Throughout its development, The Summit has strived to adhere to its founding principle of inspiring the joy of learning. While the philosophy of the school has evolved, it has upheld key beliefs of educating the whole child by developing a strong sense of community and promoting leadership, ethics, arts, sound body and mind, student potential, and joy of learning.
As a community, The Summit embraces diversity by celebrating different backgrounds, voices, and talents. The Summit seeks racial, religious, economic, and cultural diversity within the school as it is believed to be the foundation of a strong, competent, and compassionate community.
Students are exposed to the global impact of personal decisions through foreign language and cultural studies programs. Involvement in the surrounding community enables students to become positive, productive, and respectful members of society.
Across the curriculum, The Summit faculty strives to provide experiences that develop students’ leadership skills. Students are guided through projects involving goal setting, critical thinking, and self-reflection. Through cooperative endeavors, presentations, community service, and daily interactions with peers and adults, the school promotes effective communication skills, self-confidence, and the ability to inspire others.
The Summit is committed to building a community of understanding and respect for others in and out of the classroom. Self-control, positive personal interactions, and good manners are modeled, discussed, and recognized as important and necessary aspects of school life. Experiences in which students encounter and demonstrate gratitude and kindness toward others are valued. Students actively engage in community service projects, laying a foundation for lifelong responsibility and volunteerism.
Participation in visual and performing arts is essential to the development of the whole child. Students cultivate self-expression, imagination, creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking skills through involvement in and exposure to the arts. Integrating the arts with the core curriculum enriches and extends learning as students make key connections across content areas and expand their appreciation for the arts. The arts provide students with the opportunity to make evaluations and judgments, gain aesthetic sensitivity, work cooperatively with peers, and communicate ideas. Exposure to diverse cultures and histories through a variety of art and media connects students to the world around them.
Students develop a sound body and a sound mind as the school values health, wellness, nutrition, physical education, an active lifestyle, and lifetime recreation. The Summit is committed to supporting and challenging the whole child within each individual’s intellectual, emotional, social, creative, and physical modalities by promoting academic achievement, character development, self-reliance, self-confidence, independent thought, and personal wellness. Differentiated learning is a key element utilized at The Summit, enabling teachers to meet the individual needs of every student.
The Summit aims to help students achieve their highest potential through a rigorous and integrated academic program that emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a stimulating and developmentally appropriate manner. Students discover the joy and excitement of learning through activities that provide an opportunity for creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. Parents, teachers, and staff play vital roles in insuring children feel cared for, loved, respected and supported in their growth, because learning should be a natural and enjoyable experience.
