Celebrating over 25 Years of Neely Traditional Preparing Students for Their Future
Tristan Chavez
Neely Traditional Academy provides its students with a distinctive educational experience characterized by a time-honored approach to learning. Since its founding in 1999 as the first traditional school in the East Valley, Neely Traditional has remained committed to creating a structured and focused learning environment that prepares students for their future by emphasizing core academic skills and a strong sense of community, preschool through 6th grade.
At Neely Traditional Academy, classrooms are designed to facilitate direct instruction. Desks face forward, creating a focused atmosphere where teachers lead the entire class in learning. This helps ensure that all students engage with the same material, ultimately promoting deep understanding and collaborative learning. The school also utilizes consistent daily routines that help students come to class prepared, knowing what they need to do. Every class in each grade level also learns the same topics at the same time, enabling seamless collaboration among both students and teachers while making it easier for students to catch up on missed lessons. The school places a strong emphasis on fundamental skills with English Language Arts focusing on precise speech, legible handwriting, spelling, and reading fluency while math programs reinforce incremental learning that introduces new concepts daily and reviews previously learned ones. Math classes are also taught at a grade level higher than the class is in, utilizing a Traditional curriculum while gifted K-6 students learn Math two grades ahead.
One major focus at Neely Traditional is engaging in note-taking and written exercises, which works to help students retain information.
“It’s no secret that we remember things better when we write them down. We believe this is a crucial skill that extends beyond the classroom,” said Cathy Davidson, a 4th-grade teacher at Neely Traditional Academy. “By emphasizing note-taking and written exercises, we’re preparing our students for future academic and professional endeavors where clear communication and effective information management are important. We're teaching students how to learn and retain information, a skill that will benefit them throughout their lives.”
Neely Traditional works to foster a strong community through relationships between students and faculty, allowing for a student-centered learning environment that complements direct instruction. The school emphasizes practical application of knowledge, with students engaging in projects such as creating an operation game, simulating the stock market, and designing dream homes with a set budget.
“This is a truly amazing and incredible school. I’ve been in many different roles at Neely for the past 25 years - from the cafeteria to custodian to now a teacher, shared Heather Crandell. “In every position that I’ve been in, I’ve always felt a sense of unity and shared purpose, which is ultimately to give our students the best education possible.”
Acting as a “school within a school,” Traditional education opportunities are also available at Canyon Rim Elementary and Spectrum Elementary. To learn more about Traditional education, please visit GilbertSchools.net/Teaching-Learning/Academic-Programs/Traditional-k-6.