History The school´s history is integrally linked to the history of its founder, Sara Hughes and the maternal influence that was incorporated in her education. Sara´s mother, Connie Hughes, a dedicated teacher and learner spent her professional life developing the potential of young children. She was awarded Who´s Who of American Teachers for 5 consecutive years, a recognition which helps to show the importance a teacher can make in the life of a child. Sara was surrounded by education and grew up with different educational opportunities, including studying and working in other countries. She was born in California and grew up in Palo Alto and Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) in Business Economics and emphasized her studies in International Relations, as well as, an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Sara lived in England, Colombia, Costa Rica and Spain prior to moving to Brazil. In Brazil she was a manager and later Director of Planning and Control in an industrial privately-held company. She was fortunate to be a part of an enormous transformation in the company and among her responsibilities was human development. Through the search to prepare people to create a modern, innovative and collaborative environment capable of achieving sucess in an industrially competitive and changing world, the need for a better and different education became apparent. This journey led to a love for education and a new quest. Philosophy The mission of FourC Bilingual Academy is to educate citizens to be lifelong learners and teachers. Education is the awakening of man´s possibility to commit to others and the consciousness to reflect on his direct or indirect impact on his community and surroundings. FourC chooses this wide definition of a transformative education sustained by four fundamental pillars: critical thinking, collaboration, culture and citizenship. Critical Thinking – Pensamento Crítico To develop critical thinking it is necessary to construct prior knowledge and the ability to synthesize, apply and have the disposition to use knowledge in new circumstances. Learn to think about your direct connection with the world and your surroundings with a commitment to see the reality and the possibility of its transformation. The development of critical thinking through an environment full of discussion, debate, the active search for different points of view, decision making, and the permission to question reality and the perception of reality is the key to transform information into knowledge. Collaboration – Colaboração To collaborate implies that one has an openness towards others, respect, responsibility, interaction, divergence and consensus. Collaboration goes beyond the individual and highlights the need for others and our own lack of self-sufficiency. The school focuses on reaching for one´s own personal best in an enviornment with integrated groups that assist in generating more ideas and perspectives. The collaborative effort leads to a deeper understanding and comprehension. Knowledge that is shared through collaborative means advances the learning process. Educators already recognize multiple intelligences, personal traits and learning styles and to value these differences results in higher self confidence that promotes new perspectives and a more capable and prepared student. Culture – Cultura FourC understands culture in the anthropologic-sociologic sense to encompass the behavior of members in a society. Culture is more than the historic evolution of values, beliefs and customs, but the interaction and learning that can be shared through experiences. Culture includes the expression and understanding through the arts, while enriching perspectives and empathetic understanding. The acquisition of a new language assists in opening minds to a new and diverse world full of information and experiences otherwise not accessed. FourC believes that access to information and experience is not unilateral, but facilitates the construction of new ideas through the collaborative experiences between cultures and people. Citizenship – Cidadania The school views citizenship as a commitment to develop the full potential of one´s community. This understanding signifies that one is an active, conscious and responsible agent for the guarantee of rights, obligations, equalities and respect in our immediate society. The perception of a larger global responsibility is essential for being globally minded. Pedagogic Proposal Brazilian bilingual school (Portuguese-English) School Hours: 08h00 – 15h30 After School Activities: 15h30 – 17h40 FourC is a Brazilian school and follows the country´s laws, regulations and guidelines for curriculum. All activities have been mapped for curriculum and competencies to ensure meeting our requirements. Classes are not repeated in different languages. Activities and instruction are given in English or Portuguese in a constructive, contextual and supporting manner. Discovery Program Children 1 to 3 years of age (ciclo maternal) 70% of class time in Portuguese/ 30% in English Discovery and Kindergarten – Classes are multi-graded (Multi-Age) 80% of class time in English/ 20% in Portuguese Ciclo Infantil – children 3 to 5 years of age (by July) Elementary – Classes are multi-graded (Multi-Age) 60% of class time in Portuguese/ 40% in English Ciclo Primário I – children 6, 7 e 8 years of age (by July) Ciclo Primário II – children 9 e 10 years of age (by July) Middle School – Classes are no longer multi-age 60% of class time in Portuguese/ 40% in English Ciclo Secundário - 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade - children 11, 12, 13, 14 years of age Currently the school has 8th graders and will progress with the students. High School – in the year 2012 Ciclo Ensino Medio – 1st, 2nd, 3rd Our philosophy about how people learn, want to learn and continue to learn is rooted in the works of many philosophers, educators, psychologists and methodologies used in schools around the world. We believe in a child centered approach classroom: Whole Language, Multiple Intelligences, Developmental Based Classes (multi-age), Inquiry Approach and the stimulation of autonomy, responsibility, group collaboration through practical hands-on teaching methods in a continuously improving environment. Errors are invitations to learn and doubts and curiosity are treated as the basis for the continuous quest to construct your own knowledge and understanding. Whole Language – Reading comprehension is about understanding what we read and being able to gain knowledge and build knowledge. Writing is about being able to express thoughts for the understanding of others and our own reflections of our understanding. Whole language targets initial reading and writing based on overall comprehension which leads to more enthusiastic readers and writers. The focus is to improve by reading, writing and discussion to broaden understanding and enrich details that should continue as a lifelong practice. The whole language program is supported by a positive inquiry approach for understanding, self reflection and correction, autonomous support for answers and the process of continuous improvement. The writing process is stressed first for expression and ideas to stimulate and encourage the child to write first and correct later. If grammar and spelling are the initial focus, the student will be easily discouraged to elaborate. The process encompasses the following steps: idea generation, rough draft, revision by increasing depth and breadth, editing for spelling and grammar, and publishing. Classroom Activity and Evaluation Activities in the classroom vary from a routine of autonomous work, group studies, classroom discussions, research projects and the ability to find and filter information from a variety of resources. Evaluation is daily and continual with constant positive feedback during classroom activities and opportunities for self evaluation. The evaluation includes descriptions of behavior and actions on most developmental stages and curriculum requirements previously established through competencies. The evidences for comprehension in the classroom include: projects, research, presentations, essays, tests and the daily reflections and comments. Multi-Age Classrooms FourC believes that children develop at varying rates and schools should allow for these differences and support a positive attitude towards learning. The developmental stages used in our classrooms support both fast learners to move ahead and slower students to be mentored and have the opportunity to catch up. Students working together give everyone a chance to be a follower, questioner, teacher, mentor and leader which instills a positive image of learning and personal self confidence. Lifelong learners must feel positive about the process and consider their development as a natural process not based on time or age.