Learning at MCCS

Kindergarten Program

The kindergarten year can be a major transition for children. Often it is a child’s first school experience, and each is developing physically, socially, and academically at his or her own pace. The goal of our kinder program is to provide a balanced and fun program so that children develop a love of learning. Thus, our newest students will practice “school skills” – taking turns, raising hands, following instructions, sharing, etc, as their first steps in becoming responsible community members. In our buddy system, they will be paired with older students who will model expected behavior and engage in learning with them. The academic curriculum will focus on artistic expression, reading readiness, and introductory math concepts. Gross and fine motor skills will be practiced during PE, project, and choice time. Kindergarten will be an age-appropriate introduction to the Muddy Creek way of “doing school” that focuses on place, project, and community, and children will have plenty of opportunities to put on their boots and go outside to explore plants, bugs, the weather, and more!

Muddy Creek’s Approach to Literacy

We believe every child can learn to read. Children learn at different rates and in different ways. We believe that age and grade do not determine when a child learns to read; rather that learning occurs after a child reaches a certain level of maturity, has had many experiences with language and reading, and is motivated to learn. For some children this takes place before Kindergarten. For others, learning to read occurs at age 6 or 7. Some do not really catch on with reading until 8 or even later. Our reading program is designed to meet the diverse needs and wide range of abilities present in our classroom. Below are listed the components of the Muddy Creek reading program.

Place-Based Learning

The place-based learning methods employed at Muddy Creek Charter School have been designed to stimulate student engagement and achievement.  In place-based programs, students directly experience what they learn in a familiar context.  Their capacity to understand and communicate the subject matter increases.  Studies of schools adopting social, cultural and natural features of local environments as the context for academic subjects report that students act more independently and responsibly, display more pride in and ownership of their educational accomplishments, exhibit improved discipline and self control and academically outperform their traditionally instructed peers.

At the heart of MCCS place-based learning is use of the agricultural and rural area, including farms, forests and a wildlife refuge in the Muddy Creek watershed as part of the larger classroom. The agricultural landscape, including tree farms, grass seed farms, orchards, grazing lands, streams, ponds, wildlife refuge and national forests of the Muddy Creek watershed are the places about which projects are developed. Students are directly connected to their surroundings and community.

Place-based learning is distinctive in that it:

1. Emerges from the particular attributes of a place.  The content is specific to the geography, ecology, sociology, politics and other dynamics of that place
2. Is inherently multidisciplinary and experiential
3. Connects place with self and community.  Curricula include multi-generational and multicultural dimensions as they interface with community resources.
4. Is a starting point with all the senses and experiences to bring students along the path of global awareness
5. Has been linked with higher academic performance.

Project-Based Learning

MCCS uses project-based learning methods as the means for providing experience and learning through place.  Because project-based learning is emperical, it is a natural pairing with place-based education. This place-based program will be the context for project-based learning where the students will help design, conduct, present and self-assess their work investigating a series of topics.  Students will choose topics within the parameters defined by the teacher. Depending on grade level, projects will be designed to range from two weeks to several months.  Projects will change from year to year based on the broad themes of rivers, forests and mountains.  Over the course of several years students will be exposed to a large variety of science concepts and multidisciplinary projects related to these themes.  All assignments will meet the state educational objectives in applied science and all other content areas. While science objectives will be a focus, MCCS will integrate writing and reading across the curriculum. Math concepts are a natural tie to the environment when studying the deep science of the local area.

Given the rural/agricultural setting of South Benton County, we MCCS projects have a strong science component but include so much more. Because project-based learning is best when open-ended it will naturally incorporate other disciplines as they are meaningfully integrated into the project.  Students will practice disciplines by engaging in learning that involves math, literacy, art, social studies and science simultaneously, providing students with the opportunity to put to practical use what they learn during the portion of their day designed as traditional instruction.

Project components may include but are not limited to art, historical perspective, science, research, scientific investigation, writing, math, graphs, charts, outreach, presentation, technology, engineering, and collaboration with outside agencies/land owners/other students.

Service Learning

• Service learning is emphasized in our curriculum.  Service learning is an educational method integrating meaningful community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Students gain a “real world” extension to their classroom education, and at the same time build a connection to their community.  Some important objectives of the MCCS service learning projects are:
• Demonstrate social and civic responsibility in service settings (e.g. donation of products such as vegetables from gardens to the community.)
• Demonstrate political effectiveness in service settings.
• Exhibit proficient use of service skills.
• Indicate personal development through performing service.
• Demonstrate moral development by acting ethically in service settings.
• Practice basic academic skills in real life situations by engaging in service.

Students are encouraged to think about how they can contribute to their family, school, community and world.  Through this process students acquire a greater sense of self and a sense of responsibility for themselves and for the world around them. In our program, service learning can be as simple as supporting younger peers, cleaning the school or doing yard work for someone that needs help.  It can be as complex as habitat restoration and erosion control.

Service learning integrates readily with the place-based and project-based approaches and is a natural outgrowth of these methods. At MCCS service learning projects will unfold from scientific observations of the local ecology as well as student led assessments of the community’s needs. Students have many opportunities to be of service and benefit to the community, both natural and human. They will present and teach to others what they have learned, and be expected to affect changes they identify as important through their projects.  Students are required to reflect on the connection of the activity to their academic goals and their personal lives.  These reflections and other reports will be included in the portfolio created for presentations to parents.

Core Curriculm

Language Arts

Grades K-4 use HMH Into Reading for Whole Group and Small Groups reading, plus phonics, vocabulary, grammar, & spelling. Grade 5 provides authentic reading practice opportunities and teacher-developed vocab, spelling, grammar instruction. https://www.hmhco.com/programs/into-reading

UFLI and SIPS are our primary intervention curricula for beginning and struggling readers in K-3. 4th and 5th graders are supported with Wilson Reading, SIPS, and Phonics for Reading as needed. https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/toolbox/
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/wilson-reading-system/ 

Heggerty is utilized K-2 for whole group phonemic awareness practice.

Mathematics

Big Ideas Math is used by grades 1-5 for whole group math instruction. Teachers may supplement with online and real-life math games to reinforce math fact fluency. www.bigideasmath.com 

Science

Mystery Science is used by all grade levels at Muddy Creek as our core science curriculum. Teachers may extend these lessons into their Place/Project work and field trips in whatever ways make sense. https://mysteryscience.com

Social Studies

IntoReading lessons when taught with fidelity will address many of the Oregon state social studies standards. In addition to what students are reading in class, we provide more dedicated social studies inquiry with our Scholastic News time (weekly), or teacher-led Project/Place-based learning units (monthly), and our experiential learning opportunities and field trips (quarterly). Teachers often take advantage of local tribal history resources as well, including the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Rhonde curriculum.
https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/
https://www.grandronde.org/government/education-department/curriculum/ 

There is a lot of natural cross over between Place and Project because one is often how you “do” the other. We strive to follow the “gold standard” for high quality PBL (PBL Works) framework.

Social Emotional / Behavioral

Muddy Creek and the Corvallis School District use the DESSA/Aperture program to assess all student levels of social emotional growth and skill development. This allows our counselor to understand which students require additional skills development and coaching. DESSA provides tools for small group interventions and Sources of Strength is used as a supplement as necessary.

Love & Logic + Collaborative Problem Solving + PBIS

At Muddy Creek we lead with curiosity, we set affirmative boundaries, and we hold students accountable for their choices. We utilize a combination of Love&Logic, CPS, and PBIS at all levels with our students and staff. This is a blend that allows for positive reinforcement, expectation setting/development, natural consequences, de-escallation, data tracking, and greater overall involvement by all parties.

Digital Literacy in the Classroom

One thing that draws people into Muddy Creek is our hands-on approach to education. In addition to experiential learning opportunities we teach digital literacy using 1:1 chromebooks in the classroom. Practice on the computers helps prepare our students for Middle School and beyond.

The teachers use Sumdog.com to practice math & spelling fluency. Students can access digital books on Epic! and Scholastic.com. Grades 3-5 use Typing.com for keyboarding instruction. Many teachers All students are assessed for math and reading on the computers up to three times a year, 3rd-5th grade students also complete their Standardized SBAC testing in the spring. Some teachers use the chromebooks to conduct student research for projects, and others encourage students to practice their typing skills by teaching them how to create presentations and final drafts in the Google Suite. Oregon Technology Standards