The Principled Academy

We are delighted that you are considering The Principled Academy for your child. Founded in 1989 and formerly named the Sunshine School, we have grown significantly over the past decade, adding new grades and increasing the size of our student body. Located in San Leandro, The Principled Academy enrolls children from Preschool through Eighth grade.... Centered on Core Knowledge and Core Virtues, our program's main focus is character education, academic excellence, and partnership of home, school and community. "To educate a man's mind and not his morals is to create a menace to society." Teddy Roosevelt's words point to the purpose of The Principled Academy. The philosophy of the school rests on the assumption that academic excellence is achieved in the context of moral excellence. Only on the foundation of Core Virtues can any genuine learning occur. The school is one of several thousand schools across the nation which are adopting the Core Knowledge curriculum developed by Professor E. D. Hirsch. A specific content is taught in grades pre-K ~ 8 in language arts, history, music, geography, art, math, and science. The Principled Academy average class scores on the SAT-9 standardized test are significantly above grade level. The Character Education component of the school teaches students "to know the good, to desire the good, and to do the good." A motto in my middle school classroom reads, "The ultimate measure of success is how many acts of loving-kindness I have done." Respect, responsibilty, compassion, honesty, and a host of other virtues are the moral ideals that are the foundation of the culture of the school. Students develop their learning ability and competence based on acquiring knowledge and effort, not simply innate ability. Each grade level provides core knowledge that enables the student to understand and master the content in preparation for the next grade level, for the curriculum is integrated and specific. A non-denominational Religious School, The Principled Academy embraces those religious ...Read More