VIEWBOOK
A lifetime of learning begins with a walk through our doors.
MISSION STATEMENT
CHARLOTTE PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOSTERS LIFELONG LEARNING AND PROVIDES AN EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOUNDED ON ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, POSITIVE CHARACTER, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.
OUR WORLD REVOLVES AROUND THEIR WORLD. Welcome, We are delighted you are exploring what education means at Charlotte Prep. Pre-Kindergarten – 8th Grade are crucially formative years. With the right guidance, young students establish scholarly habits, develop leadership skills, and mature emotionally and socially. Our program is thoughtfully crafted to help each student reach his or her fullest potential. We believe people matter, school structure matters, and programs matter; our school is built upon these fundamental beliefs. We would be delighted to get to know you and begin a partnership. Please contact us if we can be of assistance. The Admissions Team admissions@charlotteprep.org 704-366-5994
Charlotte Prep is a joyful learning environment.
CREATING LIFELONG LEARNERS IS OUR PASSION, OUR PURPOSE, AND OUR CALLING. Imagine a school that encourages students to reach their full potential, does so with creativity, educational innovation, and a child-centered focus. That is Charlotte Prep.
CHILD-CENTERED Charlotte Prep focuses on a child-centered approach for education. We have created a culture and climate where each and every student is known and loved for who they are as a whole child with their own set of skills and strengths. Our students feel understood and supported to enter the ‘risk zone’ where authentic learning takes place.
THE RIGHT SIZE
FAMILY PERSPECTIVE “We chose Charlotte Prep because the size of the school makes us feel like we are part of a family. The curriculum is challenging and material is presented in a way that makes school fun. Charlotte Prep is large enough to provide ample opportunities yet small enough to feel like home.”
As a small and close-knit learning environment, Charlotte Prep transcends the traditional student-teacher relationship and provides a unique environment where each teacher and administrator knows every student. Charlotte Prep provides a supportive environment where children flourish at their own pace.
PRE-K TO 8TH GRADE Charlotte Prep’s Pre-K – 8th Grade model reflects what academic research proves: Students perform best in a unified school environment with only one school transition during their formative years.* There is no rush to grow up. We believe this model is the single best learning environment for students. *RAND Corporation, Focus on the Wonder Years: Challenges Facing the American Middle School
EXEMPLARY EDUCATION Our commitment to creating lifelong learners goes beyond the expected. The research-based curriculum at Charlotte Prep fosters a process of best teaching practices that are conducive to the academic success of each student. Through creative and innovative teaching activities, the faculty provides Charlotte Prep students with a rich education, capturing their attention and fully engaging them in the learning process. OUR MISSION
Every day at Charlotte Prep is another day to
discover, learn, and grow.
Everyday examples are used to connect learning to real life experiences.
OUR CULTURE OF LEARNING IS MORE THAN A MISSION STATEMENT; IT’S PART OF OUR DNA.
Our passion for creating lifelong learners and exemplary citizens is ingrained in everything we do. Our Four Pillars of Leadership — Respect, Integrity, Perseverance, and Courage — permeate our halls, our curriculum, and our students.
MENTORSHIP A beloved tradition at Charlotte Prep is the BUDEE (Be Understanding, Dedicated, Empathetic, and Engaged) mentorship program. Our commitment to growing tomorrow’s leaders begins in the Early School and continues in a planned and purposeful path through Lower and Middle School. Students — older and younger — experience leadership in action as they meet for community service, character education, and teamwork exercises.
SERVICE-MINDED Community service is an integral part of the Charlotte Prep experience. Students of every age benefit from varied opportunities to serve others, and our intentional approach to community service encourages leadership and personal growth.
FOUR PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP RESPECT
INTEGRITY
PERSEVERANCE
COURAGE
Treating other people
Being honest, with high
Having the determination
Building inner strength
as they would like to
values and standards.
and endurance to try until
to face life’s challenges.
be treated.
you reach your goal.
OUR CULTURE
Students are encouraged in self-directed and group learning at Charlotte Prep.
A TYPICAL STUDENT AT CHARLOTTE PREP? THERE’S NO SUCH THING.
Our students are anything but typical, and we would not have it any other way. Our student body includes technology wizards, artists, storytellers, and curious learners from more than 35 different countries, which makes Charlotte Prep one of the most diverse schools in the area.
UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS Charlotte Prep provides a wide range of opportunities for all students to discover areas in which they can thrive. Whether through athletics, technology, fine arts, or service, our curriculum helps students grow in their positive self-concept, which is crucial to success in life.
PREPARED LEADERS The Four Pillars of Leadership are woven throughout our program. Our students are kind, considerate, and give back to the community. We graduate leaders who are highly sought after by prestigious high schools and boarding schools.
VERSATILE AND SKILLED Our students are nimble and agile learners, able to compete and succeed in our technology-driven, ever-changing world. They relate naturally to a multicultural and global perspective because they live it every day.
AN 8TH GRADER’S PERSPECTIVE “From the second I set foot in this school, I received nothing but smiles and kindness. Everyone accepts everyone and no one feels singled out. We are all one big community at Charlotte Prep, which is one of the greatest things about this school.”
OUR STUDENTS
An inspiration, a mentor, a friend, also known as my
teacher.
Our teachers have a passion for their students.
TO LEARN IS AN OPPORTUNITY. TO TEACH IS A GIFT.
Spend five minutes in one of our classrooms and you will notice something wonderful: Charlotte Prep teachers have an exceptional gift for teaching. Our passionate teachers create lifelong learners every minute of every day.
DIFFERENTIATED TEACHING Teachers meet students at their developmental level so they are neither under-challenged nor conceptually overwhelmed. This type of educational method requires teachers to know each of their students and nuance their curriculum. In our student-centered school, it is what we expect, and what we deliver.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Our teachers focus heavily on character development and leadership because we understand that students are more than the culmination of their test scores or academic achievements. Each and every student is unique and of infinite worth, and we want them to be positive role models and leaders.
INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM Teachers infuse learning with a Montessori-based approach in our Early School. Studies comparing outcomes of students educated at Montessori preschools with students who attended traditional preschool programs indicate that early Montessori education leads to significant advantages.* As students move on to Lower and Middle School, the more traditional program fosters critical thinking and independence through an active, inquiry-based approach. *Science Vol 313, Evaluating Montessori Education, A. Lillard and N. Else-Quest
OUR TEACHERS
Technology is appropriately integrated into instruction.
HOME IS WHERE THE SMARTBOARD IS.
If you talk to one of our students they will tell you Charlotte Prep feels less like a school and more like home. And with good reason: Our intimate campus and learning environment creates a close-knit group of learners that feels just like family.
INVITING Entering the doors at Charlotte Prep feels like coming home. Perhaps that’s because at home you are accepted for who you are, and supported to achieve your personal best. Every person within our community, whether a student, parent, or faculty member, contributes something unique and helps create the environment that makes Charlotte Prep one of the most inviting campuses in Charlotte. We are grateful for our nurturing community, where students thrive.
INTIMATE AND INCLUSIVE We are fortunate that our school community is enriched by the wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures of its members. Charlotte Prep is known for having the highest diversity percentage among Charlotte-area independent schools. The values of openness, acceptance, and inclusiveness are purposefully integrated into the Charlotte Prep educational program. Our students don’t just learn these values, they embody them.
INTENTIONAL Everything about our campus, from our hallways, to our bright and airy classrooms, to student-centered outdoor spaces, enhances the learning experience at Charlotte Prep. With walkways leading the way to and from each building, our students naturally spend time outside every day. The fresh air and open atmosphere provides a calming element to the school environment.
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Perseverance leads to
success.
WE DON’T TEACH DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE IT’S DIFFERENT, WE DO IT BECAUSE IT WORKS. Our educational philosophy celebrates each child as an individual, and our curriculum allows each teacher the flexibility to adapt the way they teach to fit each student, not the other way around. At Charlotte Prep our children are known, they have the freedom to explore their interests, and they grow into competent, self-assured, successful individuals. We invite you to experience the Charlotte Prep difference.
OUR DIFFERENCE
Our approach to education is a powerful combination of research-based best practices and personal student-teacher relationships.
ACCREDITATION Charlotte Preparatory School is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). Charlotte Prep is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS). Our Early School is a member of the American Montessori Society.
NON-DISCRIMINATION Charlotte Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, or any other legally protected classification applicable to Charlotte Preparatory School in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid, athletic and other school-administered programs.
Tammy, the yellow-bellied slider turtle, will be looking for you.
212 Boyce Road, Charlotte, NC 28211 | P: 704-366-5994 | F: 704-366-0221 | charlotteprep.org