At Casady, all students are provided a foundation of excellence, which instills them with the educational and social skills to triumph in their future endeavors.
Selecting a school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. At Casady, we take that investment seriously and work to provide our students a life of balance, purpose, and joy.
Casady's academic program provides our students the challenges and opportunities necessary to develop critical and creative thinking skills, the ability to plan, evaluate and implement actions, and most importantly, the support to nurture their passions.
Competitive athletics and physical education are central to the development of leadership and teamwork as well as self-confidence and respect for others.
Through the arts, students can learn valuable skills and talents that provide universal benefits and gain an understanding of a world deeper than they had previously believed. Fine arts programs are imperative in fostering creativity and inspiring the mind, as well as the imagination.
Casady's advancement initiatives help further the Mission of the School by supporting programs and activities that take place in the classroom, on the stage, or on the field.
At Casady, all students are provided a foundation of excellence, which instills them with the educational and social skills to triumph in their future endeavors.
Selecting a school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. At Casady, we take that investment seriously and work to provide our students a life of balance, purpose, and joy.
Casady's academic program provides our students the challenges and opportunities necessary to develop critical and creative thinking skills, the ability to plan, evaluate and implement actions, and most importantly, the support to nurture their passions.
Competitive athletics and physical education are central to the development of leadership and teamwork as well as self-confidence and respect for others.
Through the arts, students can learn valuable skills and talents that provide universal benefits and gain an understanding of a world deeper than they had previously believed. Fine arts programs are imperative in fostering creativity and inspiring the mind, as well as the imagination.
Casady's advancement initiatives help further the Mission of the School by supporting programs and activities that take place in the classroom, on the stage, or on the field.
No Participation, No Gain
Josh Bottomly
Associate Head of School for Academics, Josh Bottomly, shares thoughts on the development of curriculum at Casady that promotes students engagement through doing and participation each day.
o Participation, No Gain
Educational researcher John Hattie makes the case in his book Visible Learning for Teachers that everything in education moves the dial in a positive direction, but that some teaching strategies and methods are more positive than others. The “learning pyramid” illustrates Hattie’s point. The seminal research supports the idea that active student participation is the key to durable learning, which is one of our strategic academic priorities.
Ironically, what’s new in the world of educational research around durable learning affirms what is quite old.
Take the Chinese maxim attributed to Confucius: I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
What both ancient wisdom and current research tell us is that durable learning is the consequence of doing.
Here at Casady we’re committed to a pedagogy of durability. We aspire to foster a learning environment that empowers students to be active participants in their education. Indeed, much of the work we’ve undertaken as part of our strategic academic plan has been to reflect on our teaching for the purpose of honoring strong pedagogical practices that have always been productive for student learning: deep discussion, projects, field work, writing, presentations, lab investigations, and strong teacher-student relationships. At the same time, our strategic plan has allowed us to examine less-productive practices: rote learning, “transmission” teaching (i.e., teacher talking, students only listening), recall testing, knowledge acquisition without context, and summative assessments only.
One of the best parts of my job is that I get to see our teachers across all four divisions offering up to our students opportunities for durable learning. Whether it is 6th grade students “pitching” an Egyptian invention to a panel of “sharks” (Shark Tank style) in Mr. Odom’s World History class. Or students building a Lego replica of the Apollo 11 in Mrs. Fryer’s third grade science class. Whether it is students coding a Tetris-like video game in Mr. Ebert’s computer programming course. Or students drafting a bill proposal for a mock Congress session in our new signature seventh and eighth grade Civics program with Mr. Staats and Mr. Hermansen. Whether it is students producing a Marvel comic-book short film in Mr. Chaverri’s Spanish class. Or students creating a short “Colony podcast” in Dr. Wardrop’s US history class.
Our exceptional teachers understand, in closing, that adding active, student-centered, research-based activities into our instruction helps students build more pathways in their brain, see patterns, connect to prior knowledge, experience some novelty so they remember the material better, and, most importantly, apply their skills and knowledge in multiple contexts.
Sincerely,
Josh Bottomly Associate Head of School for Academics
Primary Division Cyclones donned turkey and cornucopia hats, gathered together, and enjoyed bread and applesauce they made themselves during their annual Thanksgiving Feast before the break.
The Casady Community celebrated Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, during Lower, Middle, and Upper Division Chapels and a special presentation in Primary Division.
Since 2009, French language students at Casady School and Harding Charter Prep have participated in an exciting exchange program with Lycée Hugues Capet in Senlis, France.
The Casady Philharmonic recently performed at the OSSAA State Orchestra contest at Edmond where they received a Superior sweep from all three adjudicators.
Forty-nine campers from 21 counties in Oklahoma recently graduated from the SAGE STEAM Camp held at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford, including Cyclone eighth graders Allison Burkhart and Elizabeth James.
Casady senior Lili Tran learned about the Bethany Children’s Health Center internship during an announcement in Upper Division Chapel, and she instantly had interest in the program.
Casady School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory, Episcopal day school serving students in pre-k-12. Educating Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School welcomes a student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, and other school-administered programs generally accorded or made available to students at the School.