What grades do you offer?
Well, we don’t really do grades… but we do have different categories based on age:
Spark Studio – Ages 4 thru 6 – The Spark Studio is THE place to ignite your child’s love of learning early on in life. Our four-year olds will be offered a part-time schedule, while our five- and six-year olds will maintain a full-time schedule. With Montessori and Reggio Emilia influences, this studio works to create collaboration and independence through play.
Discovery Studio – Ages 7 thru 9 – The Discovery Studio is where the academic learning adventure begins. When children are ready, they will begin challenges to become better readers, writers and mathematicians. Heroes will stretch their abilities while they challenge themselves to hone their leadership skills. They will work within the full Acton Academy model – Socratic Discussions, Core Skills and Hands-On Quests.
Mission Studio – Ages 10 thru 12 – In our Mission Studio environment, learners extend their Core Skills of Reading, Writing and Math while embracing the Hero’s Journey and finding their next stepping stones of life’s great adventures. Learners participate in Socratic Discussions and Collaborative Quests. They will work within the community of Pendleton and complete Servant Leadership badges as a part of their Mission Studio Covenant.
Is Acton Academy a Montessori school?
We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy, but we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.
What is the Acton Academy calendar like?
We operate on neighboring school calendars with options of built in “open studio” weeks after every learning quest (five weeks of study). Families can opt to send their children during open studio weeks or take advantage of extra time together.
Is Acton Academy a religious school?
While we respect every individual and his/her belief system, our family is a practicing Christian family. We believe that each person has a unique calling, given to us by God, and it is our mission to encourage young people to find their callings and change the world. We will offer Bible Study and Devotional time during the first part of each learning day for families that choose to participate.
What is an “independent learner?”
An independent learner is someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.
What do you mean by a “running partner?”
Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.
Why don’t you group children by grade?
We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.
Do your studios serve students with special needs?
We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities. We do welcome applications and conversations from all families for all children.
Is Acton Academy at Fall Creek accredited?
Yes, our studio is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools (IALDS).
Our Spark Studio is registered as an Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning Center with the State of Indiana and our Elementary Studio is registered as a non-public school with the Indiana Department of Education.
How do you ensure a high quality learning environment?
Deep at the core of Acton Academy is our commitment to serving customers and receiving transparent feedback. Because of this, we ask families to participate in a bi-weekly Customer Satisfaction Survey, where we ask them to rate us 1-5 on how well we accomplished our promises. We then share the results with the community. These surveys are our most important metric to measure the success of the learning community.
Will my child be prepared for college at Acton Academy?
Our promise at Acton Academy is to have students well prepared for any selective university where they can score high enough on a standardized test to gain admittance. Universities are changing so rapidly that it’s difficult to imagine what a college education will look like in ten years. Unfortunately, many colleges still place a great deal of importance on standardized tests, which are little more than IQ tests, and are simple to improve on once you understand basic test taking tricks. Once your child gets over the test taking barrier at the university of their choice, their portfolio and critical thinking skills will be a big boost during the application and interviewing process. Most importantly, students will be well prepared to shine in the real world, whether they choose to go to college full time, part time or not at all. A perk specific to our particular location is one of our co-founders is an active college professor. While Lyndie has experience with early childhood, elementary, and middle school education, Taylor is currently guiding heroes at the college level.
ACTON ACADEMY AT FALL CREEK 