Core Program Level
Small class sizes, “G/T” programming and no-ceiling learning within a tight knit community of bright and gifted peers
Our Core Program Level was introduced in fall, 2023 for bright and gifted kids who would thrive in a smaller environment with standards-based academic curriculum that is tailored to challenge and excite intellectually-gifted students. This includes kids who are not thriving in more mainstream environments because of all the ways they fail to align with the science — like requiring kids to “sit still and listen” when the research shows the motor and sensory inputs accelerate learning retention and engagement — but who do not require the full level of customization and therapeutic expertise that are integrated into our programs for more complex learners.
Equally exciting is the reason why we decided to introduce this programming level: because our unique special education interventions were proving so transformational, for a wide range of kids, that we were seeing even the most complex learning profiles simplified and reduced in as little as one school year. Determined that no child should be penalized for their growth by losing their community and curriculum, we saw an exciting opportunity for even students who start our program with significant special education needs to ‘migrate’ over time towards this Core Program Level—and made the unheard of decision to offer access to our expert specialized setting and team at a price equivalent to mainstream private schools in our community having no special education services or expertise.
Here are the main components of our Core Program:
Frequently Asked Questions About our Core Program Level
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Programming at the Core Program tuition level is available for students identified by our team as having needs that can be addressed through the curricular framework, pedagogy and environment of our core program without additional customization, and without direct services beyond those that are already integrated into the classroom. This includes students who would benefit from our small class sizes, Body-Informed Learning and embedded supports for executive function and social skills.
Our Core Program level is not appropriate for students having multiple areas of special needs, specific learning disabilities and other complex profiles requiring significant additional customization to our Core Program. However, applicants having these and other complex needs will be considered for our other programming options.
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Tuition for our Core Program level is set at $47,500 for the 2022-23 school year. Core Program levels for certain cohorts may be dependent on whether we receive sufficient enrollment by qualified students. Any alterations will be communicated as soon as possible and in any event prior to the start of the term.
Small class sizes, high staff to student ratio, close teacher relationships and expertise
Small classes of 4-6 kids keep the focus on interactive, hands-on and discussion-based learning—not didactic lectures. Connection time is prioritized and built right into the schedule to develop the close relationships that fuel learning and social-emotional growth. Students in our Core Program will have periodic sessions co-taught by our licensed occupational and physical therapist, or our school’s psychologist/clinical neuropsychologist, providing eyes-on insights to our staff of educators.
Purposeful, standards-driven academics through project-based learning
Students collaborate across our community to solve real world problems that require them to engage deeply with curriculum aligned to Connecticut and Next Generation Science Standards. Each project follows a set design process, giving intellectually-gifted students a 21st century toolbox they can use to develop their unique perspectives into new products, creative works, scientific discoveries and more.
Movement- and sensory-enriched pedagogy increases learning retention and engagement—and solves the “fidgets”
Modern research shows that students retain material for longer and engage with it more deeply when paired with motor and sensory input, and that exercises organizing the body result in greater organization of thought—so why are we still pressuring kids to “sit still and listen”? Our exclusive, OT-designed Body-Informed Learning optimizes academic engagement while increasing children’s organization, regulation and fitness.
Integrated executive function support
Nearly all of the families we hear from tell us their students struggle with one aspect or another of organization—and many of their kids have been diagnosed at some point with ADHD. We build direct instruction in organizational tools like the use of graphic organizers to organize material right into our academic instruction, constantly modelling for our students life-long skills they can use to assimilate and work with the large bodies of complex material that their intellectual curiosity craves.
Students learn the science of being human—and how they can use it to optimize your own experiences
Our unique, Human 101 neuroscience curriculum teaches kids of all ages the science behind how the human body works, and how they can use the inter-relationships between the body and the brain to optimize their learning and social-emotional experiences. This curriculum leverages our students’ high analytical reasoning skills to give them an authentic basis for a growth mindset, increased resilience and improved social-emotional skills.
Social skills development is integrated into academic and social experiences
We selected collaborative project-based learning as our academic framework because it provides a natural laboratory for building the social skills that bright and gifted kids will need for 21st century success. Our small, nurturing environment, trauma-informed approach, close teacher relationships and opportunities to connect with students older and younger than themselves combine to create a safe space in which students working through social anxieties can come into their own, preparing them for greater success and independence in larger social and educational environments.
Kinship and learning in a diverse community of intellectually-gifted peers
All Cajal Academy students learn together—regardless of programming levels—and have the opportunity to gain perspectives on their life journeys by coming to understand those of others. Programming and tuition levels reflect the level of customization we anticipate to be necessary in order to truly empower a child by addressing the issues threatening to hold them back, but we passionately believe that all students benefit from learning with and from students whose needs differ from their own. Read more about our commitment to creating an inclusive and neuro-diverse community.
Flexible tuition arrangements & affording a Cajal Academy education
Special education programs are costly, but there are a number of ways that families can get assistance, depending on their child’s needs and circumstances, including tax deductions, school district funding and flexible tuition payment schedules.