Cherokee Creek Boys School, Therapeutic Boarding School, Established 2003
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Academics

“All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day in the same way,”

– George Evans

Academics-at-a-Glance

At Cherokee Creek Boys School, some of our students have experienced frustrations in the classroom in the past, while others have found success and happiness in their school settings. We are proud to say that our academic curriculum provides an individualized academic experience for each student. We make it a priority to meet a student where he is, and find the approach that works for him. We understand different learning profiles, review academic histories and needs, and provide different ways to learn that help each student feel comfortable.

Here’s an overview of our CCBS Academic Program:

Cherokee Creek Boys School Experiential Academics-at-a-Glance

Academically-Accredited

  • Grades 5 – 10
  • Meets national standards
  • Credits transfer to the next school
  • Accreditation through Cognia, the largest accrediting body in the world

Classroom Sizes

  • Up to ten (10) students

Year-Round Academics

  • Four (4) quarters with a summer term
  • Open enrollment throughout the year
  • Offers the ability to provide remediation when needed

Core Classes

  • Math | English / Language Arts | Science | Social Studies

Supplemental Learning

  • Music | Art | Yoga / Mindfulness | Digital Citizenship | College and Career Readiness

Gurian Model School

  • Certified by the Gurian Institute as a boy-friendly school using brain-based strategies to address the specific learning styles and needs of boys

Standardized (MAP) Testing

  • Upon enrollment, and every six (6) months

SEVIS-Approved

  • Able to provide a student visa for international students

“At CCBS, home and school life are integrated and everyone on the team is a “teacher.” We build connections with the students and with each other, so the boys feel at home, and we are all committed to their success.”

– Cameron | English Teacher

Cherokee Creek Boys School Team Collage
Cherokee Creek Boys School Team Collage

Our Robust and Creative Academic Program

Academic Dean, Calvin Croxton, Answers Some of Our Most Common Questions

QUESTION —

When a student enrolls, how are they supported and set up for success?

ANSWER

There are many ways that we orient our students to academics at CCBS.

  • We create an IAP (Individual Academic Plan) for each student.

Using academic records, psychological testing (if applicable) and information from parents, we create an Individualized Academic Plan (IAP) for each student. This plan outlines how we will meet the specific needs of the students in each classroom.

IAPs are reviewed with the team regularly, and adjusted as needed, during a student’s enrollment to assure that they remain engaged and challenged in healthy and appropriate ways.

  • We assess where a student is academically, and assign them to a class with age and grade peers.
  • We coach students on how to advocate for themselves in the classroom, which in turn helps students feel comfortable and confident in the classroom setting.
QUESTION —

How do you measure a student’s growth and success at Cherokee Creek Boys School?

ANSWER

There are many ways of identifying academic growth and success at CCBS.

Growth looks different for each student because they each have their academic histories, strengths and development opportunities.

In addition to grades and formal assessments, we also incorporate: your son’s engagement with academics; growth as shown in standardized testing; leadership in the classroom; shifts in frustration management and problem-solving; and self-advocacy skills.

QUESTION —

How does Cherokee Creek measure academic progress?

ANSWER

We facilitate MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing at the time of enrollment and for all students each spring and fall.

MAP Testing helps to highlight areas of strengths and opportunities for each student. Test data offers a comparison to other students in the same grade all over the world, allowing us to have a clear understanding of how to meet the student where he is and implement an appropriate academic experience for him while at CCBS.

We are credentialed to administer the MAP assessment on campus. This allows student accommodations (when needed) to ensure that results are as accurate as possible. Some students may feel most confident taking the test in a rocking chair on the front porch while listening to the birds … some may choose a traditional desk … others may choose a bean bag with our classroom cat as a testing companion!

QUESTION —

My son has an IEP or 504 plan from our home school district. How can you support that?

ANSWER

Many common accommodations that our students have on IEPs from home are met naturally in our environment (i.e., smaller class size, preferential seating, extended test-taking time).

Additional items on IEPs will be incorporated into the Individualized Academic Plan (IAP) that we create for each student.

Some students may meet South Carolina criteria to have additional services provided by Oconee County Schools through an ISP (Individualized Service Plan). In these cases, a Special Education teacher comes to campus to work with individual students or small groups for tailored and specific needs.

QUESTION —

My son has typically done well in school. How can you make sure he continues to be challenged and grow?

ANSWER

Our teachers differentiate for each student.

Sometimes differentiation is done to help a student with a specific need, but sometimes differentiation is done to challenge academically-gifted students. This is especially important for students who may have a strength / passion in one subject area and need more time / support in another.

QUESTION —

Will my son’s credits from Cherokee Creek transfer to other schools?

ANSWER

YES! We are academically accredited by Cognia, which also accredits more than 40,000 other academic institutions around the country and the world. Our curriculum is tied to National Standards which supports an easy transfer of credits to the next school.

QUESTION —

Is technology used in the classroom?

ANSWER

We know that students need to be able to access and appropriately use technology in schools and in today’s society.

Our classrooms are equipped with ChromeBooks which are used to help supplement direct instruction and traditional paper and pencil assignments.

Technology in the classroom allows us to have subject-matter competitions, virtual experiments, create projects, access audiobooks (when needed instead of traditional books), word processing and many other benefits. We closely supervise any computer use using Hapara Plus.

Additionally, we provide a digital citizenship curriculum to teach students how to navigate digital environments in ways that are responsible, intentional and safe.

“At the end of the day, what brings me the most joy is knowing that I have had some kind of positive impact on every kid who has stepped into my classroom.”

– Nick | Math Teacher

Cherokee Creek Boys School Team Collage
Cherokee Creek Boys School Team Collage

Relationships Matter

It’s vital for all students to feel like they are important and that their ideas are valuable … because they are!

Our teachers naturally develop meaningful relationships with our students and help them access learning in individual ways. This process helps students discover more about themselves as learners, which is a valuable skill set for future academic settings and many other areas of life.

Experiential Education

Regardless of academic profile and history, our students tell us that they enjoy our approach to hands-on and interactive learning in different ways.

A few examples are:

  • Using standing desks, exercise ball chairs and traditional desk options for comfort so they can focus!
  • Integrating games as part of knowledge assessment … which helps to reduce test anxiety and adds fun!
  • Including Lego League (Robotics) as part of math class
  • Our Science Class uses the streams on our campus to study water quality and environmental impact
  • Bringing animals into the classroom
  • Each year we host our Annual Festival of Nations Event
  • And we incorporate many field trips including performing arts experiences, Clemson University Planetarium, Currahee Military Museum, Clemson Botanical Gardens, nuclear power plant visits, Duke’s World of Energy, snorkeling trips, and more!
Experiential Education at Cherokee Creek Boys School

“At CCBS, we focus on building a connection with each boy and meeting him where he is. If you have a connection with a student, it can mean a lot and make a big difference in his progress.”

– Nick | Math Teacher

Teachers Have an Important Voice in Supporting the Whole Child 

A CCBS Welcome Back to School to Our Students!
Read More About Our Academic Team

Each week the Academic Team meets with other members of your child’s Treatment Team … including his Therapist, Primary Counselor and the Campus Nurse … to discuss progress and/or issues in his total care.

Sharing information helps assure that everyone is equally informed, that progress is rewarded and that adjustments to the curriculum are made where needed.

The weekly care team meetings are a valuable part of our approach, allowing the teachers and the whole team to offer their insights, learn about the student’s growth and continue to make adjustments that support his needs.

“What I love most about being a teacher at CCBS is when the light comes on for a child, when they stop the struggle and are on the way to healing, it is a wonderful thing to witness.”

– Larry | Social Studies Teacher

“What I love most about being a teacher at CCBS is when the light comes on for a child, when they stop the struggle and are on the way to healing, it is a wonderful thing to witness.”

– Larry | Social Studies Teacher

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

– Nick | Math Teacher

Cherokee Creek Boys School Outdoor Experiential Education
“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

– John Wooden

To Talk to Us and Find Out More

Contact Christy Swafford
Admissions Director
Click-to-Call (770) 654-1241
Email Christy HERE

More About ADMISSIONS
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