Course Catalog

Our classes focus on skills young minds need to successfully transition to Desert Heights Charter School with age appropriate learning in the following subjects.

• Math
• Literature
• Art
• Science
• Social Studies
• Writing

Students additionally learn foreign language, both Spanish and Sign Language, and they participate in a fun and exciting class called Music and Movement, where they will learn that dancing, music, and exercise is both fun and educational.

In addition, all classes will participate in our Healthy Choices Program, which not only teaches the children to eat healthy and exercise, but it helps them identify what is a healthy snack and how it helps our bodies grow up strong. Lastly, our Pre-K exclusive Science program teaches the children countless things about our scientific world. They will learn many “Big Words”, and will dive into and explore everything from Anatomy to Space.

In kindergarten our mission is to nurture children’s development, interactions, and language through a rich and planned curriculum. We commit ourselves to helping every child develop to their own potential. We provide an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, with a well-balanced curriculum supported by a professional staff. We strive to create a strong sense of community while creating a caring and respectful environment.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Specials (Art, PE, Music, Spanish, and Technology)

The first grade team at Desert Heights understands the importance of hands on learning for children this age. We teach each unit with a cross-curricular approach which supports student learning because they are able to make a lot of connections. We deliver our curriculum with as many hands on learning experiences as possible through field trips, events, experiments, arts, and crafts, and even music, songs and  videos. Some highlights of our year include our habitats unit where students enjoy learning about animals and their environments and we get to see it in action when we visit the zoo at the end of the unit. We wrap up our year with the kids’ favorite unit which is a cultural study of “The Cinderella Story”. We read multiple versions from different cultures, while learning about the geography, language, food, dress, art and music of each culture. By the time they leave first grade they are reading independently, writing small paragraphs with proper grammar and details, and have a grasp on foundational math skills and word problems as well as value of money.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Specials (Art, PE, Music, Spanish, and Technology)

Second Grade is such a pivotal time in your child’s life. They begin to make the shift from learning to read, to reading to learn. They are able to independently read fiction and non-fiction stories and gain valuable information and life lessons from it. Our students really love the unit on Civil Rights and getting to learn about important historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks. Another one of their favorites is learning about the Human Body, creating dioramas and labeling all of the major organs and body parts. To wrap up this exciting unit, our students typically get to experience the Field Trip “Slim Good Body” and learn about Healthy Choices and The Human Body in a fun and creative way.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Citizenship/Social Emotional Learning
• Specials (Art, PE, Music, Spanish, and Technology)

Third grade is an exciting year! Our team has so many fun things planned to keep your child engaged and learning. Throughout the school year we will focus on their multiplication facts in math, build ecosystems in science, and not only focus more on becoming better readers, but build on their comprehension. As well as academics, we also focus on the social/ emotional aspect of your child’s learning. We introduce different character trait models in the classroom and push students to display our three pillars, (Academic Excellence, Integrity of Character, Social Awareness.) 3rd grade is such an important year in your child’s academic career. We hope to have you join us as a future coyote.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Charter Education 
• Specials (Art, PE, Music, Spanish, and Technology)

Fourth grade is awesome because since the students are getting older, they get to explore more life experiences. Through our reading class the students get to mix history with the human emotions that go along with it.

Students develop their own sense of self and make connections to their literature likes and dislikes through creative book report projects and presentations. In math we start doing big kid stuff with long division and multiplication, while trying to show how these can be used as an adult in society. And Science is awesome because we learn all about different things that make our world go round including energy and what our world is made up of! 4th grade brings an opportunity to really dive into life and all of the cool opportunities that being a human can bring with it.
Students participate in:

• • English/Language Arts
• • Math
• • Science
• • Social Studies
• • Specials (Art, Music, Spanish, PE, and Technology)

In 5th grade, students are empowered to be more independent in their learning. This is an important year when students spend time practicing, refining, and growing the skills they learned in 4th grade. They dive deeper into content and are frequently asked to demonstrate their learning by producing writing that is structured, clear, and detailed. Making connections continues to be emphasized in the areas of Reading and Social Studies so students can internalize their learning and understand its significance, especially since students are likely to encounter more complex themes. In Science, students analyze topics to deepen their thinking and must have evidence to support their ideas and questions. In Math, authentic problems connect school work to real life as students work with fractions, decimals, larger numbers, and multistep equations.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Specials (Art, Dance, PE, Spanish, Music and Technology)

The 6th grade year is one of exciting changes and new challenges. Students build upon the skills learned in 5th grade and are expected to produce a more extensive amount of independent work in addition to continuing to work collaboratively with peers. At this point in their education, students will actively apply the organizational skills they began practicing in 5th grade and will still receive guidance from teachers and parents, but achieving independence is of utmost importance. Sixth graders read more complex texts in all content areas and spend more time analyzing and understanding them in deeper ways. They are asked to write using a more formal style and will use the writing in all content areas- even in Math, while working with ratios and statistical thinking.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Specials (Art, Dance, PE, Spanish, Music and Technology)

In 7th grade, students begin examining everything more closely. They deepen their ability to analyze more complex texts and learn to provide and cite specific evidence when supporting their arguments. In every content area, research is something students do more often as they write formally in a variety of styles, from informative pieces, to opinion essays,  to interesting narratives. Math in 7th grade asks students to analyze data to make inferences and to apply their math skills to real-life problems. Students focus on proportions, solving linear equations, and solving more complex multistep problems. The use of technology is more prevalent in all content areas, students work to hone their organizational skills, and they begin exploring future educational and career-related interests.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Writing
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Advisory 
• Electives (Dance, PE, Art, Spanish, French, Coding, Leadership, Acting, Digital Media and Health) 

The 8th grade year is one of transition and preparation for high school while continuing to build upon and learn a few new, more complex skills. By the time they get to the end of 8th grade, students should be independent thinkers and workers who can analyze and explain what they learn, in all content areas, using a variety of delivery methods. In the areas of Reading and Writing, students work to refine skills gained in 7th grade, continuing to cite evidence to support arguments, to produce structured informative and narrative pieces, and to develop strong presentation skills. Math focuses on pre-Algebra, with concepts like the Pythagorean Theorem and volume. In Social Studies, students learn more about our nation’s system of government, and in Science, they continue working with the Scientific Method. Technology supports learning as much as possible, students must make use of strong organizational skills to be successful, and exploration of future educational and career-related interests continues.

Students participate in:

• English/Language Arts
• Writing
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Advisory 
• Electives (Art, Dance, PE, Spanish, French, Coding, Leadership, Acting, and Digital Media)

Desert Heights Preparatory Academy has high expectations for our students and we know that these four years can start out scary. The excitement of a new schedule, more elective courses, social events that make high school awesome, and new friends. At DHPA we believe all of these build character and we want every student to feel safe while they grow and challenge themselves. We want students to fit in naturally and feel a part of a family and we want our kids to know that learning is and can be fun. High school is where you start to truly build your academic resume. You decide what route you might want to take. A student registers for Advanced Placement courses, Dual Enrollment college courses, 4 years of foreign language, and electives that are built towards their passion. High school will feel slow in the beginning and then the next day, you look back at your four years and you will be a graduating senior heading to college, career, and your next chapter. These four years help and start to define you and the person you will become. Desert Heights appreciates being a part of this journey with each student and their family and we know every student will graduate with these skills and more:

• Knowing how to work hard 
• Dedicated to learning 
• Inquisitive 
• Professional 
• Willing to share their ideas
• Willing to question their ideas and the teachers ideas appropriately 
• Willing to speak up when there’s something they don’t understand 

Our courses are listed by content below, because we build schedules off the need of every individual student, not a grade. Many students will be taking honors courses, or advanced placement courses in a lower grade level. We build by the student's ability.

*Note: Honors courses are also available for some courses.