Academics: Philosophy

We at TCDS believe that a safe, positive environment is vital for learning to occur. Therefore our students are expected to say please, thank you, raise their hands, etc. We also enforce a strict no bullying, no fighting (even pretend) and no weapons policy.

Our environment reinforces that learning and achieving is cool with incentive programs such as Principal’s honor roll, honor roll assemblies, perfect attendance rewards, National Junior Honor Society, spell-a-thon, and various principal and teacher accolades. Students in grades 4-8 with a GPA of 3.7 or higher qualify for quarterly Smarty Parties in which they are additionally rewarded for their hard work.

School Programs

Art: Students in Kinder-5th grade attend Art class once each week; 6th graders attend every day for 12 weeks and 7th and 8th graders attend Art as an elective for one semester. Our Art teacher also works closely with our kindergarten and first grade teachers to design age appropriate art projects that can be completed in the classroom. Early Education students also attend an Art class once per week.

TCDS consistently has the highest number of students participating in the Pima County Fair of any public or private school county wide, entering over 500 pieces in 2009.

Music: Students in K-5th attend Music class once each week; 6th graders attend every day for 12 weeks and 7th and 8th graders can choose to participate in a Musical Theater class or Choir.

Physical Education: Students in K-5 attend a Physical Education class one time each week. Middle School students attend PE as an elective for one semester.

Reading: The nationally recognized Trophies reading program is used by all K-5 teachers.

Spanish: Students in Kinder-5th grade attend a Spanish class once each week. Middle School students attend Spanish as an elective for one semester. Early Education students also attend a Spanish class once per week.

Special Education: K-8
TCDS offers a wide range of exceptional educational programs on campus with our own SPED staff.

StarBase (aviation/space): TCDS is the only Arizona Charter School invited to participate in this five week program offered at Davis Monthan Air Force Base for selected 5th graders.

Technology: A strong emphasis is placed on studying technology skills enabling K-8 students to excel in a computer literate world. All classrooms are equipped with Smart Boards and a high usage of technology is encouraged, promoted and expected.

Students in K-5 attend a Technology class once per week. At the Middle School level, 6th graders take Technology every day for 12 weeks; 7th and 8th graders can choose to take a digital media course or computer applications. In digital media, students learn how to create a commercial video from writing the script all the way through post production.

Instruction
Best instructional practices, supported with technology, are implemented at each grade level. Students are engaged in classroom learning situations that often require in-depth analysis, critical thinking and application of their learning to real-life situation. This requires students to become actively involved in their own education through discussion/presentations, self-reflection, teamwork, and a commitment to complete assignments with excellence.