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Mission Statement



MISSION: Preparing future scholars, innovators, and world citizens. 
  • Scholars with the academic skills required for postsecondary and global workforce success
  • Innovators who create solutions to local and global problems through empathy, creativity, and collaboration
  • World Citizens who are respectful, responsible, ethical, and compassionate
 
CORE BELIEFS:
PERSONALIZATION: We believe learning is a social process and relationships are important. Scholars that are known as individuals, challenged intellectually, respected, supported, and connected to their learning will be successful. 
 
School Structures
    • Small size of the school facilitates support individual and small group learning
    • Scholars take 3 to 4 academic classes at any one time during the school year.
    • Reduced teacher academic case load using alternative scheduling
    • Advisory classes built into the weekly schedule. Advisory is held at least once a week. Scholars maintain the same advisory from year-to-year. 
    • Time is built into the weekly schedule for scholars to engage in high-interest and/or academic support seminars ( e.g.,  tutorial, dance, yearbook).      
 
Building Meaningful and Sustained Relationships
    • Teacher teams with common scholars discuss scholars' academic and social/emotional goals and needs. 
    • Staff advisors are the primary point of contact for the family, and monitor scholars personal and academic development 
    • Parents feel welcome on campus and know that they can advocate for their children.
    • Diverse cultures and experiences of the school community members are respected and valued.
 
Learning Environment 
    • Emphasis is placed on integrated, problem-based learning that calls on scholars to reflect their personal interests and experiences in their work.
    • Scholars maintain a portfolio of work that reflects their unique strengths and goals.
    • Internships build relationships by connecting scholars with community members and industry professionals.
    • School facilities are intentionally designed to foster meaningful collaboration.
    • The content and delivery of instruction is culturally responsive.
    • All scholars have equitable access to learning (heterogeneous classrooms).
 
Scholar Support System
    • The primary academic and social-emotional student support occurs in the context of the core classrooms and is supported by the grade-level team, rather than additional support classes and programs.
    • Counselors and outside service providers assist all scholars in being successful.
    • Scholar-support teams identify and address scholars in need of additional academic, attendance, behavioral, or social-emotional interventions.
 
AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES: We believe scholars who are challenged Intellectually by actively exploring real-world problems value their learning and are motivated to succeed. 

Core Academic Program 
    • Scholars read, write, think, and behave like scientists, mathematicians, historians, and artists. They experience and investigative open-ended, problem-based learning (Interdisciplinary).
    • Scholars learn to synthesize concepts and ideas for greater understanding and application (Depth vs. Breadth).
    • Scholars present their work to peers, staff, and community members.
    • Scholar understanding is assessed through projects and presentations of learning. 
    • Scholars demonstrate their understanding by showing what they know through portfolios, writing, presentations and other assessments (Applied Science).
 
Biotechnology and Medical Science Pathway
• Scholars engage in a demanding technical learning pathway through a cluster of three or more biotechnology and medical science courses.
• Scholars link real-world applications with the core academic program, and learn how professionals think and work.
 
Work-based Learning
• Scholars work side-by-side with academic and industry professionals to apply academic and technical skills in the work place.
 
AN ETHIC OF EXCELLENCE: We believe scholars immersed in a school and community culture that fosters excellence will value their own accomplishments and strive for academic and social excellence.
 
Excellence in Academics
    • Scholars focus on mastering essential content standards and skills. They strive to improve and redo work that is not proficient (Revision and Redemption).
    • Promotion and graduation based on performance.
    • Scholars know what excellent work looks and sounds like.
    • Scholars are taught how to set goals and monitor their own progress toward those goals.
    • Scholars build and maintain portfolios and document their work.
    • Scholars lead their own parent conference.
    • Scholars complete multiple drafts and accept critique and feedback from teachers and peers.
    • Scholars present their work to peers, staff and community members.
    • Scholar understanding is assessed through projects and presentations of learning.
 
Excellence in Character
• Scholars demonstrate an awareness of and appreciation for differences among human beings and human groups (Respect).
• Scholars give back to the community through service learning (World Citizens).
• Scholars work collaboratively to create solutions for societal problems (Innovators).
• Scholars fulfill their responsibilities as workers and citizens (Ethics).
• Scholars show concern for others and take action to help those in need (Compassion).
• Scholars understand how personal values influence behavior (Integrity)
 
SKILLED PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS: We believe skilled teachers understand that scholars learn in different ways. They know a great deal about the learning process, and they use this knowledge to make the content accessible for diverse learners and support the learning process. 
 
Making Content Accessible
    • Teachers must be experts in their subject matter, the needs of diverse learners, and the learning process.
    • Teachers use multiple modalities of instruction to make content accessible to scholars of varying levels.
    • Teachers know how to access curriculum resources and use them effectively with scholars.
    • Teachers know how to represent the ideas in their content area so they are accessible to scholars with varying levels of prior knowledge.
    • Teachers collaborate with colleagues in other subject matters to design lessons that connect scholars' learning across disciplines.
 
Understanding the Needs of Diverse Learners
    • Teachers are committed to meeting the learning and adolescent development needs of a diverse group of scholars.
    • Teachers deliver content in a culturally responsive manner.
    • Teachers are skilled at determining what scholars already know and how to shape lessons so they learn well. 
 
Supporting the Learning Process
    • Teachers understand language learning and literacy development to support all scholars well, especially English-learner scholars and scholars with learning differences.
    • Teachers establish a "student-as-worker; teacher-as-coach" learning environment. Teachers are designers of project-based learning using essential standards and questions to help scholars make meaning of their learning and cross curricular connections. (Using MindWell, Linked Learning).
    • Teachers understand how to enable scholars to critique their own (and others') learning and set/monitor meaningful learning goals for themselves.
    • Teachers use assessment and data effectively to identify scholars' strengths and needs and to help them learn better.
    • Teachers are continual learners about their content, the learning process, and how to teach their subject matter.