Academics

In alignment with our Mission & Vision, JICMS adheres to the following emphases:

Our teaching philosophy follows Direct Instruction (DI) principles.

The foundation of our instruction focuses on the mastery of fundamentals. We define mastery as the ability to demonstrate knowledge and skills repeatedly and accurately. This requires repeated instruction in the subject matter, increasing degree of challenge and considerable practice. As our students master the fundamentals, our instruction focuses on sequential building of conceptual knowledge and promoting independent expression of knowledge. Finally, our instruction focuses on individual internalization of conceptual knowledge, expressed in extensive written work and verbal presentation, preparing our students for advanced study at the high school level.

Direct Instruction Information (PDF)

Curriculum

6th Grade

Grammar: Shurley Grammar
History: Core Knowledge History – Pearson Learning Co.
Literature: Novel Ideas Novel Studies and Common Lit
Math: Saxon – 65 (5th grade), Course 1 (6th grade), Course 2 (7th grade)
Science: SEPUP (Science Education for Public Understanding Program)
Writing: Included in Shurley Grammar

7th & 8th Grades

Grammar: Shurley Grammar
History: 7th (Beginning US History-Civil War); 8th (Reconstruction-present)
Literature: Novel Ideas Novel Studies and Common Lit
Math: Saxon – 7th (Course 1, 2, or 3); 8th (Course 2, 3, or Algebra 1)
Science: SEPUP (Science Education for Public Understanding Program)
Writing: Included in Shurley Grammar