Synchronous Online Learning at Cyprus Academy
Sapere Aude
Dare to be Wise!
"Cyprus has taken its mission, vision and values and applied them to the online experience for its Cyprus families."
- J.T., Cyprus parent
- J.T., Cyprus parent
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Cyprus Classical Academy's online program is so well designed that our child is happier and more engaged in class than when she was attending an in-person program. I'm constantly impressed by how well the school has built a sense of community with students all over the country. They've really set a new standard for us in terms of what we expect out of a school. We're very lucky to have found Cyprus.
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Is Cyprus Academy Online a Good Fit for My Family?
Cyprus Academy Online provides its award-winning, ability-based, and customized education for its online gifted students. The admission requirements for online students are the same as for on-site students. It is an excellent option for:
- Families who live too far to physically attend Cyprus Academy and need a school that will provide appropriate challenge in every class as well as a robust social community for their gifted child.
- Families with gifted children who are uncomfortable sending their child back to a physical location with other students due to the pandemic.
- Families who have a gifted student who is immunocompromised.
- Families who prefer online learning for their gifted child.
- Families who are in school districts that have dropped gifted education.
- Families who are able to support their children as needed with navigation of the online environment, turning in assignments, ensuring the availability of necessary materials, time-management, and focus as needed.
Is Cyprus Academy Online a Good Fit for My Child?
Online learning presents some challenges for students, so it is important to ascertain whether online learning is a good fit for your child. If your child has the following characteristics, online learning may be a good fit:
- Your child is motivated to work hard and is self-driven.
- Your child has a strong desire to learn.
- Your child is conscientious and usually follows rules.
- Your child is able to focus on class and is not likely to be distracted by the opportunities available while working on a computer or they have an adult present to consistently monitor them to ensure they are tuned into class when they need to be.
- Your child has good time-management and organization skills or they have an adult present who is able to help them to get to class and turn in their homework on time.
- Your child is frustrated with their current school due to lack of challenge.
What will a typical day look like for an online student?
Online students are assessed in August and given a customized class schedule for the school year.
- Cyprus uses an online calendar as their dashboard, and students simply click into each class meeting at the appropriate class time.
- Online students participate as full members of each of their classes, with the ability (and requirement) to ask and answer questions, discuss topics, and participate in team projects.
- Online students will be able to see each student in their class and clearly see the whiteboard as needed. Their classmates and teacher will also be able to see them as they participate in lecture, Socratic discussions, testing, and activities as a full members of the classroom.
- Math, Reading, Literature, and Language Arts and Foreign Language class sizes are limited to 10 students - including on-site and online students. Art, Science, and other classes are limited to a maximum of 15 students.
- Classes typically are a mix of lecture, Socratic discussion, class-work, and projects. Online students will be working both on-screen and off during their classes. We ensure that online students receive regular screen breaks and exercise.
- Online students are required to wear uniforms, be prepared with materials needed for class, and attend class in their dedicated work space. These policies help students to feel a part of the community, delineate school-time from free-time, and help to establish self-discipline and good work habits.
Technology Requirements
The following is required:
- A reliable, high-speed internet connection
- Laptop or desktop computer (No Chromebooks, please)
- Secondary device: iPad (preferred) or Android Tablet.
- Web camera and microphone
- The ability to scan documents (scanner, iPad, Dragon Touch, smartphone)
- A reliable printer for daily use by students.
Tuition
See our Tuition page for financial information.
About Cyprus Academy Online
March, 2020: Cyprus Academy Offers Gifted Education Online
For many years, there have been requests to the administration at Cyprus Academy to offer its award-winning program in a distance learning format for students who live too far to commute. In March, 2020 when state-mandated school shut-downs associated with COVID-19 required all schools to provide distance learning, we saw this as an opportunity to develop a quality online school that meets the needs of gifted students from a distance.
July, 2020: Cyprus Academy Opens its Online School Worldwide
Cyprus Academy's online program stood out in its excellence! While most schools provided asynchronous assignments to students with little contact with their classmates or teacher, Cyprus provided 100% synchronous, online classes, with little effect to our students' school schedules and learning. We maintained our sense of community, and our students continued receiving the quality education that Cyprus is known for. In the summer of 2020, Cyprus took a step into the future of education, and offered its award-winning program to distant learners.
September 2020 - April 2021
Cyprus Academy enrolled students from 14 states and another country, and taught all our students online for the majority of the 2020-2021 school year. Students from across the world were finally able to receive an ability-based education that cannot be found elsewhere. In addition to the excellent education our students received, because of our attention to students' social and emotional connections during this time, our students bonded over the miles and made new friends with students from all over the country and world. We saw how powerful these relationships were and were dedicated to continue to intentionally create opportunities for students to make these connections, even after local students returned on-site.
Planning for Integrated Learning With a Sense of One Community
During the majority of the school year, we planned and prepared for our move to a new physical location in Burnsville, MN. The renovations to our new space included an innovative solution to integrated (combined on-site/online) classes that allowed all members of each integrated class to see every other student individually and be seen by each student. It also ensured that all students were able to hear other students and be heard, making the transition to integrated learning.
April 2021 - The Shift to Integrated Learning
The new Cyprus Academy building opened to on-site learners, and the new technology plan was put to the test with huge success. Our carefully laid plans worked smoothly, and all students continued to feel like important members of their classes and the Cyprus community. Students from around the country even traveled to Minnesota to see their friends in-person.
2021-2022 School Year
We added new students from additional states and another country for our first full year of integrated learning. From our "test drive" in the Spring of 2021, we learned that some classes work best with all online students or all on-site students, while others work very well as integrated classes. We continue to maintain the priority of making sure our students are making social connections with all Cyprus students and providing opportunities for social relationships to develop.
2023-2024 School Year
Our online program is still going strong. We added a dedicated online teacher to our staff with years of experience teaching young students online.
For many years, there have been requests to the administration at Cyprus Academy to offer its award-winning program in a distance learning format for students who live too far to commute. In March, 2020 when state-mandated school shut-downs associated with COVID-19 required all schools to provide distance learning, we saw this as an opportunity to develop a quality online school that meets the needs of gifted students from a distance.
July, 2020: Cyprus Academy Opens its Online School Worldwide
Cyprus Academy's online program stood out in its excellence! While most schools provided asynchronous assignments to students with little contact with their classmates or teacher, Cyprus provided 100% synchronous, online classes, with little effect to our students' school schedules and learning. We maintained our sense of community, and our students continued receiving the quality education that Cyprus is known for. In the summer of 2020, Cyprus took a step into the future of education, and offered its award-winning program to distant learners.
September 2020 - April 2021
Cyprus Academy enrolled students from 14 states and another country, and taught all our students online for the majority of the 2020-2021 school year. Students from across the world were finally able to receive an ability-based education that cannot be found elsewhere. In addition to the excellent education our students received, because of our attention to students' social and emotional connections during this time, our students bonded over the miles and made new friends with students from all over the country and world. We saw how powerful these relationships were and were dedicated to continue to intentionally create opportunities for students to make these connections, even after local students returned on-site.
Planning for Integrated Learning With a Sense of One Community
During the majority of the school year, we planned and prepared for our move to a new physical location in Burnsville, MN. The renovations to our new space included an innovative solution to integrated (combined on-site/online) classes that allowed all members of each integrated class to see every other student individually and be seen by each student. It also ensured that all students were able to hear other students and be heard, making the transition to integrated learning.
April 2021 - The Shift to Integrated Learning
The new Cyprus Academy building opened to on-site learners, and the new technology plan was put to the test with huge success. Our carefully laid plans worked smoothly, and all students continued to feel like important members of their classes and the Cyprus community. Students from around the country even traveled to Minnesota to see their friends in-person.
2021-2022 School Year
We added new students from additional states and another country for our first full year of integrated learning. From our "test drive" in the Spring of 2021, we learned that some classes work best with all online students or all on-site students, while others work very well as integrated classes. We continue to maintain the priority of making sure our students are making social connections with all Cyprus students and providing opportunities for social relationships to develop.
2023-2024 School Year
Our online program is still going strong. We added a dedicated online teacher to our staff with years of experience teaching young students online.
Contact Us for More Information
Testimonials from Cyprus Classical Academy Online Families
A.G
Parent / Cyprus Classical Academy Online
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I am a parent from Scottsdale AZ… My son has been at Cyprus now for three years. We lived in New Jersey when he started and it was during the pandemic and we were looking for an online option for him - somewhere that would be nourishing and supportive of his giftedness and would be excited to celebrate the person that he is.
My son has always been a really curious kid who has asked lots of questions. Before finding Cyprus, we’ve had teachers that were sometimes frustrated by him always having his hand up and by being so engaged in the way he was, because that was also sometimes disruptive to their class plans.
Cyprus has just been incredible for him, both as an academic setting and by enabling him to always participate, encouraging him in the right way, and helping him also self-moderate. It's been truly phenomenal socially as well. He’s excited to log on for morning meeting each day. He has friends all across the country especially in Minnesota that he was so excited to see when we came last year for visit week at the end of the year, and he’s excited to come in just a couple months again to visit with his friends in person. It's just been such a phenomenal learning experience and social experience for him, so we're so grateful and excited for him to start his fourth year at Cyprus this coming fall
My son has always been a really curious kid who has asked lots of questions. Before finding Cyprus, we’ve had teachers that were sometimes frustrated by him always having his hand up and by being so engaged in the way he was, because that was also sometimes disruptive to their class plans.
Cyprus has just been incredible for him, both as an academic setting and by enabling him to always participate, encouraging him in the right way, and helping him also self-moderate. It's been truly phenomenal socially as well. He’s excited to log on for morning meeting each day. He has friends all across the country especially in Minnesota that he was so excited to see when we came last year for visit week at the end of the year, and he’s excited to come in just a couple months again to visit with his friends in person. It's just been such a phenomenal learning experience and social experience for him, so we're so grateful and excited for him to start his fourth year at Cyprus this coming fall
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B.W
Parent / Cyprus Classical Academy Online
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I am a Cyprus parent currently in NV I have two boys that attend Cyprus – 11y and 8y. My oldest has been with Cyprus for last three years and this is my youngest’s first year at Cyprus. Cyprus has been wonderful for our family. We've just moved back to Nevada. We've been in Canada for the last year and a half, so it's given Henry a continuity in his schooling when we've moved between countries and he's been able to stay with the same school, with these same friends, and with the same teachers. It's just been absolutely wonderful for us!
What we love about Cyprus is that the classes are ability-based. it's meant that both of the boys are challenged where they need to be, and we found the school system here just was not meeting the needs of either of the boys. My older son loves attending the extracurricular classes that are offered by the school. For parents asking about the early start, The first year we're at Cyprus we were starting at 6:45. We didn't find it to be an issue at all. It was actually probably an advantage. It gave us was an early start, but it was also an early end to the school day which meant there's plenty of time to get homework done and there's still plenty of time for the extracurricular activities that are offered in our local community.
We’ve been in Minnesota three times now. We visited for visit week in June last year and then we've also visited in September and then just last week. It is just such a wonderful opportunity for the kids to be able to visit the school and meet their teachers in person and meet the other students that they only ever see across the screen. On our first visit, my oldest son met some of the children that he'd been taking class with for two years, and that was like old friends just meeting up that haven't seen each other for a while. So socially, Cyprus offers just yet endless possibilities for kids, and academically it's wonderful that they're challenged and have so much opportunity.
What we love about Cyprus is that the classes are ability-based. it's meant that both of the boys are challenged where they need to be, and we found the school system here just was not meeting the needs of either of the boys. My older son loves attending the extracurricular classes that are offered by the school. For parents asking about the early start, The first year we're at Cyprus we were starting at 6:45. We didn't find it to be an issue at all. It was actually probably an advantage. It gave us was an early start, but it was also an early end to the school day which meant there's plenty of time to get homework done and there's still plenty of time for the extracurricular activities that are offered in our local community.
We’ve been in Minnesota three times now. We visited for visit week in June last year and then we've also visited in September and then just last week. It is just such a wonderful opportunity for the kids to be able to visit the school and meet their teachers in person and meet the other students that they only ever see across the screen. On our first visit, my oldest son met some of the children that he'd been taking class with for two years, and that was like old friends just meeting up that haven't seen each other for a while. So socially, Cyprus offers just yet endless possibilities for kids, and academically it's wonderful that they're challenged and have so much opportunity.
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N.k
Parent / Cyprus Classical Academy Online
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We live in Batesville AR which is in rural Arkansas, so it's just amazing to us that our kids have been able to access this kind of education. Where we are living, the population is 10,000 and there isn't much until you go about 50 miles away. This is our third year in Cyprus.
Our son is 8 and our daughter is 6. She started at five years old this past fall and I believe she is the youngest online student. I had a lot of concerns about what that would be like for her, but it was an amazing experience. The staff and the teachers at Cyprus clearly know how to craft a schedule depending on students age and abilities. She's also very social and I worried a lot about what that would be like for her being young and being social and being online and it has just been it's been perfect. She's made so many friends online She talks all the time about her friends that are all over the country and we are all so excited about coming back to visit Cyprus again during visit week the last week of school. This will be our third trip to from Arkansas to Minnesota to see everybody in person which is just super fun.
Our kids are being challenged. They are engaged, and we really have no complaints. We're just so delighted to be a part of all of this and just so grateful that that we can be.
Our son is 8 and our daughter is 6. She started at five years old this past fall and I believe she is the youngest online student. I had a lot of concerns about what that would be like for her, but it was an amazing experience. The staff and the teachers at Cyprus clearly know how to craft a schedule depending on students age and abilities. She's also very social and I worried a lot about what that would be like for her being young and being social and being online and it has just been it's been perfect. She's made so many friends online She talks all the time about her friends that are all over the country and we are all so excited about coming back to visit Cyprus again during visit week the last week of school. This will be our third trip to from Arkansas to Minnesota to see everybody in person which is just super fun.
Our kids are being challenged. They are engaged, and we really have no complaints. We're just so delighted to be a part of all of this and just so grateful that that we can be.
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