What Makes Us Unique?
What makes us unique are our two college-preparatory programs, only found at Buffalo Creek Academy.
(1) We are a Cambridge International School. Cambridge is a world-renowned global education program respected by colleges and universities.
(2) We have a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Squadron. CAP is an Air Force-based, youth program similar to AFJROTC that is highly respected, nationally, by colleges and universities.
Learn more about Cambridge and CAP below.
By offering Cambridge Lower Secondary, we provide a broad and balanced education for your learners, helping them to thrive throughout their schooling, work and life. With ten subjects to choose from, your child will find plenty of opportunities to develop creativity, expression and wellbeing in a variety of ways.
We are able to shape the curriculum around how we want our students to learn. The curriculum is flexible, so we can offer any combination of the subjects available and adapt the content to suit our context, culture and ethos. Like many other Cambridge Schools, we offer Cambridge Lower Secondary alongside our state curriculum, in our case, NYS New Generation Learning Standards.
For our NYS subjects, we use the iReady program for Math and ELA, and we use the SAVASS program for Social Studies and Science. We educate students in the 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th grade. Our goal is to prepare our students for high school.
CAP offers schools an exciting form of character education that uses the students’ enthusiasm for aviation, space, and technology as a motivator. Middle schools find that the challenge of cadet life provides the structure early adolescents need.
Air Force Affiliation
Cadets are never obligated to join the military, nor does CAP attempt to recruit cadets for the armed forces. However, the uniform, military customs and courtesies, and drill and ceremonies are important features of cadet life that contribute to individual self-discipline. Moreover, 10% of the cadets at the Air Force Academy got their start in CAP.
Junior ROTC Connection
CAP's Cadets at School program complements JROTC opportunities. CAP is especially suited for middle schools whose students graduate into high schools that host JROTC programs. CAP can also be implemented on high school campuses and is a possible option for schools where JROTC is unavailable. The two programs are complementary. See the at-a-glance document for a comparison.
Cadet Advancement
The Cadet Program is a self-paced program of sixteen achievements. Cadets complete one task in each element of cadet life — leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character — during each achievement. There is a degree of academic rigor to the program; cadets study their textbooks and must pass written tests to advance. Along the way, cadets earn promotions, acquire new leadership responsibilities, and collect awards.
Adding Value to our School
Some of the benefits students and schools receive by partnering with CAP include:
| Students | The School |
|---|---|
| Develop leadership skills |
Strengthens students' discipline |
| Experience the thrill of flying | Reduces referrals |
| Test-fly potential careers | Offers an alternative to drugs and violence |
| Earn rank and awards | Boosts attendance through high student morale |
| Qualify for college scholarships | Acquires new opportunities for peer mentoring |
| Solidify their moral character | Improves student participation in community service |
| Make friends and have fun | Provides meaningful classroom & after-school activities |