Our Mission
The mission of the Socrates Academy is to work in partnership with parents and community to encourage our students to reach their full potential by developing critical, analytical thinking skills and becoming self-confident in a high achievement, multicultural, disciplined environment. Particular emphasis will be placed on eveloping proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics both in English and Greek through the use of the Socratic Method.
To fulfil our mission, we envision a school that promises an intellectual environment that:
-
Aims to build strong personal and academic foundations and a well-rounded educational experience through a rigorous multicultural curriculum that draws on the heritage of the 4,000-year-old Greek civilization.
-
Promotes critical thinking skills in scholars through inquiry, logic, questioning, problem solving, team collaboration, and the Socratic method.
-
Values global engagement and citizenship, social and cultural diversity, inclusion and equity, ethical responsibility, environmental awareness, and mutual respect.
-
Nurtures curiosity, creativity, and innovation in the classroom.
-
Encourages teachers to teach utilizing evidence-based practices.
-
Promotes the development of all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and families, within a safe, accountable, respectful setting, and a positive school culture.
-
Facilitates meaningful local, national, and global collaborative academic and business relationships and partnerships.
Our Core Values
Our vibrant school community embodies the following values:
● Filotimo (Greek: Φιλότιμο): Αlmost impossible to translate sufficiently, as it describes a complex array of virtues that encompass honor, dignity and pride; to always act with righteousness, integrity, and honor.
● Arete (Greek: Αρετή): Excellence of any kind and moral virtue. Fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one's full potential.
● Philoxenia (Greek: Φιλοξενία): eagerness to show hospitality
● Ethos (Greek: Ηθος): Ethical Behavior
● Personal Responsibility: Each person is accountable for their actions and the welfare of their community.
● Empathy and Kindness: Engaging in cognitive, emotional, and compassionate understanding of others and responding with kindness.
● Respect of Diversity, Equity, and Justice
● Moral Courage: Doing what is right and leading by example
● Strive for Excellence (Greek: Αιέν αριστεύειν): Setting goals and always striving to do one’s best and seeking continuous improvement
Our Campus
-
Nestled within approximately 22 acres, our state-of-the-art High School Building is set to open its doors in the winter of 2024.
-
Our campus features five distinct buildings: K-2nd, 3rd & 4th, Gym, Middle School (6th - 8th), and High School (9th - 12th).
-
Our scholars thoroughly enjoy our unique Gaga Ball Pit, the expansive field, and the inviting shaded playground.
-
Notably, our campus holds the distinction of being a certified Wildlife Habitat & Monarch Waystation. It features an outdoor classroom and a flourishing school garden.
-
Numerous pocket green spaces provide ideal settings for outdoor classes or enjoyable lunches.
-
Scholars engage in plenty of movement as they walk to other buildings for specials. This not only allows them to stretch their legs but also contributes to the understanding that children who incorporate movement into their learning tend to learn better.
-
Staggered schedules for Elementary, Middle School, and High School ensure smooth carpool transitions, minimizing traffic disruptions.
The Socrates Approach
At The Academy, our enriching curriculum blends multilingual and multicultural elements, aligning seamlessly with the North Carolina Essential Standards, Common Core (covering language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, art, and music), and the National Greek Curriculum Standards (encompassing language arts, mathematics, and Greek culture).
Guided by the time-tested Socratic Method, our instructional approach is dedicated to cultivating critical analytical thinking. Renowned for its high academic quality, the program places special emphasis on mathematics, reading, writing, character development, multiculturalism, and the early acquisition of a second and third language. This commitment creates a dynamic educational environment that prepares students for a diverse and interconnected world.
What is the Socratic Method?
Definition: The use of questions as employed by Socrates to develop a latent idea, as in the mind of a pupil, or to elicit admissions, as from an opponent,tending to establish a proposition.
The Socratic Method is the oldest, and still the most powerful, teaching tactic for fostering critical thinking. It is also know as inquiry-based teaching. In Socratic teaching we focus on giving students questions, not answers. We model an inquiring, probing mind by continually probing into the subject with questions. Questions are used to arouse curiosity and at the same time serve as a logical, incremental, step-wise guide that enables students to figure out about a complex topic or issue with their own thinking and insights.
The Socratic method is an integral part of instruction at Socrates Academy. This method of thought and analysis has been in use since the time of the ancient Greeks and has been recognized as not only an effective teaching tool, but also an engaging way for students to take an active role in their own education.
Want to learn more about the Socratic Method? Take a Look >>
BELL SCHEDULE
ELEMENTARY | K-5TH)
Carpool Arrival: 8:05am - 8:23am
School Day: 8:25am - 3:45pm
Carpool Dismissal: 3:45pm
MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6TH-8TH
Carpool Arrival: 7:30am - 7:48am
School Day: 7:50am - 3:10pm
Carpool Dismissal: 3:10pm
HIGH SCHOOL | 9TH - 12TH
Carpool Arrival: 7:30am - 7:48am
School Day: 7:50am - 2:40pm
Carpool Dismissal: 2:40pm
"One of the most challenging transitions in a child's growth is between elementary and middle school. We are so grateful that Socrates Academy is a K-8 school, and that the academic and social transitions from 5th to 6th grade are so seamless here. Elementary classes prepare Socrates students for the academic variety and rigor of the middle school curriculum, and upon graduating to middle school, students have a balanced mix of responsibilities and freedoms that result in opportunities for students to establish their own independence. We look forward to watching our children flourish in their remaining years at Socrates, and feel confident that they will be well-prepared for the next big transition into high school."
- Mary Beth A., Socrates Parent