When a group of experienced teachers, sharing a common vision, came together to meditate on a way to help the community with respect to education, the Hawthorne Academy of Arts & Sciences was born.

New to Placer County, the private non-profit school was designed with specific goals in mind— focusing on problem solving and critical thinking, and implementing the well-known Core Knowledge curriculum as its foundation.

One of the founding teachers and a member of the Educational Advisory Council, Todd Pfeffer shares, “[The School] offers an academic advantage through a cohesive, unified team of very experienced teachers using project-based instruction and advanced learning opportunities within a small family-like atmosphere.” Part of this advantage involves a Spanish immersion program and a host of enrichment courses.

The school is small, offering only one class per grade level with no more than 20 students per class. Pfeffer adds, “With a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, students will benefit by receiving individualized instruction through more one-on-one interaction with a highly-qualified teacher.” The school is structured to begin with grades K-8, with plans to expand through 12th grade as it progresses.

After being retired for four years, the principal of the academy, Pat Teilh, is excited to be able to get back into educating, collectively expressing, “Working with high-quality, enthusiastic teachers who have the same goals and aspirations is exhilarating. We all want to give families a choice for their children to make learning a fun adventure. When children can actually learn by doing, it seems to stay in their brains longer than simply reading out of a textbook.”

Alongside the educators who have worked so hard to create such a wonderful establishment, Teilh looks forward to seeing the progress the school will make in the next five years. The Hawthorne Academy will open its doors this summer, with the first day of instruction scheduled for August 12.

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The Hawthorne Academy of Arts & Sciences is located at 2213 Sunset Boulevard in Rocklin. For more information, visit thehawthorneacademy.com.