Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if Cyprus is the right school for my child?  

Cyprus serves families who want their gifted child to have the opportunity to learn at the pace and level at which they are driven to learn, and students who need a faster pace or higher level academically than public, private, or magnet schools can provide - including gifted programs. Children who are academically gifted often display signs that they need more from school.  
  • Is your child intellectually bored in school?
    • ​Being bored is not the same as intellectual boredom.  It is normal for children to be bored occasionally.  Intellectual boredom occurs when your child already knows what is presented in school most of the time, or the material presented is at too low in level or slow-paced, and there is very little new information to stimulate their curiosity.
  • Do you believe that your child could perform much better, but they seem to be lacking drive? Is your bright child just "getting by"?
    • This is a sign of underachievement which is typical of a smart child who has had to endure intellectual boredom for longer than they can handle.
  • Is your child a straight A student without much effort?
  • Did your child read early or show other signs of early academic achievement?
  • Does your child have special interests and know extensive information about a subject? e.g. they have the periodic table memorized or they have been reading fluently since age 4 or 5 (or earlier).
  • Is your child generally well behaved in group situations when they are engaged in learning activities that challenge and interest them, but are acting up in school?
  • Does your child have a unquenchable thirst for information?
  • Has your child been identified as gifted by an IQ test or by the school system?
  • Has your child taken a test and not qualified for gifted programs due to asynchronous development in different subjects?  (e.g. They scored high enough in Math, but the overall score wasn't high enough)
  • Do you feel your child should have qualified for a gifted program but did not?
  • Is your child frequently put to use as a "tutor" or "helper" of other children?  (This is a typical practice, but remember your child is in school to learn, not to teach.  All children have a right to learn in school.)
  • Does your child learn quickly, rarely needing more than one or two repetitions of information? (While your child learns information on the first day it is presented, many classmates need days or weeks to understand.)

What is ability-based education?

At Cyprus, each child has an Individualized Learning Plan based on formal and informal assessments in each academic subject matter.   Our classes are small, and students are placed with classmates in each subject who are of the same achievement and ability level.  We also make all efforts to create classes that do not have classes with large gaps in age.  This allows for a customized education for every student who attends.

Example Student Schedules

5 year old  Joseph (Kindergarten Age)
1st Period:   Super K Circle Time
2nd Period:  2nd Grade Language with high reading component (chapter books)
3rd Period:  Montessori Inspired Activity Time
4th Period:  Creative Arts Class
Lunch/Recess
5th Period:  Kindergarten Math
6th Period:  Chinese
7th Period:  Science
8th Period:  History

5 year old Jane (Kindergarten Age)
1st period:  Super K Circle Time
2nd Period:  2nd grade level Language with high reading component 
3rd Period:  Activity Time
4th Period:  2nd Grade Math
5th Period:  Creative Arts Class
6th Period:  Chinese
7th Period:  Science
8th Period: History

8 year old Shana (3rd Grade Age)
1st Period:   Language Arts 
2nd Period:  Mandarin Chinese
3rd Period:  Pre-Algebra
4th Period:  Language/Literature/Composition
Lunch/Recess
5th Period:  Spanish
6th Period:  Advanced STEM Program
7th Period:  History
8th Period: Music/PhyEd

9 year old Jessica (3rd Grade Age)
1st Period:  5th grade Language
2nd Period: Middle School level Literature/Composition
3rd Period:  3rd Grade Math
4th Period:  Work Period
Lunch/Recess
5th Period:  Mandarin Chinese
6th Period:  Science (Late Elementary)
7th Period:  History (Middle School Level)
8th Period: Music/PhyEd

10 year old Jack (5th Grade Age)
1st Period:  Language Analysis
2nd Period: Work Period
3rd Period:  Algebra 2
4th Period:  Mandarin Chinese
Lunch/Recess
5th Period: Literature Composition
6th Period:  Art
7th Period:  History/Science Block (alternating days)
8th Period:  History/Science Block (alternating days)

11 year old Brianna (Bridge Program)
1st Period: Algebra 2
2nd Period:  ACT test prep
3rd Period: High School level Language (Grammar, Vocabulary)
4th Period:  Mandarin Chinese
Lunch/Recess
5th Period:  Literature/Composition
6th Period History/Science Block (alternating days)
7th Period:  History/Science Block (alternating days)
8th Period: Art 

12 Year old Anne (Bridge Program)
1st Period:  Electronics & Programming
2nd Period:  ACT Test Prep/Grammar
3rd Period:  Instrument Practice
4th Period:  Instrument Practice
Lunch/Recess
5th Period: Mandarin Chinese
6th Period:  Pre Calculus
7th Period:  Humanities (History, Literature/Composition)
8th Period: Humanities

13 Year-Old Jason (Bridge Program)
1st Period:  College Level Language
2nd Period: Instrument Practice
3rd Period:  Calculus
4th Period:  Literature/Composition/Presentation
​Lunch/Recess
5th Period: Work Period
6th Period:  Art
7th Period:  History/Science Block (alternating days)
8th Period:  History/Science Block (alternating days)