- Murdock-Portal
- Philosophy
Philosophy
-
Murdock-Portal is an alternative school in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) that creates an enriched environment that engages students in a well-rounded education. Our multi-age classrooms, modified year round calendar, balanced instructional focus and strong staff creates a strong learning environment for students.
What is multi-age grouping?
-
- A purposeful grouping of students consisting of several ages. (K/1, 2/3 and 4/5 grades) Each class is configured with a 50% ratio of each of the two grade levels. (For example: 12 kindergarteners and 12 first graders make-up one K/1 class of 24 students.)
- Students work together by developing collaborative, mentoring, co-teaching relationships.
- Students remain with the same teacher for more than one year.
- Project based topics are planned on a two-year loop
- Students are measured against their grade level Common Core Standards.
Why choose Murdock-Portal as your school of choice?
-
Murdock-Portal is an Alternative Education School in Cupertino Union School District. As a school of choice parents can investigate and choose to attend Murdock-Portal through the open enrollment and the lottery process.
What makes Murdock-Portal different than a neighborhood elementary school?
-
What is a Village?
It is an open spaces learning environments and consists of groups of "Family Rooms" which all teachers work together and share student for instruction as appropriate.
- Students are grouped in multi-age classes and learn in villages with a team of teachers for 2 years.
- Students work with multiple teachers and staff. Input from various points of view can provide deep insights into the strengths, needs, and learning attributes of a child.
- Students are guided to be reflective learners and provided opportunities to be self-directed learners.
- Planning time is provided to teachers so they can meet in teams to reflect on student learning, plan lessons, and discuss intervention strategies.
- Parent/Teacher conferences take place twice a year. At these meetings Learning Goals are developed and reviewed for each child.
- Our calendar is unique to Murdock-Portal.