top of page
-
Is Sage Academy Granbury accredited?Yes, the school is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools.
-
What is the school calendar?We operate on an 11-month calendar that allows for our students to have periodic breaks throughout the year and maintains their interests and retention by shortening the summer break. You can see our current school calendar here:
-
Is Sage Academy a Montessori school?We love, respect, and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy, but we are not a traditional Montessori school. In addition to Montessori methods, we use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects, and the Socratic Method for discussions.
-
How do you ensure a high quality learning environment?Deep at the core of Sage Academy is our commitment to serving our young learners and their families while receiving transparent feedback. Because of this, we ask families to participate in a bi-weekly Customer Satisfaction Survey, where we ask them to rate us 1-5 on how well we accomplished our promises. We then share the results with the community. These surveys are our most important metric to measure the success of the learning community.
-
What is an “independent learner”?Independent learners are students who can take initiative and use problem-solving skills when faced with an academic challenge; their first instinct is to use the resources available to them to figure out a solution, not ask a teacher for the answer. They feel empowered to take charge of their own learning, explore their interests, figure out the best way to meet their learning needs, and ask meaningful questions. Not only is independent learning important for children throughout their educational journey, but it’s also a key life skill that sets them up for success in adulthood.
-
Why a learner-driven classroom?Being a part of a learner-driven classroom benefits students in many ways: it leads to higher levels of interest and participation, develops independence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, and gives students permission to make mistakes & learn through trial-and-error. An important part of our learner-driven environment is encouraging students to take responsibility for their own behavior and actions, as well showing them how to compassionately hold those around them to a high standard of behavior. We want our students to learn to work together to solve problems, not automatically look to an adult to solve problems for them. These aspects of a learner-driven classroom create a sense of independence and confidence in our students that will help them succeed throughout their lives.
-
What do you mean by “a hero’s journey”?Sage Academy bases its learning model on the Hero’s Journey, a story pattern common in ancient myths and modern-day adventures. In each journey, an everyday person goes on an adventure, faces challenges, wins a victory, and then comes home transformed - a hero. Children at Sage Academy know why they are being challenged to learn: they're on their own Hero’s Journey to explore their passions, overcome failures, and ultimately be transformed into a life-long learner that's prepared to tackle real-world problems. A key aspect of our curriculum at Sage Academy is to learn about real-life heroes, and have students think about and discuss deeply each hero's choices, successes, and failures. Through these studies and peer discussions, students learn to make better moral decisions on their own hero's journey. We believe that each child who walks through our door is capable of a greatness to rival any fictional or modern-day hero. Our mission at Sage Academy is to guide and equip each student for their own hero's journey, so that they can use their gifts to change the world in a profound way.
-
What grade levels do you have?We have a multi-age studio instead of dividing students by grade-level. Our first studio is called the Adventure Studio and serves ages 5 through 8. We have future plans for more multi-age studios for older children in the works. Because normal development takes place within a range (for example, it is typical for children to develop reading skills anywhere between three and seven years old), multi-age classrooms create an environment where students can learn and advance at their own pace, rather than being restricted by grade-level curriculum. Additionally, students receive incalculable benefits when given opportunities to learn from and mentor to other students.
-
Why do young learners have "guides" instead of "teachers" at Sage Academy?At Sage Academy, students are supervised by adult “guides” who serve as support resources for students, rather than traditional teachers. The purpose of each Guide is essentially to teach students how to learn. Using Socratic questioning, Guides equip students with the tools and processes to explore and understand topics deeply using the infinite resources available to them, including books, credible internet sources, and the multi-age students in their own classroom. In this way, learners have access to subject matter experts from all over the world — from Sal Khan to Neil deGrasse Tyson to mentors from scores of professions, and heroic role models from antiquity to the present. Guides are also responsible for leading students in Socratic discussions, facilitating time for individual student learning, proposing exciting challenges, and setting boundaries in the studio. Jamie Alexander, a mom of two with a certification in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and over 20 years of experience working with and teaching children, is the lead guide and co-owner of Sage Academy Granbury.
-
What if I’m worried about how my learner is progressing?Sage Academy uses a patented online system (a "Journey Tracker") that allows parents to view the work their learners produce. Parents find that the information provided in the Tracker gives a far more accurate picture of progress and learning than a report card or standardized test. We can also provide resources to parents that wish to keep track of their learners' progress on their own. Additionally, while Sage Academy never "teaches to the test," learners do take the IOWA standardized test at the beginning and end of each year to measure progress on traditional terms. If your learner seems to be struggling, Sage Academy has processes in place to ensure your child is reaching their full potential.
-
How do you use technology in the classroom without students having too much screen time?At Sage Academy, we believe in the power of balance. Learners spend 90-120 minutes of each day using carefully selected, cutting-edge, self-paced educational technology. This frees up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning. These two learning methods are highly complementary, and provide young learners with not only the academic skills and foundations they need, but also the opportunity to practically apply those skills in solving real-world problems.
-
Does your studio serve children with special needs?We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities. We do welcome applications from and conversations with all families.
-
What is included in the tuition package?Our comprehensive tuition covers technology, software, session supplies, and more to create a thriving environment for young learners.
-
How do I pay my tuition?When choosing your tuition payments you have multiple options. You can go to www.sageacademygranbury.com/tution to view these options, choose your tuition schedule, and make your first payment. Once you have selected your tuition schedule and made your first payment, we will email you an invoice monthly, or quarterly, based on your selection.
-
What is your tuition?Adventure Studio Tuition: Tuition for each learner is $9,450 per year (adjusted for inflation each year). Annual tuition of $9,450 is broken down into 11 monthly installments of $860.00. Quarterly tuition option is available at $2,365.00, due on the 20th of the month prior to the changing of the quarter. Sibling Discount: A 10% discount is offered for the first enrolled sibling. A 20% discount is offered for the third enrolled sibling. Please contact us to avail the sibling tuition discount.
-
What other fees should I be aware of?There are two other fees to consider: 1. A non-refundable application fee of $50. 2. A $200 reservation fee for incoming (new) families is due at the time of enrollment. The annual reservation fee for returning families is $175. Reservation fees reserve your child's spot in our studio. The fees go towards your learner’s supplies, software fees, technology, and Quest materials. All fees are non-refundable.
-
What kinds of payments do you accept?We accept all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and AMEX. We also accept cash, and in certain cases we may accept personal checks.
bottom of page