Educators at Day Creek Intermediate School realize that middle school is a unique moment in students’ academic, social and emotional lives. As Principal David Apodaca notes, “you have to respect the fact that this is a huge transition time in their lives … And if we don’t recognize that and respect that, then academic success… Continue Reading Building Character and Knowledge in Middle School
While science fairs may be a familiar sight at many schools, The Charter School of Wilmington’s Junior Research Project makes student research central to their high school experience. The whole school gets involved, providing a rigorous research course to students as sophomores, mentoring them throughout their junior year, and teaching additional workshops to help students… Continue Reading Students Making Science
Lakewood Elementary School Overland Park, KS Activating Student Engagement Through Brain-based Learning. Educators at Lakewood Elementary School take pride in creating schoolwide, interdisciplinary curriculum that students find exciting and memorable. They ground their strategies in a brain-based approach, meaning that lessons are designed to activate students’ brains, and that educators help children understand how learning… Continue Reading Audio: Activating Student Engagement Through Brain-Based Learning
Murray Elementary School, (Murray, KY). Murray Elementary School’s teachers, staff, and administrators believe the key to student success is building relationships with families. For incoming kindergarten families, Murray Elementary starts the relationship building with children and families in November the year before children enter kindergarten. Murray sponsors a Future Tiger Night, where families come to… Continue Reading Transitioning Children and Families into Kindergarten
Lt. Col. Horrace Meek Hickam Elementary School, (Honolulu, HI). Hickam Elementary School is located on the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii. Approximately 99% of the student population are military dependents. Students are highly transient due to military mobility. One of the biggest challenges military children face is integration into new communities and schools.… Continue Reading Aloha Transition Center for New Military-Dependent Students
Hubert R. Hudson Elementary School, (Brownsville, TX). Hudson Elementary teaches students how to be productive and educationally-motivated citizens via the Hudsonville Micro-Community and Economy. The approach mirrors a a community within the school to create an academic learning experience for students. By leveraging dynamic partnerships with local businesses (e.g., bank and store), students in grades… Continue Reading Hudsonville Minitropolis
AFNorth Middle/School, (Brunssum, Netherlands). AFNorth Middle High School, a Department of Defense Education Activity (6-12) school located in the Netherlands, serves students from over 18 different nations. The school shares facilities and logistical support with other independent schools from Canada, Germany, and England. Students at AFNorth MHS work side by side with students in the… Continue Reading International Student Leadership
Adlai E. Stevenson High School, (Lincolnshire, IL). Stevenson High School offers a variety of opportunities for meaningful parent engagement. Each fall, using a conversation framework, the school hosts family discussions about their child’s course selections for the following school year. In addition to weekly parent information through an interactive report card platform, counselors facilitate Student-Counselor-Parent… Continue Reading Actively Engaging Parents of High School Students
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Lusher Charter School serves students in grades K-12 by integrating the arts across all grade levels and disciplines. As the school’s CEO puts it, “Lusher is a school where a student can come and thrive regardless of the level of their talents. We’ll use the arts when we’re happy, when we’re… Continue Reading Building Culture and Enriching Learning through Art
Village Oaks Elementary School Novi, Michigan Building School Culture by Leading with HEART. One of the most challenging tasks for any new principal is creating school culture, particularly when a strong culture already exists. This podcast walks you through the process Principal Alexander Ofili used at Village Oaks Elementary School in Novi, MI, to do… Continue Reading Audio: Building School Culture by Leading with HEART