Catalyst Studio
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change ... We need not wait to see what others do.”-Mahatmas Gandhi
Our Mission
Emboldening Independent Thinkers
Catalyst Studio strives to provide a comfortable studio approach with comprehensive, interdisciplinary material for inquiry, research, experimentation, and creation. We offer students training in critical thinking, independent work skills, and reflective analysis to embolden independent thinkers to become catalysts for globally-responsible and responsive change.
General Program Information
Individualized instruction for independent thinkers
Catalyst Studio is a full-day, five-day small-group learning program in the Roswell/Alpharetta/Johns Creek Area.
We offer conceptual, inquiry driven, project-based classes in all academic areas for grades two through eight.
We also offer visual, dramatic, and skill-based art classes as well as media arts/coding and project-based learning studio time.
Classes meet from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday.
There is an early-evening extra-curricular program as well from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
We welcome non-full-time learners to our classes, field service days, and Catalyst Overnight Learning Trips as part of our commitment to diversity as an essential learning tool. However, lessons are connected in transdisciplinary units, so the best contextual learning comes from participation in the full-day program.
Student Design to Create a Better World
-Students of Catalyst Studio practice and grow their skills in math and reading expanding on grade-level expectations allowing students to become reading and math practitioners while also becoming experts in learning topics and concepts.
-Students extend their analytical skills in social studies and science through student-driven projects.
-Students use their lesson learning in areas of interest and strength to create solutions and ideas to improve their world.
-Every student works rigorously towards the creation of their final high quality work to present to stakeholders in the areas they are learning.
-Students have independent goals but work cooperatively with their classmates to learn.
-Students work with different learning groups and instructors throughout the day.
-Students present their ideas in quarterly Celebrations of Learning that bring together our learning community with members of the community to showcase student growth and ideas to authentic audiences.
Teaching Model
-Lessons use the inquiry cycle. The teacher introduces scenarios and material. Learners work independently and collaboratively using problem-solving skills to persevere through prompts before participating in discourse to formulate lesson conclusions.
-Students learn to use tools and effort effectively to find solutions.
-Units implement the design cycle where students use research to identify problems, experiment with solutions, create prototypes or models of solutions, and present their solution to stakeholders for critique and assistance in improving their solutions.
-Catalyst Studio creates adaptive learning environments; ideal for passionate, creative students.
Technology Usage
Catalyst Studio believes that experience with current and emerging technology are essential. We use:
-Google Classroom and G Suite to compile and create student work.
-Research-based educational apps to practice, assess, and improve skills.
-Creative apps in their weekly Media Arts class.
Students can bring their own laptop or rent one from the program.
Field Service Days
Catalyst Studio believes in being a part of the greater community. We invite community experts to invigorate learning units. Students participate in planning a monthly Field Service Day to deepen our learning through observation and experience while giving back to our community. These are more than just field trips. They are inquiry-based field studies related to current material. Student field observations and reflections become part of classroom discourse.
Subject Focuses
Students gain skills and perspective through interdisciplinary learning
Social Studies
Social studies is the backbone of our curriculum focusing on learning about how people throughout time and different countries address problems and improve.
Students use case studies and the inquiry cycle to lead project-based learning units on relevant global issues. All of our students will address and investigate different aspects of these globally relevant issues in their interdisciplinary work.
All students study economic principles and their effects on people and problems. They work to analyze geographic traits of different regions and their impact on the people who live there, including learning how governments address people’s needs and wants.
Middle school students lead the way for our younger learners: 6th graders work to incorporate their researched Georgia history into the multicultural American history topics of the younger grades. 7th and 8th graders study world geography by investigating global economies, cultures, and resources finding commonalities to share with younger students to help our students notice the trends within our shared global struggles.
Our 3rd-5th graders develop their geographic and cultural skills to address American history from ancient America through colonization {3rd}; the Revolutionary War through Reconstruction {4th}; to twentieth-century history {5th}.
Our 2nd graders learn local history and heroes throughout our community’s history gaining context through interactions with our other social scientists.
Reading and Writing
Catalyst Studio utilizes EL Education’s (formerly Expeditionary Learning) reading and writing units of study that apply globally relevant materials to teach reading skills. Students learn different perspectives on contemporary issues, culminating in writing projects that provide students an opportunity to utilize their new learning to effectively communicate entertaining and creative information, opinions, and narratives.
Learners work to improve inferring skills and connection building. As readers, students justify answers with explanations and evidence. As writers, the modeling, conferencing, and critique process helps students produce work that effectively conveys their ideas about topics of interest to them. Our readers learn to analyze text to compile evidence, critique sources, and communicate their results in a convincing way.
2nd graders participate in learning through reading lessons, reading foundation lessons, and interdisciplinary literacy labs.
3rd-5th graders participate in learning though reading lessons and additional grammar, writing, and language lessons that tie into the text from their learning through reading lessons.
6th-8th graders have all of their reading, writing, and language expectations incorporated into one daily lesson.
Mathematics
Catalyst Studio’s 2nd-5th grade math program uses Catherine Fosnot’s Contexts for Learning Mathematics program, Project M2, and Project M3. Our 6th-8th grade math program uses the Mathematics in Context curriculum. These curriculums utilize real world scenarios to teach mathematical skills. This curriculum helps students develop strong number sense and practice strategies to create procedural fluency and contextual understanding. These curriculums are supplemented with math fluency apps until students show fluency in all four operations as well as Dreambox contextual application app.
We focus on demonstrating math in a way students can and will use it in their lives. Students use their problem-solving skills to solve new problems while practicing skills to become more efficient in computation style while understanding the purpose of the different steps.
Science
Our student scientists learn through hands-on observation, experimentation, and analysis. Our elementary learners study topics in life, earth, and physical science. We use the inquiry cycle to investigate geology, plant and animal classification and traits, astronomy, as well as energy and motion.
Our sixth graders focus on more in-depth earth science topics, including astronomy, and then focus on the interrelationship between the earth’s properties and human needs. Students incorporate their scientific inquiries into our investigations of contemporary global issues.
Daily Action-Focused Time
Inquirers learn through play, practice, and creativity
Arts
Catalyst Studio believes strongly in art integration across the curriculum, but we also believe the arts deserve their own space. Students have forty-five minutes of daily studio time, focusing on different arts styles and projects for two week intervals. Focuses include visual arts, dramatic arts/theatre arts, and media arts/coding. Students also study one student-chosen skill-based art each month or quarter; examples include culinary/pastry arts, crochet, cross-stitch, batik fabric painting, origami, and jewelry-making. There is also an entirely student-driven Catalyst Project once per quarter where students are working on personalized, student-initiated interdisciplinary projects.
Physical Education and Health
The health benefits of routine safe exercise has been proven for all ages. Starting healthy routines early can lead to lifelong improvement in socioemotional and physical health. We have thirty minutes daily for physical education, exercise, and health education.
We try to integrate the outdoors as often as possible for our physical education as well as during our core classes. Our Physical Education units focus on active skills for life such as biking, running, and team work.
Active Learning Time
Our students are always active leaders of their learning but we believe it is important for students to have thirty minutes of unstructured time daily to learn through play. On days with good weather, students will be outside during this time without electronics. On bad weather days, students will have indoor unstructured time.
Optional Early Evening Program {3:00 - 6:00 pm}
Learning is an odyssey of the mind
Critical and Creative Thinking Odyssey
Our optional early evening program begins with an extra Active Learning Time and snack. Then, students work as an Odyssey of the Mind team. Odyssey of the Mind is a competition program that promotes creative and critical thinking. Teams compete in an eight-minute skit and a problem-solving or creative thinking activity. Student members work together to create their own sets, costumes, script, and performance. We also offer extracurricular lessons based on student interest such as animation, language, and music lessons.