time:  1 hour

Composition and Grammar – our goal is to teach the students the grammar and writing process so that they can effectively communicate in their writing

K-5 thru 3^rd graders will have age appropriate writing assignments for them to develop from K-5: writing a simple sentence, 1^st grade: writing more complex sentences, 2^nd: grade writing a paragraph, to 3^rd: grade writing three paragraphs.  The teacher will also focus on helping the students develop ideas for writing, organizing their writing, sharing their feelings in their writing, and using descriptive words in their writing.  Punctuation, spelling and grammar will also be emphasized in class.  Various homework assignments will be given to reinforce the concepts covered in class.  Class time: 1 hour

4^th-12^th grade students will develop the six main traits of writing: 1. Ideas (focusing on a specific topic with ideas and details to support topic); 2. Organization (beginning, middle, ending); 3. Voice (a special way a writer shares ideas and feelings); 4. Word Choice (using strong verbs, specific nouns, colorful adjectives); 5. Sentence Fluency (beginning sentences in different ways and have different lengths); 6. Conventions (punctuation and grammar).  Students will be taught how to write descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive, creative, research writings and a response to literature writing as well as a compare and contrast writing for 8^th-12^th graders.  Because class sizes are small, teachers are able to give individual feedback and support for improved writing skills. These different writing assignments will be spread through out the different subjects: literature, science, and history and spread out through out the course of the year.  The composition teacher will be working with the different subject teachers and monitoring the writing in all the different subject areas.  Greek and Latin root words will be taught to expand their vocabulary words.  Vocabulary words from literature, history, and science classes will also be focused on in each class.  Homework composition assignments will vary each week and is dependent on the subject the assignment is for.  Weekly grammar homework will be assigned to the different grade levels.  Class time: 1 hour

Phonics – using a multi-sensory approach in learning phonics

For K-5 thru 2^nd grade phonics is taught using a multi-sensory approach to appeal to students with auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles.  Throughout the primary grades, special emphasis is put on literacy skills as reading and writing are clearly the foundation of all other learning. Our program regularly implements the following strategies: systematic phonics instruction; phonemic awareness; sound-symbol relationships; decoding; word-attack skills; spelling instruction; writing instruction; reading comprehension instruction; and independent reading of high quality literature.  Our teachers strive to make instruction as creative as possible to create a stimulating learning environment. Classroom and homework instruction includes: learning fun songs, completing craft activities, playing games, reading high interest literature, reading comprehension games and activities, writing skills, and ‘out-of-the-box’ spelling activities.  Creative homework assignments will be given each week to reinforce what was introduced in class.  Class time:  30-60 minutes

Math – Appropriate age mathematics are taught to the students. 

For K-5 - 6^th grade various manipulative materials and activities/games are used to introduce the various mathematical concepts for each week. Real life mathematical application opportunities are given to the students. The teacher uses pertinent activities and centers in class to reinforce the new concepts.  Homework for the rest of the week from their math textbook will be assigned to the students.  Class time:  2 thirty minute blocks of teaching time or 1 block of 60 minute teaching time.

7^th-12^th grade math offered will consist of Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Advanced Mathematics.  New concepts will be introduced in class as well as reviewing previous concepts to allow for mastery in math.  Homework assignments are assigned for the rest of the week.  Class time:  1 hour

Foreign Language – Spanish giving each student the opportunity to learn a foreign language

K-5 - 6^th grade Students will be exposed to the Spanish language as they learn basic age appropriate Spanish in a hands on environment.  Students will learn common Spanish phrases, colors, numbers, parts of the body, the weather, parts of the house, the family members, etc.  Homework assignments very by grades and are used to reinforce what was taught in the classroom.  Class time:  20-30 minutes (dependent on grade level)

Foreign Language – Spanish

7^th-12^th grade The class consists of conversation time in the foreign language, grammar, vocabulary, etc. 

Students will also learn about the different countries that speak that particular language as well as the culture.  Various assignments for the week will include practicing speaking, memorizing vocabulary words as well as the grammar.  Hands on projects/activities will also be assigned to help them enhance their learning of the foreign language.  Class time:  1 hour

Students are offered various levels of Spanish from Spanish A & B for 7^th and 8^th graders as well as Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 3.