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Mountainville Academy was founded on a vision of a school that is academically rigorous, where children are actively engaged in the learning process and focused on the mastery of basic skills through programs that are specific, challenging and effective. We see a school that fosters an environment of integrity, personal responsibility and respect for others, and provides a well-rounded education through a broad range of historical, scientific and cultural topics; a school with smaller class sizes and teachers in partnership with parents. To this end, the mission of Mountainville Academy focuses on academics, with special attention to the Language Arts and Mathematics. We believe that success in these areas leads to success in all areas of study, which in turn builds confidence, a love of learning and a desire to pursue more knowledge. This knowledge must be balanced by positive character development that encourages the application of good conduct, values and personal achievement to create responsible and contributing members of society. To achieve the vision/mission of Mountainville Academy, we've chosen the Core Knowledge Sequence as our primary curricular foundation, enhanced by curricula that will provide students with the level of content and instruction to achieve the goals as outlined in our philosophy. All curriculum choices were researched extensively and specifically chosen for their ability to meet the following standards:Skills-based to ensure solid foundations in basic skills Research-based to ensure effectiveness and time-proven results Explicit and sequential to ensure clear, concise and teacher-directed instruction Multi-sensory to address different learning styles Accommodate children with learning difficulties and English Language Learners, to minimize the need for remediation Complement each other both in methods and pace Meet and exceed state standards In forming a vision for this school, we also desired that it be reminiscent of local history, which is why we chose the name Mountainville Academy. In early September of 1850, seven families arrived in Utah Valley and, seeing that settlements had already begun in what are now Lehi and American Fork, turned to head northeast. They found abundant water and rich soil, and settled around the middle of the far north-east end of Utah Valley. As the first settlement in north-eastern Utah Valley, it was known as Mountainville, no doubt a tribute to the beautiful mountains that surround us. Our desire is to honor that heritage and expose the next generation to the history that they benefit from today. To add to the historical atmosphere we desire for our school, the building's architecture is reminiscent of the old Alpine Schoolhouse. Although the term "charter school" was not used back in 1899 when the Alpine Schoolhouse was built, the school was essentially a charter school. It was started by the residents and parents in the area and it was run by its own Board of Trustees, who managed it financially and academically. The school was financially sound, could hire teachers of its choice, and had a reputation for being one of the outstanding schools in the state. In 1915 the state of Utah initiated a consolidation of all the schools in the area and insisted that Alpine School join them, forming what has now become the Alpine School District. When this change occurred, the policies and management of the school were no longer in the hands of the trustees and parents, but were under the authority of the school district. The "old red schoolhouse", as it came to be fondly known, was abandoned in January of 1965 when Alpine Elementary was built. It was demolished in April of 1968, with feelings of both sadness and joy. With such rich historical content in our community, we feel it most appropriate to bring a taste of it back to life by building a school that is both reminiscent of our heritage and enthusiastic about the future. This is reflected in the name of our school, Mountainville Academy, and in our desire to pattern its architecture after the old Alpine Schoolhouse, while taking advantage of technology and curricula to give students the necessary tools to thrive in an ever-changing world. In order to create a school worthy of the heritage it implies, we employed many, many countless hours of study and research into effective teaching practices and various methods of instruction. Our approach is based on our findings, which includes information from Project Follow Through, the world's largest education study on effective teaching practices ever conducted. To learn more about Project Follow Through, visit Effective School Practices and Association of American Educators. Parents are the founding force behind Mountainville Academy and have been actively engaged in several committees working in the areas of curriculum, library, policies, finances, computer technology, donations, grant writing, and outreach. All are hard working, driven and committed to the vision and mission of Mountainville Academy. Parents of students continue to engage in volunteer work through a variety of means on an ongoing basis. As a general guideline, parents should expect to contribute about 40 hours of volunteer service throughout the school year for dual-parent families, and 20 hours for single-parent families. Volunteer opportunities are diverse in nature to accommodate individual circumstances and parents are expected to put forth their best efforts in contributing to the success of Mountainville Academy. In conclusion, Mountainville Academy exemplifies the choice of education that we, it's Founders, desire for our own children. We invite you to explore more deeply the educational opportunity we offer, and welcome you to join us.