The O’Neal School was introduced to Core Knowledge back in 1994 when a new 3rd grade teacher familiar with the program, Sandra Garrison, used it throughout the year with her class. Grades K-8 adopted the program in 1995 and have used it ever since.

Being a small independent school, O’Neal had to take baby steps when the program began because funds were restricted and this can be a very expensive curriculum. There are many wonderful and necessary resources to use with the Core program, and of course, the faculty wanted all of them.

The search for resources was exhaustive. When O’Neal began implementation in earnest, there was virtually nothing in print designed for Core Knowledge other than What Your 1-6 Grader Needs to Know (the Grader books).

O’Neal relied heavily on parent resources, as well as the resourcefulness of O’Neal’s librarian. A Core Knowledge parent committee was formed. The biggest result of this committee was the creation of Core Net, a notebook for each teacher with ideas for Core field trips, speakers, books to borrow, art work, music, and various artifacts that parents had collected on their many travels throughout the world. The principal of Four Oaks Elementary in Florida (the initial Core Knowledge school) was invited to put on a day long workshop for the faculty. She was most helpful in recommending resources for the school. The faculty from O’Neal visited several Core schools and spoke with numerous teachers to see what they were doing and what they were using. Teachers have attended Core conferences around the country since its inception at O’Neal, with many presenting at various levels. The school virtually has several bookshelves dedicated to lesson plans presented at these national conferences.

O’Neal’s media specialist is always busy making sure she has books and videos together each Trimester to match a grade levels Scope and Sequence. She’s the perfect resource for locating needed Core resources. O’Neal’s library has a large picture book and easy reader collection, an exceptional reference collection for all grade levels, a growing fiction and story collection covering the classics, and a sound non-fiction collection, especially strong in history and literature. All areas of the collection have been developed with the Core Knowledge Sequence in mind. There is also a professional section for the faculty, as well as a parent collection that contains materials on parenting at all levels, and the Core Knowledge series including all of the E.D. Hirsch publications.

It’s important to create a mission statement that’s reflective of your belief in and dedication to Core Knowledge. The Core Knowledge program identifies a fundamental and coherent body of knowledge of lasting significance in our culture. It focuses on specific content and stimulates active learning, developing the broad foundation of traditional knowledge necessary for higher learning and understanding. O’Neal has also formulated ten goals that are revisited yearly.

• To reach and teach 100% of the Sequence.

• To provide a basis for students to excel academically.

• To provide an equitable education for all students.

• To gain an appreciation and respect for the different cultures of the  world.

• To promote critical thinking skills.

• To facilitate the integration of all disciplines with the Core Knowledge Sequence.

• To attain a knowledge of and an appreciation for the visual and performing arts.

• To provide an academic atmosphere conducive to an interest in independent reading.

• To offer a curriculum that is challenging and stimulating.

• To create an atmosphere where teachers are excited to work collaboratively and where students learn individually and collectively.

Plays, forums, field trips, and speakers abound in this hands-on curriculum, and our students are excited about learning. All teachers share and collaborate, and more often than not, classes of different age groups come together to facilitate a specific topic or unit. Every teacher has a copy of the newest edition of the Sequence, and O’Neal currently utilizes 93% of the program, with a goal of 95% - 98%.

The Core Foundation works diligently to upgrade and create materials on a yearly basis and have been a wonderful, reliable, and approachable resource for O’Neal throughout the years. Implementation of the program has been made much simpler than it was in the past, and teachers and parents need only see it in action to know that it’s the only program that they should be working with.

We are honored to be a National Visitation Site, and welcome individuals, as well as schools, to visit our campus, talk with our teachers and students, and watch as education comes to life for everyone involved.

 

The Core Knowledge Foundation Website