Our school structure

Group children by ability and interest not grades
(Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre).

As we all know, age was an important, yet insufficient predictor of level in our school progress. Humans refuse to neatly follow the school syllabus in their development.

At CLC, age is not the most important divider in groups or rooms.
Projects, interests and levels become the links that lead to group formation. The activity and the teacher adapt to the learner, not the other way around.

Formally, we are not organized by ‘grade’ but by ‘age range’ and ‘stage of development’. It is a more organic and useful way to be organized, allowing us to take every learner from where they are and to support them to develop further.

We look at developmental approaches and we organize our learners by

Stages of development

(early childhood, middle childhood, late childhood, adolescence)

Age ranges, normally spanning 2 years

(2-4s, 4-6s, 6-8s, 8-10s, 10-12s, 12-14s, 14-16s, 16-18s)

Phase
Age
Ranges
Grade
Equivalent
CLC
School Division
Status

Kindergarten

2 - 4

4 - 6

K2 - K3

K4 - K5

Early Years

Preschool

Open

Primary School

6 - 8

8 - 10

Grades 1 - 2

Grades 3 - 4

Lower Primary

Upper Primary

Middle School

10 - 12

12 - 14

Grades 5 - 6

Grades 7 - 8

Lower Middle

Upper Middle

Opening in Sept 2024

Opening in Sept 2025

High School

14 - 16

16 - 18

Grades 9 - 10

Grades 11 - 12

Lower High

Upper High

Opening in Sept 2027

Opening in Sept 2029

Features
of Learning
at CLC

CLC features

Success in real life, beyond exams

This is the only time learners are in school. During this precious, unique time when they are safely learning, it is our responsibility to ensure learners gain the essential life skills that will enable them to thrive as adults. So let’s make sure that time spent in school is worthwhile for the whole person and for their entire life.

Our learning model is about ‘Learning to Design a Thriving, Purposeful Life’. It is holistic and long-term, focusing on all the key areas of development in life: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.

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Personalization.
No more forced curricula.
No more one size fits all.

We learn more easily what we like, what is relevant to us and what is taught to us in the way we enjoy the most. In an education that works, learners are asked about their preferences and areas of interest. They can influence and choose ways of learning that suit them the most. Resources and ways of teaching are varied and allow for different styles of learning from visual and auditory to kinesthetic and social.

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Real projects with impact in the real world

Our expeditionary learning methodology uses a project-based approach which leads to real impact in the real world through every learning project. Learners get to do real work, they learn by doing and by experiencing real situations. This is much more effective to promote understanding and deep learning.

This changes school from a ‘grading and exam-preparation machine’ into an engine for ongoing improvement in the community.

Mastery of new skills, not memorization.

Traditional education has focused on information and memorization. Although necessary, these are but a small and insufficient part of learning.
Learning is successful when you can actually use and apply what you have learned.

If you look at the neuroscience of learning, a learning cycle is complete when we have actually mastered a new skill. We do not only “know” something in theory, we are capable of using the information we have learned in practical and applicable situations. This approach to learning is focused on ‘skills’ or the wider concept of ‘competencies’ (which encompass information, abilities and attitudes).

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Self-directed learning. Learner as agents in their own learning.
“Education will take you anywhere you want to go but it won't replace you as the driver.”

The world needs people who can self-direct and manage their time, form teams and make an impact by solving challenges that matter. Our approach is geared towards learners being able to learn for themselves, a little more every day.

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High standards for every learner.
At their own pace.

Effective schools have high standards for each and every learner. The science of learning has repeatedly proven how powerful high expectations are to drive success. It is called “"The Pygmalion Effect"” and it works, but only if education is personalized and relevant for children.

Since they get to choose the way they learn, we can expect them to excel. Not all children need to excel at the same things at the same time, but they will be expected to develop areas of mastery.

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A dynamic curriculum. Learning evolves as the world evolves.

Every day around the world a school discovers a better and more powerful approach to learning.
Our curriculum constantly upgrades just like good software.

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Beautiful, diverse and green learning environments. The world is our classroom.

Our school campus will not be ‘a prison’ where children are dropped off and locked in until they go back home. Our school campus will be a “basecamp” from where they will keep going to discover and explore and will come back to coordinate, make sense and deepen their learning.

Our first campus is part of Colina Noua, an innovative residential concept with great design, communal spaces, plenty of green areas, organic farms, and nature trails.

Our methodology of 'expeditionary learning' and our learning philosophy will ensure that learners spend a lot of time 'out-of-school'. Trips and activities in nature will be a regular part of learning. As our learners grow and become more autonomous, we will encourage projects in which they will visit and learn from real-life situations and real-life professionals.

Our
Standards

Our educational standards are on 2 layers:

1

What matters in school.

The basis of our curriculum is a strong academic core.
We chose the New York State Learning Standards.

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2

What matters in life.

We promise to prepare our students for their unique future, not humanities past. Mastery of competencies (skills and abilities) such as critical thinking and collaboration are the bedrock of a great life in the 21st century. Here you can learn more about how we approach competencies.

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What do we learn?

The technical word for this
is a curriculum.

This is what our children learn so that
we can bring our why to life.​

My impact​

Leading: Our students have an
impact in the world​

My relationships​

Leaning: Our students can build
meaningful relationships​

Myself

Learning: Our students are
exceptional learners​

Myself

Learning: Our students are
exceptional learners

Acquiring skills and knowledge through focusing, regulating one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, adopting a growth mindset, and taking initiative to pursue opportunities for personal growth.

Focus The ability to manage cognitive load by filtering and sorting information in order to maintain a sense of focus in an age of information overload and constant change.

Self-Regulation The ability to understand and feel compassion for others' perspectives, needs, and feelings.

Growth mindset The ability to pursue more knowledge, embrace challenges, take initiative, and persist in the face of setbacks, and see effort as a path to mastery.

My relationships

Leaning: Our students can build
meaningful relationships​​

Understanding and feeling compassion for others and working constructively with them towards common dreams and goals. Building amazing relationships based on respect, inclusivity, and connection ​

Communication The ability to share and digest information openly and honestly, and express oneself in a way that creates mutual understanding.

Empathy The ability to understand and feel compassion for others' perspectives, needs, and feelings.

Collaboration The ability to build and maintain positive relationships with others, resolve conflicts in a constructive manner, and work with others towards a common goal.

My impact

Leading: Our students have an
impact in the world

Applying critical thinking and creativity, analysing complex information, defining problems, and recognising patterns in the quest to drive positive change within local communities and beyond.

Critical Thinking The ability to analyze and evaluate complex information and arguments in order to solve problems, understand a situation, or make reasonable decisions.

Participative Leadership The ability to have ownership over a task, to be able to lead others by inspiring them with a clear vision, motivating and influencing others to complete tasks

Creativity The ability to imagine and think of new ways to address problems, answer questions, or express meaning.

How we learn​

The CLC Expeditionary
Learning Model

Imagine a place where learning happens everywhere: in the CLC Hub, at home, outdoors, and online. This is us. Imagine learners doing the work through research, online games for mental fitness, access to mentors who help build mastery, or experiments in real life, not educators explaining in front of the class all the time.

We believe that high-quality learning takes place when we align our educational approach with the neuroscience of learning. That's why at CLC, we have adopted the Expeditionary Learning Model, which consists of five stages designed to optimize the learning process. We create learning experiences that enable our learners to navigate these five stages in a joyful environment where learners are challenged, and mistakes are accepted as part of the process.​

1

Discover

Engage in immersive learning experiences, exploring subjects with curiosity and self-awareness, utilizing all senses.​

2

Envision

Set targets based on discoveries, embracing optimism and committing to achieving goals.​

3

Research

Dive deep into quest for knowledge, expanding understanding, and navigating a world of ideas.​

4

Do

Take action, manifesting ideas, seeking feedback, and persevering towards goals.​

5

Impact

Utilize achievements to create real-world benefits, celebrating successes, reflecting on progress, and consolidating learning.​

By embracing this comprehensive approach rooted in neuroscience, we empower our learners to embark on a transformative educational journey at CLC, where their natural curiosity is nurtured, and their potential is unleashed.

Expeditionary Learning,
an education that works

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A
few key
facts

about expeditionary
learning

  • Great founders
    (Harvard, Outward Bound and Ron Berger).
  • Many years of excellent research behind it (over 25)
  • Well-established: EL is currently in 400+ schools.
  • Many resources available for educators
    (training, books, examples of best practice)
  • Learners build character as well as intellect.
  • Learning is “by doing”
  • Real World approach: academic topics that matter and are connected to the real world.
  • Self-directed: Learners have agency & responsibility
  • Learners achieve better academic performance.

Expeditionary Learning is a methodology established in 1995 through a collaboration by Harvard University and a group of educators from the well-known organization Outward Bound (education in nature).

What is a Learning Expedition? Imagine learners spend most of their time engaged in sustained, in-depth studies of a single theme or topic.
The experiences, which generally last four to nine weeks, include strong intellectual, service and physical dimensions. Intellectually rigorous projects and purposeful fieldwork - the heart of each expedition - provide a vision and a strategy for assessment that is fully integrated with curriculum and instruction.

A learning expedition is a project-based approach engaging learners in an interdisciplinary, in-depth study of important topics, in groups and in their community.

Learning Expeditions set learners up to gain skills and knowledge through a context that is meaningful to them, giving them the time, resources, and opportunity to master and feel confident in their learning before moving on to a fresh expedition.

Our Colina Learning Center expedition will take learners through steps following brain-based learning to create an engaging, complex and challenging learning journey.

The expeditions are rigorously planned and they have clear sets of learning goals and targets around a compelling topic.

An expedition will take learners outside of school, into nature and the community. It will also take learners into an in-depth study of a single topic, offering plenty of opportunities for deep learning.

Our Assessment

We believe in high standards for our learners. Provided that learning is personalized and meaningful, we all have great potential which can be nurtured.

Not all learners need to get to the level of mastery at the same time and in the same way. But we do expect each learner to succeed and we will provide them with the right level of challenge and support.

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Guiding PrinciplesGuiding Principles