Frequently Asked Questions
In order to protect the learning environment of our Eagles, we do not offer tours during regular school hours. We have Open Houses throughout the year and times after school where a tour can be scheduled. We encourage anyone interested in meeting our Guides or seeing our studios to attend an open house or schedule a tour.
Each family is unique, though there are some similarities we've seen between the families who are happiest and most successful in this model, everyone is different.
We encourage families to be intentional about their decision to apply to Acton Academy St. George! Please read our site, info kit, and other materials, watch the videos, read the book Courage to Grow, and participate in a couple events if possible. If you've done these things, we'll all know if Acton Academy St. George is the right fit for your family.
Children learn best when working with those younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups. Mixed aged classrooms help to foster independence and support social and emotional growth.
We have two studios today (with plans to open a middle school and high school in the future).
Spark (Lower Elementary) for ages approximately 3-7 and Discovery (Upper Elementary) for ages approximately 7-12.
We fundamentally don't believe in grade level work and believe it's important that Learners be in the best studio for them.
We believe each of our students will find a passion - something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may happen by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people's day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may happen by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child's eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero's Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people's lives. Whatever they choose, we believe each has unique gifts that if identified, cultivated, and strung together, they can in fact find their calling and change the world.
We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey. Here is a short video on the Hero's Journey: https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_winkler_what_makes_a_hero?language=en
At Acton Academy St. George we believe in learning to be and learning to do and an important part of this is encouraging young people to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our Learners to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.
Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.
At Acton Academy St. George, we believe in the power of balance. Using the incredible, self-paced eLearning tools now available, we are able to provide the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling and grammar in about 90 minutes each day, while freeing up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning, games, Montessori works, the arts, outdoor education, service learning, and other studio specific challenges. The two types of experiences are highly complementary.
Our pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st year Elementary "Spark" studio and Discovery studio (~ ages 7-11) are mostly modeled after the teaching of Maria Montessori.
In our Middle School "Adventure" studio we respect and incorporate Maria Montessori's philosophy, but it is not a Montessori.
In all our studios, you'll see influences from the Montessori philosophy but we use the latest interactive technologies, games, hands-on projects, Socratic (question based) discussions, etc. to take the philosophies and bring them into the 21st Century.
Acton Academy St. George is part of the network of over 270 Acton Academies around the world. We follow the same Learning Design (curriculum) and learning model of the original Acton Academy campus and the global network of schools. We set aside high stakes testing, common core, and rote memorization for character-based development and agency to foster meaningful growth in our learners.
Acton Academy St. George begins at 9:00 am each day (drop-off starting at 8:30 am) and finishes at 3:15 pm. We operate on an ~ 10 month calendar, but our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning.
The school calendar is based on a series of 5-6 week project sprints called "Quests", each with a theme – like Entrepreneurship, Rockets, Robots, Medical Biology, Detective, Chemistry, etc. Each Quest is a grand adventure, culminating in a public Exhibition for family and friends. Seven or eight 5-6 week sessions, followed by 1 to 2 weeks off to refuel and travel, make up the school year.
Please see tuition information here.
Acton Academy St. George currently serves learners ages 3-11 in our two studios. With time we will open a middle school and high school "Launch pad" studio as well.
Yes, we are approved provider for the Utah Fits All Scholarship. Our regular audition/admissions process is used regardless of having the scholarship or not but if accepted, those funds can be used towards your tuition. To learn more about our audition process, see our "admissions" page.
Acton Academy St. George, a Montessori inspired Pre-k through 12 private school in St. George, UT, is currently located at 163 N 300 W St. George, UT 84770 in historic downtown St. George.
We are open to Believers, Searchers, and Non-Believers alike and expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization but we are not a religious school.
Yes the school is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools.
We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but have been able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive special training and have seen that many minor learning disabilities are commonly misdiagnosed.
We are often asked if we "teach" topics like Critical Race Theory (CRT), comprehensive sex education, LGBTQA+ agenda, gender affirming, etc.
The answer is No.