Super K

An Ability-Based Learning Community
for Advanced and Gifted Children Ages 4-6

​​At Cyprus Classical Academy, we believe that even our youngest students deserve an education that challenges, inspires, and nurtures their natural curiosity. Our Super K program is where gifted preschoolers and kindergartners begin their journey in a school designed specifically for how they think, learn, and grow.

The Super K community is designed for young gifted students who are 4 and 5 years old on September 1st of the current school year.  Super K offers a unique way to best meet the needs of young students who are driven to learn, and/or have already climbed off the charts in their academic achievements. Cyprus Classical Academy provides specialized care and ability-based instruction for our youngest students while offering the best of the Academy's philosophy and academics with curriculum delivered in an age-appropriate way.
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​​Cyprus Classical Academy has a unique structure that allows for customized school schedules for each student. Young students in Super K enjoy the benefits of a customized school schedule, but also experience the community-building benefits that come with having a home-base classroom. 

Is Super K a Good Fit for My Child?

Parents of 4-5-year-olds from all over the Twin Cities choose to enroll their child in Super K because they value that our school knows how to meet their child's advanced academic needs while also providing specialized care by early childhood specialists who understand the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of our youngest bright and gifted students.

• Will your child be 4 or 5 years old on September 1st of the school year?  
• Are you frustrated by the lack of accommodations that traditional schools have to offer for bright and gifted Pre-K or Kindergarten children?  
• Does your child demonstrate abilities beyond their peers in one or more academic area?
• Has your child already outgrown their preschool curriculum?  
• Do you wonder how any school will be able to accommodate your child's learning needs?
• Do you wish there were a school that would meet your child at their level and would allow them to learn organically according to their natural abilities - no matter how fast the pace?  
• Do you wish your child could learn in a school where they are exposed to new ideas and information every day?  
• Do you wish your child had teachers who understood your child's asynchronous development? (e.g. They read like an 8-year-old, but behave age-appropriately in many ways.)  
• Do you wish your child had peers who understood and laughed at their jokes?
• Do you wish your child's school did not teach information based on your child's birthday?

If you answered yes to many of the above questions, then Cyprus Classical Academy's Super K is likely an excellent fit for your child.

Academic Requirements for Super K

Students who enroll in the Cyprus Classical Academy Super K program must meet the following minimum academic requirements:
Reading
Reading skills of students we accept into Super K range from meeting the minimum requirements through reading chapter books fluently.

• Must know all letters and letter sounds. 
• Is beginning to sound out three letter phonetic words.

​Mathematics
Math skills of students we accept into Super K range from meeting the minimum requirements through upper elementary levels.

• Must be able to count to 20 accurately.
• Recognizes numbers through 20.
• Can accurately count objects with 1-1 correspondence.​

​Social/Emotional Development

• Super K students are expected to have an age-appropriate or better attention span for their age. (Can pay attention for at least 5 minutes.)
• Able to follow basic rules.
• Usually able to separate from parents.
• Enjoy learning.​

Self Care

• Able to use the bathroom and wash up independently.
• Understands and will consistently stay within safety boundaries.

 Super K is a Superhero that uses its superpowers for good...

​...helping advanced and gifted children break free from the silly system,

start school when they are ready,

and release the information trapped in higher grades so your child can consume knowledge at the requisite velocity!

Super K, the Superhero, Saves the Day

Your child's first official year of school is pretty exciting! As a parent, you may have imagined this long-awaited milestone as the beginning of your child's adventure into serious learning. At age 4, your child is already counting beyond 100, reading books, writing stories, and has even started adding and subtracting. You catch yourself fantasizing about how excited the teachers will be to teach your learning-obsessed child.

Unfortunately, your child's 5th birthday falls in November, which is past the cutoff date for kindergarten. Your child's drive for learning makes it abundantly clear that they can't wait another year to start school. You decide it's time to meet with the school's administration to find out how you can enroll your child early.

The conversation with the Admissions Counselor is nothing short of irrational. Despite your description of your child's academic achievements and school readiness, they are refusing to even consider enrolling your child solely based on their birthday. On your way out, the Counselor hands you a brochure with kindergarten information so that you will be prepared next year "when your child is ready to start school."

You return home feeling frustrated and begin paging through the kindergarten brochure to prove - at least to yourself - that your child meets all the entrance requirements. You open the brochure and read,

You return home frustrated and begin paging through the kindergarten brochure to prove - at least to yourself - that your child meets all the entrance requirements, and the first thing you read is this:

"By the end of kindergarten, your child will recognize, name, and write all 26 letters of the alphabet (both uppercase and lowercase). They'll know the correct sound that each letter makes, and they'll be able to read about 30 high-frequency words--also called 'sight words'—such as and, the, and in (Harvey, 2021)."

You pause in disbelief. You can hear your child in the next room reading Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes out loud. Then you notice your child's notebook on the table open to a page filled with a story they wrote that morning about rainbow unicorns, and you think, Wait - they will know their letters? at the END of Kindergarten? This can't be right. You proceed to read through the entire brochure and realize that not only does your child meet the requirements, but your child is FAR beyond anything offered for the entire year.  You have no idea what to do...
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Later that day, you check your email and find something that catches your eye from Cyprus Classical Academy that saves the day!

Enroll Today

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References

Harvey, M. (2021). Kindergarten Curriculum: What Your Child Will Learn This Year. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/kids/education/elementary-school/your-kid-will-learn-in-kindergarten/#:~:text=In%20kindergarten%2C%20your%20student%20will,writing%2C%20shapes%2C%20and%20time.&text=You'll%20watch%20with%20delight,learn%20key%20fundamentals%20of%20math.

Davies, N. (2014). Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes. Candlewick Press.

 Super K Community

School Hours

• Arrival:  8:20-8:40
• School Hours:  8:45 - 3:30
• Extended Day Program: Morning 7:30-8:45; Afternoon 3:30- 5:15 ​

Morning Meeting
At our Morning Meeting, Cyprus teachers greet all Academy students and discuss the upcoming day. In Morning Meeting, we:

• Discuss the character trait of the month and ways that students can incorporate this trait into their daily actions.
• Announce any changes in schedule for the day.
• Announce indoor or outdoor recess (due to weather).​

​1st Period: Circle Time
Most Super K students attend Circle-Time where the class:

• Builds a friendly community.
• Develops social skills.
• Practices team building.
• Works on practical life skills .
• Show & Tell.

2nd - 8th Periods
Each Super K student has a customized schedule specifically designed for them to take classes based on their ability, achievement and pacing.  Each student's schedule includes Language Arts & Reading, Math, Music & the Arts, Activity Time, History, Science, Chinese, Physical Education.​

Reading & Language

• Each student is assessed and be placed at an appropriate level for their ability, achievement, and pacing.  
• Students in early elementary levels work one-on-one completing daily lessons with their teacher.  Lessons include reading, handwriting and pre-composition. 
• Students who are reading fluently begin an LLC (Literature, Language, and Composition) class that includes reading, handwriting, vocabulary, composition, and grammar. ​

Mathematics

• Each student is assessed and be placed at an appropriate level for their ability, achievement, and pacing.  
• Students in early elementary levels work one-on-one completing daily lessons with their teacher.
• Some students have reached a level where they are placed in a math class with other students near their age and of a similar ability level.  Class sizes may range from 2-10 students.
• Students have been placed as high as the 4th grade level in Super K.

Music & The Arts
Super K students spend time each day in a class dedicated to the arts.  This class includes music, art, crafts, drama, and team building activities.

Montessori-Inspired Activity Time
When they are not attending formal classes, Super K students will be learning in a Montessori-inspired environment with individual, hands-on learning activities which foster independence and respect for themselves, their classmates, and their environment.  

History
Super K students come together to learn about history with our hands-on history curriculum.  Our goal is for students to develop a love for learning about the past.

Science
Super K students learn life, physical, and earth science through lessons developed for young gifted learners.

Foreign Language
Super K students are exposed to various foreign languages. Each year, students may be exposed to different languages.​​

Additional Classes
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Physical Education
Super K students enjoy at least one P.E. class each week, and spend time outdoors as much as possible.

Choir
In November-December and April-May, a choir class is added to student schedules.  The Academy performs their musical program in December and May. 

Included in the Super K Daily Routine

Snack
Super K students all come together once again in their classroom for a dedicated time for snack.  This is another time that students practice social skills, teamwork, and practical life skills.

Recess
Students go outdoors for recess for 30 minutes each day when it is not below 20 degrees or actively precipitating.  

Lunch
Due to COVID-19, all Cyprus students bring a lunch each day.

Contact Us for More Information