At Paradise Earth Academy, we’ve created a joyful learning environment where students can study academics while also being supported in discovering their personal creativity, talents, and gifts. PEA students do remarkably well behaviorally. But when they break the rules, teachers and staff follow a behavior protocol that gives students an opportunity to take accountability for their actions and make the necessary changes. Continuously disruptive or unkind behavior can result in a student being sent home or suspended.
Outdoor breaks are taken after each lesson to run around, grab a few bites from their lunch, relax in the garden, talk with friends. However, students can be given a time-out or lose recess if the school rules are broken during recess time.
Tees or polos in solid, single colors only. (No graphics, logos, designs, stripes, etc..) No crop tops.
If wearing a hoodie, sweater, jacket or other type of cover-up, this also needs to be in a solid, single color.
To order a school tee or hoodie click here.
Pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, or jumpers in khaki, navy blue, or gray. No rips or tears and no sweats. Denim bottoms are acceptable.
Closed toed, gym shoes only. (No heels, sandals, crocks…)
Each academic day students work on their core subjects with breaks between each class. They also
have a lunch/recess break and finish their day with an elective.
Here’s an example of what a typical day may look like:
During breaks, students have time to use the bathroom, fill up their water bottles, go out to the garden,
grab a snack from their lunchbox, stretch, move around, and recharge for their next lesson.
Students can work independently with individual support from the
teacher and also participate in group work, games, and partner work.
We use Memoria Press curriculum, a highly acclaimed curriculum with classical literature sets and mastery-based mathematics. Memoria Press products are designed with both accessibility and high
academic standards in mind. Students receive books at whichever level they are at. For example, if a student is in 4th grade but is working at a higher or lower level in Math or Reading, they will get the
books that support them at their level. Our annual curriculum fee is $300. For more information on Memoria Press visit: http://memoriapress.com
Every week, parents receive an email from the teachers detailing the lessons for all 4 days. Parents can follow along with the classroom lessons from home, or they may choose to use supplemental material or other methods of learning the skill listed. Usually the student will take his books home for days when not in attendance and do the work with parents from home. As a home-school support program, teachers don’t facilitate what work is being done or not done at home.
No, teachers do not assign homework. All lessons are expected to be completed during class. If there becomes a habit of a student not completing the classwork, the teacher will ask the parents if they prefer the work to be sent home or if the student should complete it during electives. If a parent feels like more work could be done, we encourage the work to be reviewed at home to extend or enhance as you see fit. A parent might feel the handwriting can be improved, the subject or story expanded upon with a drawing, start a verbally discussion, etc., for further study on their own accord.
We have both teacher and student-led electives that can change each semester depending on student interest. This year we have spanish class, theater, outdoor sports, arts & crafts, pokémon trading club, scrapbooking, creative engineering, board games, legos, student council, and business club.
Students bring their own lunch and water bottles and get a full lunch and recess break each day in addition to optional snack breaks between classes. The school will occasionally provide healthy snacks like organic trail-mix, organic fruits, or veggies from the garden that students are free to have.
Wednesday Nature Day begins second quarter after fall break. A calendar goes out at the beginning of each month that lists the different nature parks families can meet at each week. For students who enroll in Horsemanship, parents bring them to our partnered ranch in Queen Creek (Riggs and Power area) from 9-10am. After the Horsemanship class, families meet up at the scheduled park locations until about noon or 1pm. The cost of the Horsemanship program is $250 per quarter. There is no cost for the nature park portion of the day and students can join us there with their families even if they are not enrolled in Horsemanship.
We currently have about 65 students. Our classrooms include Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade 5th grade, 6th grade, and a mixed 7/8th grade classroom. Class sizes are kept small around a 10:1 student:teacher ratio so that students can receive 1-on-1 support and attention when needed.
Our staff and families are primarily faith-based with conservative values. We teach and instill values of kindness, respect, peaceful conduct, and personal responsibility for our actions. We expect students to be respectful, have good work ethics, and follow the rules of peaceful and kind behavior. We operate within the educational center of Gilbert Presbyterian Church, however we are not affiliated directly with the church.
Students are expected to behave well and demonstrate respectful behavior to peers and teachers. Our PEA staff go through consistent training that includes learning to set clear expectations, give gentle redirection and reminders, give fair warnings of a consequence if behavior doesn’t improve, and following through with the consequences if needed.
Nearly all of our students respond well with redirection and reminders. Students who push the boundaries can get time-outs, be sent to the director/principal’s office, be sent home, and even face suspension. We do not tolerate aggressive or violent behavior of any kind. For more detailed information on our behavior policy, please click here.
Tuition is paid each quarter through Class Wallet, credit card, or check. Our payment schedule is aligned with the ESA funding schedule and due dates are as follows:
Yes, projects are incorporated within the curriculum as well as during electives and at the end of each quarter. One of school’s highlights is our student quarterly presentation/project day that reflects each
students’ individual interests and personality.
If you haven’t already, please fill out the wait list form and you will be contacted to schedule a tour.