Main Street Scholars is a fully accredited private prep school for grades 7–12. Our academic approach is personalized, collaborative, interactive, and designed to encourage students to stretch themselves in new ways. We honor the talents, learning styles and interests of all our students and blend a structured core curriculum with interesting electives and customized courses. And, because our class sizes range from 1:1 to 1:6, every child has a “front-row seat,” making learning more focused and active.
Main Street Scholars works within a “Best Fit” framework, and every decision is made with one question in mind: Is this the best fit with our mission to build confidence in our students?
A principle part of this framework is that we share authority with all stakeholders—educators, parents, and most of all students, who are given a voice in their learning.
We believe that having clear roles for the school/educators (curriculum), parents (long-term goals) and the student (short-term daily, weekly goals) allows our students to thrive and parents to worry less, and all stakeholders to be empowered and feel more supported.
Main Street Scholars believes that the best learning outcomes happen with strong school/parent/student teams. Younger students (kindergarten through grade 6) follow the lead of school and parents, gradually transitioning to being SUPPORTED by school and parents as they come to understand their “why,” and begin to plot their own course (grades 7–12).
Main Street Scholars focuses on learning outcomes, with our ADVOCATES program providing clarification and measurement of what all students should know, understand, and be able to do in the process of their learning.
In order to prepare for the rigor of a concurrent enrollment during the high school years, students in grades 7–9 focus on and develop organizational and time-management skills as well as building their academic abilities.
Every student completes three years of English, history, math, and science in a 1:1 – 1:4 setting. Coupled with a rigorous academic curriculum, which is customized for success, each student actively engages in high-level-interest elective classes, such as horseback riding, tennis, cooking and sewing. This type of junior high experience builds confidence and prepares students for our college-preparatory high school.
MSS offers concurrent enrollment for students in grades 10–12, allowing them to attend courses at one of three local community colleges to earn college credit while receiving high school credit at MSS. Concurrently enrolled high school students can earn up to 55 transferable college units, and our Best Fit Team will work with your family to ensure that your child’s academic plan is created with attention to college-level admissions standards.
Our customized high school curriculum will include zoom, online, community college, and in-school classes, with the goal of ensuring the academic success of every student as they prepare to attend college independently.
MSS classes are A–G approved by the University of California and California State University.
Kai began at MSS as an 8th grade student after being homeschooled for 1.5 years. Starting in 10th grade, he chose to do concurrent enrollment, taking classes at the local community college while continuing his high school work at MSS. He spent six semesters in junior college earning 55 college credits (39 will transfer with him), and was on the Dean's list for five semesters, earning a 4.0 in three. Accepted at every school to which he applied, Kai was ranked as a Merit Scholar by 11 different universities and offered Merit scholarships by seven. He eventually chose Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA, because he can continue to customize his education as he pursues a degree in history. Juniata's study-abroad program also allows a student to choose a campus anywhere in the world; Kai is considering Paris, Rome, and Athens.
Kai became an Eagle Scout in January 2019, and graduated high school five days after turning 18. This confident young man hopes one day to go to law school, and then sit on the Supreme Court. He epitomizes what a hardworking, determined student can achieve when given the opportunity. Supported by his team—MSS, Liz Murphy, and his parents—Kai blazed his own pathway to success.
You may read more about how Kai customized his education in this article from the Half Moon Bay Review.