Top-Notch
STEAM Academy
Elevating Education.
Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School is set to unveil an innovative TK-8th grade Mandarin dual language immersion school in Azusa by August 19, 2024.
Top-Notch STEAM Academy offers personalized inquiry-based education, elevating the STEAM curriculum. Our 50/50 model fosters proficiency in both Mandarin and English across all subject areas.
Top-Notch STEAM Academy
Support Form & Intent to Enroll Form
Support Form. Open to All.
Join us in supporting Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School! Open to all, your support is invaluable in bringing the tuition-free charter public school to life by August 2024. Kindly take a moment to complete the online support form.
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Click here to complete the support form, or simply scan the QR code below.
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Scan to complete the support form
Intent to Enroll Form.
Click here, or simply scan the QR Code provided below. Print and fill out the "Intent to Enroll" form, and scan and email it to tnsteamacademy@gmail.com.
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Wet signature is needed.
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Scan to complete the Intent to Enroll form
Mission and Vision.
Top-Notch STEAM Academy offers a comprehensive and enriching educational experience for students ranging from Transition-Kindergarten to 8th grade. Our goal is to cultivate inquisitive and analytical lifelong learners who are well-equipped for the challenges of the global 21st-century landscape.
Our Mission Includes:
Delivering an academically rigorous college preparatory curriculum.
Graduating students proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and English, fostering bilingualism and biliteracy.
Cultivating intellectual curiosity, cultural competence, and a global perspective while instilling the value of perseverance in achieving personal ambitions.
Nurturing compassionate individuals with strong moral character, who feel a sense of responsibility towards both their community and the environment.
Top-Notch STEAM Academy
Charter School Curriculum
Mandarin
Language Arts
In addition to language immersion, formal instruction in both target languages is essential for achieving native-like fluency and grammar. Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School utilizes various sources like Flying with Chinese, Better Chinese, MeiZhou Chinese, Mandarin Matrix, and regularly explores new curriculum options.
English Language Arts
Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School employs phonics and Guided Reading to build English literacy according to Common Core State Standards. Resources like Houghton Mifflin Reading, Reading A-Z, Words Their Way, and Great Books enrich reading. Writing follows Lucy Calkins's Writer's Workshop and Regie Routman's Writing Essentials for Common Core-aligned instruction.
Mathematics
Aligned with the Common Core State Standards for mathematics, Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School's math program centers on the NextGenMath curriculum. This is augmented by WestEd's Math Pathways and Pitfalls, Math Trailblazers, and Chinese instructional materials. Ongoing assessments ensure the incorporation of new, relevant Common Core-aligned curriculum resources as deemed necessary.
Science
Students apply the scientific method to hypotheses, experiments, and daily life for eco-friendly living. Top-Notch STEAM Academy Charter School integrates Science A-Z, Stephanie Science, and FOSS, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Notably, FOSS was developed at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science with National Science Foundation funding.
Social Studies
At Top-Notch STEAM Academy, social studies content is seamlessly intertwined with both Mandarin Chinese and English language arts. The school leverages materials from San Francisco Unified School District's Mandarin immersion schools to effectively deliver social studies education in Chinese.
Chinese Culture
Gaining insight into the Chinese cultural context is intricately woven together with comprehending the Chinese language. This synergy is exemplified through the utilization of Chinese proverbs and poetry, which serve dual purposes: fostering Mandarin Chinese language proficiency and cultivating a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
Visual and Performing Arts
Cultivating arts appreciation and engagement is vital for student development. Art and music inspire using diverse intelligences and promote cultural literacy. Students learn from both Western and Eastern expressions, including Orff Music, supplemented by community arts partnerships. Additionally, a new string instrument program will launch from 2nd grade onwards.
Technology
Students adeptly use personal computers and digital tools, mastering common productivity applications and educational software. Dual-language keyboarding is emphasized. Technology skills are seamlessly integrated into core academics and interdisciplinary projects. Algorithm and coding concepts begin in primary grades, alongside early robotics learning.
Physical Education
Students are encouraged to cultivate their physical abilities and overall fitness. These essential skills and habits are fostered through dedicated Physical Education classes. The Charter School will implement state-mandated physical fitness tests, commencing with the inaugural fifth-grade class.
Health
Students understand health and nutrition's significance via classroom teaching, programs, Physical Education, local health agency collaborations, and thematic units. Aligned with the California Health Framework, instruction is data-informed through the California Healthy Kids survey for targeted interventions.
Life Skills
Students acquire life skills through explicit teaching of the Responsive Classroom CARES framework: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control. Middle grades add the school's core values. The Charter School uses PBIS and Second Step to reinforce behavior via SEL norms, instruction, incentives, and management practices.