At Prince William Academy, our small class sizes enable teachers to gauge the individual needs and level of each student, and to provide the kind of personal attention that allows children to thrive. Our students are challenged, but never frustrated. Whether they need a little extra help, or are operating one or two grade levels ahead, we work hard to accommodate all our students’ needs. We know that small class sizes are the only way to enable this level of interaction between students and teachers, and so we cap our elementary and middle school classrooms at 15 students.
We are a secular school that believes in preparing our students to become good citizens. We practice moral respect through role modeling by being respectful to the children, guardians, other staff, and the administration. “Yes, Sir” and “Yes, Ma’am ” are routinely heard around our Academy.
We develop our own curriculum, drawing inspiration from Montessori practices, the International Baccalaureate Program, and many other sources . Our foreign languages program is designed to help our students become well-rounded, global citizens. Above all, our curriculum reflects our school’s priorities and diverse character.
Please explore the pages for each grade level, and feel free to contact us with any questions you might have about our curriculum.
Art, Physical Education, Music, and Technology
Starting in Jr. Kindergarten, all students take weekly art, music, and physical education classes. Our Art program is centered within a bright, open space with lots of natural light and loads of resources to facilitate our students’ creative expression. For Physical Education the Gym/Multipurpose Room is utilized daily for free play and recess time (during inclement weather), and weekly for guided P.E.. Our Music Classes are held each week, and students learn the rudiments of reading music, play instruments, and learn new songs to prepare for holiday and end-of-the-year programs.
Preschool – 8th Grade
At every level, Prince William Academy fosters a love of learning. We maintain small class sizes, in keeping with our strong belief that children learn better in smaller groups. We also urge our students from a young age towards an understanding of earth’s diversity. Our foreign languages program, which encompasses every student at PWA, offers Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish – all taught by native speakers or specialists (not a computer!) who expose students to different cultures and increase their awareness and respect for cultural diversity.
From their first days at PWA’s preschool, students take delight in their achievements. Learning to read, moving beyond simple addition to more complex mathematical operations, or trying to capture what they know in a drawing or a song can be as demanding a task as any they will pursue in their lives. Our teachers seek to ensure that these efforts and accomplishments are imbued with deep pleasure and joy.
Our teachers strive to see each child as both a member of a community and as a unique and developing personality. In doing so they stimulate, challenge, and inspire students to explore the world around them and discover their place in it. The regular study of science, which begins in Jr. Kindergarten, and the acquisition of two foreign languages, which starts in preschool, make concrete that discovery.
Our elementary school begins with our stellar kindergarten program, and runs through our equally vibrant fifth grade. Again, small class sizes are the rule here, and each student receives the kind of individual attention that is increasingly hard to find even in private schools.
In September, 2013, PWA opened its new middle school to accommodate students from sixth through eighth grade. Our middle school features a small and intimate environment with rigorous instruction in math, language arts, science, social studies and foreign languages, along with art, P.E. and music. Students are taught according to their academic level in small groups.
At all grade levels, we develop our own curriculum, drawing inspiration from Montessori practices and the International Baccalaureate Program, among other sources. We utilize McGraw-Hill textbooks, supplemented by other materials.
