Cannon School | Viewbook

How does Cannon School prepare students for a world that promises to be unpredictable?

“For me, the traits of adaptive expertise are stepping stones that steer me through realizing what is going on around me, fixing situations, finding out more about myself, and coping with any situation.”

-Adaptive Expert, Class of 2015

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t Cannon School, you will hear our teachers, coaches, students, and parents talking about our educational philosophy—adaptive expertise.

As a community, it is the way we teach and learn.

Adaptive expertise combines habits of mind and habits of spirit to provide our students with a strategy to know themselves, seek truth, communicate, and relate with others.

But how do we live it?

Our teachers are models of adaptive expertise first—flexible, creative, strategic, and reflective. We begin by asking students what they think and know to solve problems. We teach our students, as early as possible, to think about how they learn and take ownership of their education. Along the way, our students cultivate the ability to reflect, take risks, and decide for themselves how they will meet challenges in academic settings, in their careers, and in their lives.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/adaptiveexpertise

Traits of Adaptive Experts

© Cannon School

“Cannon is a community where parents care about the education of their children. Teachers are flexible, and class sizes afford the opportunity for individual attention.

The students are happy, and they care about each other.”

-Lower School Parent

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stablished in 1969, Cannon School is a junior kindergarten through grade 12 independent college preparatory school. More than 900 students and 100 full-time faculty members make up our learning community. Just as adaptive expertise defines how we teach and learn, our core values of courage, teamwork, respect, integrity, passion, and kindness inform how we create a safe, supportive, and stimulating environment for students at every grade level. “Go Beyond,” our school motto, articulates our enduring pursuit of excellence and lifelong learning.

Lower School

The Lower School experience is pivotal in the educational journey of our students.

From junior kindergarten through grade 4, we are committed to knowing, understanding, and celebrating every child in a learning environment that is handson, engaging, and full of energy. Because their voices are valued, our students embrace their curiosity, creativity, and confidence as learners.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/lowerschool

Extended Day and After-School Program

Following half-days in the classroom, junior kindergarten and kindergarten students can enjoy the extended day program—a full-day complement that builds upon their classroom learning. Likewise, after-school class offerings and enrichment opportunities abound for students in junior kindergarten through eighth grade. Activities range from Lego robotics, to tae kwon do, to violin lessons.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/beyondthebell

Middle School

The pre-adolescent years are a time of intellectual, social, and emotional change, and our Middle School creates a sense of family and fun that brings out the best this dynamic age group has to offer. We encourage our students—from fifth graders who are being introduced to the basics of Middle School to eighth graders who are anticipating the rigors of Upper School—to take risks and learn who they are.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/middleschool

Upper School

Beyond preparing our ninth- through twelfth-grade students for college, the Upper School experience challenges them to discover their own paths to successful lives.

We help students balance rigorous programs of study with extracurricular activities so that they develop their interests, passions, and talents in transformational ways.

Our graduates are independent learners and impact-makers who understand how they will make a difference in an increasingly diverse world.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/upperschool

College Counseling

Beginning in ninth grade, our College Counseling team provides students and parents with a four-year program to understand the college admission process.

Students learn that this decision-making process—building self-awareness, conducting research, and evaluating their decisions—is one they will use throughout their lives.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/collegecounseling

“Cannon students are asked to become better critical thinkers, problem solvers, and collaborators.

Our focus on adaptive expertise prepares students to navigate the unknowns; it is not only college prep, but also life prep.”

-Upper School World Languages Teacher

“I’m passionate about telling stories through my art.

The pieces I’m working on become part of my everyday life.”

-Student-Artist, Class of 2015

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ollaboration, growth, and passion define the Arts at Cannon School.

Students are inspired to create art that really matters to them and share it with our entire school community for the academic and personal value

it brings.

Students in junior kindergarten through grade 4 examine the world around them through exposure to famous works of art and by drawing, painting, sculpting, music making, singing, and moving to the beat.

In grades 5 through 12, our emerging artists deepen their awareness of the connections between the arts and other subjects and further explore their own artistic interests. With the option to choose from more than thirty courses encompassing the visual arts, dance, theater, instrumental ensembles, and choral ensembles, the possibilities, like their imaginations, are endless.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/arts

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annon Athletics is about developing student-athletes of character who compete together in the spirit of dedication, perseverance, and hard work, and who strive for success both on and off the playing field.

Lower and Middle School students get an early start on athletic development with daily physical education classes where they are introduced to the sports at Cannon and the knowledge, skills, and motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Cannon School offers more than forty teams in a variety of sports. As a member of the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association, Cannon’s Cougars compete annually in the strongest independent schools athletic conference in North Carolina, and our graduates go on to thrive as both scholars and athletes at the collegiate level.

Learn more at www.cannonschool.org/athletics

“Every season, I’m surrounded by motivated coaches who encourage and challenge me. My teammates are selfless, and we represent our school with integrity.

We share an ambition to succeed and to have fun in that success.”

-Student-Athlete, Class of 2014

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he Cannon School community instills academic excellence and personal responsibility, inspires athletic and artistic accomplishment, and promotes a respect for diversity within a challenging and safe educational environment.

We believe that a commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to providing a full and complete educational experience. Cannon School welcomes qualified students without regard to gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

The best way to learn more about Cannon School is to visit our campus. Please contact our Admission Office at 704-721-7199 or admission@cannonschool.org to schedule a campus tour. Or, stop by any Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to noon for a Walk-In Wednesday visit—no appointment needed!

Learn more about our application process, tuition, financial aid, bus transportation, and parent organizations at www.cannonschool.org/admission

“After our tour and our son’s day of shadowing, we ‘got it.’ Cannon’s administrators and teachers care about children. It is so much more than a school. It becomes an extended family and a support community. It becomes a life changer.”

- Middle School Parent

Huntersville

5801 Poplar Tent Road Concord, NC 28027 704-721-7199

www.cannonschool.org