Reasons to Choose Trivium

Trivium Charter School is an innovative Personalized Learning Public Charter School where students thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. The key to Trivium’s success is our personalized approach to education and a positive culture where students are taught and expected to interact appropriately. We have found that students are engaged when they are appropriately challenged with thought-provoking, stimulating activities while in a supportive and safe environment. For our K-8 students, we use a four-year rotational model to present history and science to our students. Each year these students are immersed in a full-year study on a historical time period and a science subject during our two ACE days (ACE days are our group learning days – A Classical Experience).

This immersion approach allows the student to delve deep into and truly understand the impact the historical events and scientific discoveries of the period have had on current times. Although we cannot take credit for pioneering this rotational approach to science and history, we differ in a unique way. We have all of the K-8 students at Trivium –no matter their grade level- studying the same subjects. A family who has a first, fifth, and eighth-grader have all of their children studying the same subject in the same year during our ACE days. This method allows for family discussions and a sharing of information across the grade levels. When this large unit study method is paired with a custom-tailored Language Arts and Math program that the student uses on his/her independent study days, the student receives a well-rounded education that incorporates self-paced learning with collaborative group activities. Each student has a wide array of options available to help them to master Math and Language Arts skills. Trivium offers curriculum choices such as our new Trivium Connect online courses (which allow students to complete all their subjects with our credentialed teachers), software-based courses, traditional texts, workbooks, and project-based learning. Each parent can choose any combination of curriculum delivery options and grade-level subject matter that promotes educational success and subject mastery for that student. The amount of support offered to each family is also customized, allowing parents to be as involved as they desire to be. The founders of Trivium come from a homeschooling background and many of our staff members currently homeschool their own children. We are unapologetic supporters of homeschooling. The vast array of quality resources currently available to us has made our Personalized Learning Program highly successful for the families who choose Trivium Charter School.

Kids will be kids, as they say, but kids also know that a restaurant with a playland attached allows for different behavior than a restaurant with cloth napkins and a pricey menu. Children learn quickly that their grandma may not appreciate that they want to jump on her bed even if it’s allowed at their own home. In other words, children adapt to their expectations. The culture at Trivium promotes polite and appropriate multi-age interaction. During ACE days, breaks and recesses are multi-age events and classrooms serve multiple ages and grade levels. Older and younger students are able to navigate this system well and learn how to interact well with different ages and maturity levels. This social growth is fascinating to see as each year unfolds.

Trivium has grown exponentially since opening in 2011. We continue to have more students asking for enrollment than we have spaces. Each year we are able to accommodate additional students through hard work and creativity. Our constant obstacle is the need to open up more spaces for students residing in San Luis Obispo County. One day soon, we will be successful with an SLO Charter petition that will allow us to grow in that region. We are analyzing the learning centers we currently have to add student spaces where possible and are always considering more growth in Santa Barbara County, which also benefits those in SLO County. The charter regulations require that 51% of our students reside in Santa Barbara County because our sponsoring school district is in SB County.

Thank you for your interest in Trivium Charter! We greatly appreciate the families who have chosen to partner with us in their child’s education.