Beginnings

With over a week of school done at my new school, Holy Family Academy (HFA), I can finally take a deep breath. I will begin blogging again this month and share all of the amazing things happening at our innovative start-up school that is truly focused on Remaking Learning! 

Moving past our pilot year, HFA heads into this year full-steam. With over fifteen new hires, on-boarding a new staff and administration team and brand new curriculum, approaches to learning and technologies, we are in for a ride! We have all students participating in our innovative Corporate Work Study Program across the city one day a week and so much more!

I am eager to share our journey with exploring things like:

1. Blended learning in math using the Lab Rotation Model and personalized learning plans for each student
2. Our integrated studies class co-taught by teams of teachers from different disciplines (and a core class for us) focused on building studnets' skills with identifying and solving problems in our community through human centered design and becoming agents of change 
3. The learning hub program, meeting three days a week with a learning coach, this social/emotional intelligence program focuses on skill building and helping students leverage and build their strengths and pursue their passions 
4. How community partnerships and field work across the city provide real-life learning and engaging opportunities for our students
5. How our work study program that starts in 9th grade one day a week, the entire school year, is helping build confidence, attitudes and perseverance in our students
6. The process of building and launching ePortfolios and digital badges across our school
7. Teaching game design and launching a game design start-up company with students

I hope you decide to follow along and learn with us!