National Heritage Academies

National Heritage Academies Middle Schools Fill State Rankings

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. News and World Report rankings are out, and 12 of the top 50 middle schools in Michigan are National Heritage Academies (NHA) partner-schools.

Key Points: 
  • GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. News and World Report rankings are out, and 12 of the top 50 middle schools in Michigan are National Heritage Academies (NHA) partner-schools.
  • Additionally, NHA's Detroit Merit Charter Academy, Warrendale Charter Academy , and Detroit Enterprise Academy were listed among the Detroit-area's top six open-enrollment middle schools.
  • "A quarter of the top 50 middle schools are NHA schools – and geographically, there are schools all over the state represented.
  • National Heritage Academies operates 101 schools in nine states.

Five Ways to Celebrate March is Reading Month with Your Family

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 14, 2024
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March is Reading Month is a time for the whole family to come together to rediscover the magic of books and help inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Key Points: 
  • March is Reading Month is a time for the whole family to come together to rediscover the magic of books and help inspire a lifelong love of reading.
  • If you are looking for ways to make the most of March is Reading Month, Alexandra Brown, an educational technology specialist and lead librarian with National Heritage Academies , shares some creative ideas.
  • Brown also suggests checking out local libraries for reading month events, joining book swaps with friends, and encouraging children to create their own stories inspired by wordless books.
  • Whether it's experimenting with recipe books, delving into graphic novels, or enjoying audiobooks while traveling, there are endless ways to connect over books during March is Reading Month.

Pembroke Academy Garners Recognition for Delivering on Commitment to Student Success

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools have unique personalities, created in large part by the community they serve. One Detroit-area school, Pembroke Academy, has carved out its niche for placing student achievement and parental partnership at the top of its list of goals and educators there are receiving accolades for their success.

Key Points: 
  • One Detroit-area school, Pembroke Academy , has carved out its niche for placing student achievement and parental partnership at the top of its list of goals and educators there are receiving accolades for their success.
  • Pembroke Academy received the award for earning the highest grade in growth and performance among its peers.
  • Pembroke Academy is such an important part of this community, the work that's done here will impact generations of learners."
  • Teachers pair that knowledge with parental partnership, a key for learning success at Pembroke, and it starts with a special ceremony.

Post-pandemic Education: 'Excel-erate' Program Focuses on Challenging Advanced Students

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Educators around the country have been concerned about the effects of the pandemic on their students. And while much of their focus has centered on learning loss, sagging test scores, and the ability to keep up with current instruction, curriculum experts at National Heritage Academies (NHA) also focus on another group of students: advanced learners.

Key Points: 
  • It's why NHA's curriculum team created Excel-erate, a program developed to challenge students to explore advanced pathways in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.
  • Middle school students who fit that same qualification can begin working on advanced courses for high school credit.
  • Hagan noted the math program has been active for two years and has seen growth from students who never slowed down during the pandemic.
  • The program focuses on sixth- through eighth-grade students who show the ability and desire to dive deeper, developing stronger critical thinking skills related to the assigned reading material.

NHA Schools Using CHAMPS To Bolster Student Success

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
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CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success, is a method used to set expectations for scholars at the beginning of every activity they do.

Key Points: 
  • CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success, is a method used to set expectations for scholars at the beginning of every activity they do.
  • The method comes from the book "Champs: A Proactive & Positive Approach to Classroom Management" by Randall Sprick.
  • Teachers write out each of the six categories on white boards, clearly defining what success looks like in each section.
  • Julie Dixon, Linden's principal, said she believes increased student success is directly tied to CHAMPS.

Next Generation of Teaching Talent in Good Hands with Mentoring Program

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Just like their students, new teachers experience a lot of "firsts". But at National Heritage Academies partner-schools, first-year teachers do not have to experience these alone. To support their first-year teachers in acclimating with the demands of the job, National Heritage Academies has developed a Beginning Teacher Support Program (BTSP), which pairs them with veteran teachers for the first three years of their careers.

Key Points: 
  • At Wake Forest, there are 23 teachers participating in the school's BTSP, with seven veteran teachers serving as mentors.
  • The relationships include everything from classroom observations to quick check-ins during the school day to simply act as a sounding board for advice.
  • As a 34-year teaching veteran and former dean, Courtney Minnema is well-versed in how to create a gameplan for success.
  • "Your first two years are very physically, mentally, and emotionally draining," said Minnema, who teaches sixth grade at Vanguard Charter Academy.

National Heritage Academies Leaders Weigh in on When to Seek Tutoring

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
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But the resources and personnel at National Heritage Academies schools make that extra help just another component of a Moral Focus -based curriculum.

Key Points: 
  • But the resources and personnel at National Heritage Academies schools make that extra help just another component of a Moral Focus -based curriculum.
  • But how do you know if your child needs tutoring?
  • The timing of getting tutoring can be just as important as the act itself of getting tutoring.
  • Oftentimes parents are the ones who ask for tutoring, but after talking with a teacher are told it isn't necessary.

National Heritage Academies Teaching Students Ways to Spread Kindness One Bucket at a Time

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 21, 2023
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That's why third-grade teacher Stephony Leuallen designed a bucket-filling activity to instill kindness and empathy in her students.

Key Points: 
  • That's why third-grade teacher Stephony Leuallen designed a bucket-filling activity to instill kindness and empathy in her students.
  • Our goal for the first month of school is to fill our classroom bucket," Leuallen, who teaches at Mountain View Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said.
  • That really keeps my kids on top of it, wanting to fill each other's buckets by filling our visual classroom bucket."
  • Acts like paying for the person's coffee behind us at Starbucks or random acts of kindness should become second nature," she shared.

Constitution Day Focuses on Citizenship, Moral Focus at NHA Schools

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 18, 2023
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And one day each year, scholars tie these character-based elements together with Constitution Day, commemorated annually on Sept. 17.

Key Points: 
  • And one day each year, scholars tie these character-based elements together with Constitution Day, commemorated annually on Sept. 17.
  • Some classrooms will be transported to the 18th Century with reenactments of the signing of the Constitution.
  • NHA's Moral Focus virtues are sprinkled throughout Constitution Day lessons.
  • "All of these Moral Focus virtues are things that we can tie in when we teach about history," Rickett-Meriweather said.

NHA Educators Help Students Curb Back-to-School Anxiety

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
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Knowing this, NHA educators prioritize creating a welcoming environment where each student feels welcomed, cared for, and loved.

Key Points: 
  • Knowing this, NHA educators prioritize creating a welcoming environment where each student feels welcomed, cared for, and loved.
  • Families also can use strategies to help curb their students' anxiety while at home.
  • Breakiron adds that parents can help kids struggling with anxiety by asking open-ended questions about their feelings and giving students space to share at their own pace.
  • National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 101 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.