News & Media

The New Year brings us to nearly the halfway point of our academic year which is a great time to report on some curricular areas that have been undergoing change. The 7th and 8th grade science classes began the year using the Integrated iScience Course 3 textbooks which were approved and purchased last year. The text has proven easy to learn from and the diagrams and examples have provided students with additional detail to help cement concepts. Some Laboratory investigations provided by the textbook have been turned into classroom demonstrations and labs for students to complete as well. It is no surprise that the student feedback has been very positive.

The 5th grade has been piloting a new writing program called Writing and Rhetoric. The writing program at this grade level emphasizes a variety of writing concepts including writing narratives, summarizing, outlining, writing in complete sentences, and usage of adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. The program also provides an emphasis on writing refutations and confirmations, or arguments, in response to stories and situations presented within the lessons. The stories and concepts presented within the program are a direct fit with our literature, history, and grammar curriculum providing extra reinforcement across subject areas. The teachers have really enjoyed working with this program and are happy to report seeing some really great progress withtheir students. We look forward to seeing more growth from our 5th grade students through the second half of the year!

Finally, a new year wouldn’t be complete without some new faces. We would like to announce the addition of two new CCSA board members:

Rolando Sanchez

“My family has been delighted with our Classical School experience beginning with our eldest daughter, Sasha’s, first day of kindergarten in 2016. We knew Classical School’s reputation for academic excellence but have been amazed to watch her social confidence blossom alongside her love of learning. We are excited for her little sister, Maya, to join her soon. Their older brother, Gavin, will be attending Xavier High School in the fall of 2018.

Personally, I spend much of my time coaching youth soccer, basketball, and hockey. I am an avid reader and always interested in a good book recommendation. I enjoy global and domestic travel which I look forward to sharing with Gavin, Sasha, and Maya. A native of Houston, TX, I have lived all over the world, including Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington, Hanover, New Hampshire, Cape Town South Africa, Guam and Japan. I relocated to Appleton in 2011 from Chicago (Go Cubs!) and am very glad to establish roots in the Fox Valley.

I received degrees in Finance and International Business from the University of Washington and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Professionally, I have worked in private equity, management consulting, and in corporate strategy. I hope to leverage these experiences to add value to the Classical School both as a parent and as a Classical School Board Member.”

Terri Meisel

“Appleton is a town that my husband, Colin, and I have called home since moving here in the fall of 2006 to begin our careers. Classical School has been an important part of our family since our daughter, Taylor, began kindergarten in 2013. We knew that Classical was the right choice for our family from the first time we entered the doors and began interacting with the teaching staff. Our son, Owen, just began kindergarten in 2017.

Growing up in a small town in Central Wisconsin, I loved science all through middle school and high school. I attended Michigan Technological University and received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry. My career path took me to Kimberly Clark where I am currently a Program Technical Leader in our Research and Engineering Department. I focus my time on developing and launching new consumer product innovations.

Over the last five years, I have appreciated all of the hard work that the Classical administrators, staff, and board members have dedicated to our kids. I greatly value the education that they are receiving and know that this foundational base will set them up for success in their future careers. I am honored to begin my journey as a Classical board member and look forward to serving the Classical family.”

We welcome both of our new board members and are confident that their diverse backgrounds and passion for education will serve our school community well.