Students working on their rockets in Rocketry Class

  

Educational Philosophy

The Boomtown School is what many would call an "Experimental School" because of its "unorthodox" approach to education. Our goal is NOT to help students pass tests so they can move on to the next grade. Our goal is to help students master core concepts that will enable them to succeed at ANY grade level or in any profession.

Our curriculem centers around the Five R's: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, Rocketry and Recycling. As students master the first three skills, they are able to excel in all other academic pursuits.

It is perhaps the fourth and fifth disciplines, "Rocketry" and "Recycling", that sets our school apart. It is based on the belief that students will want to learn if learning FUN! We do this by focusing on "hands-on" learning, with the Rocketry class as a prime example. Kids learn about engineering, physics, construction, chemistry, math, teamwork, etc. while exercising the principles of the Scientific Method (see below), all in an environment of discovery, trial and error, encouragment and ultimately success.

Lessons that fall into the "Recycling" category include a list of activities that focus the attention of our children OUTWARD, beyond themselves to the world around them. We involve our students in community projects as a way of teaching them that what they learn is not only for themselves, but for their neighbors as well. The purpose of education is to improve the lives of individuals AND the communities in which they live.

Learning is so exciting at The Boomtown School that we don't ever have to take attendance! Our students BEG their parents to let them go to school because this is where the action is!

For a full description of our program at The Boomtown School, go to the Academics Page.

The Scientific Method
The Boomtown School believes that learning happens best when teams of students work "hands-on" utilizing the Scientific Method:

  • Observe a particular phenomenon
  • Write a hypothesis that tries to explain the observations
  • Test the hypothesis through experimentation.
  • If the experiments confirm the hypothesis, it can be accepted as a working theory.

 

 

 

  

Core Concepts

Upon completion of our curriculem, students graduating from The Boomtown School will have mastered the following core disciplines:

  • Reading at high school level or above
  • Writing clearly, creatively, efficiently and accurately
  • Understanding of all core Math concepts
  • Working experience with the Scientific Method (see below), including general knowledge in engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, geography, astronomy, ecology, and other important scientific areas of study
  • Exposure to the Arts in every form: Music, Dance, Drama, Comedy, Painting, Sculpture, Poetry, Literature, Graphic Design, Culinary Arts, and so on
  • "Conceptual" History, Government & Sociology (rather than names and dates, we teach principles of human behavior and interraction - why things happened and why they keep on happening)
  • Experience with Languages, such as Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Chinese and Latin
  • Economics and Finance
  • Physical Education (sports and health) *See note below

In addition, students will have enjoyed extensive instruction and experience with the following:

  • How to ask good questions (probably the most important skill we teach!)
  • How to find answers (i.e., how to conduct research)
  • How to evaluate and organize new information
  • How to write and refine a plan of action
  • How to troubleshoot problems
  • How to handle money
  • How to work with their hands
  • How to work in teams
  • How to debate and negotiate
  • How to communicate (speech class, debate team, language classes, etc.)
  • How to teach others what they've learned
  • How to play

*Note: The Boomtown School does NOT teach "sex education". We believe this is a subject best handled by parents and other non-government social institutions.