Week in Review

This past week, we kicked-off an extraordinary start to the 2012-2013 After School Academy. Staff and scholars alike showed a tremendous amount of spirit. Scholars demonstrated all of our culture principles – Spirit, Academic Excellence, Respect, and Collaboration –and generally had a positive attitude throughout each night.


Achievement Coaches have raised their expectations, and scholars have adjusted to meet them. Scholars are arriving to Center prepared, organized, and ready to complete their homework. Achievement Coaches are armed with progress reports, test data, and contact information for their scholars’ teachers; this information is positioning us to greatly support scholars at Center.

Thank you for all that you have done to prepare your scholars. Here’s to a great year!

Summer Academy Thank You!

Thank you all for a tremendous 2012 Summer Academy. The summer was certainly filled with our share of challenges, and successes.  Scholars were pushed to think about social justice, reflect on their Higher Achievement experience, and be responsible for their learning in a way that was new for them.  As parents, you also put a lot of time an effort into supporting the staff at Center, and communicating with us throughout the summer;  thank you for your effort and ongoing support.  As we move into the school year, increased effort and communication will be required for us to collaborate and to ensure that our scholars are successful.  Thank you and congratulations to the scholars, for all of your SPARC (Spirit, Academic Excellence, Respect, and Collaboration) this summer.  Here’s to a great upcoming Fall Academy…. Stay tuned for details on the upcoming Fall Academy.

Ward 6 Update

Families, we are quickly approaching the end of the 2010-2011 After School Academy. This has been a very productive year full of positive steps forward for our scholars, memorable moments, and impactful connections.

Our 5th grade scholars are growing into mature young people and continue to progress in their ability to be scholarly. Our 6th graders have all made significant gains academically and really improved to become consistently high Academic performers. Our 7th graders are a strong, tight group; they hold each other and themselves accountable for academics. They are, indeed, scholars and great models of strong, positive young people. Our 8th graders have earned the right to be celebrated. Most of them will be attending their top choice schools in the fall and all of them have worked hard to earn the success they are experiencing.

None of the progress we have made would be possible without the hard work and support of you, the families. You have collaborated regularly with Center Staff to provide support for us and your scholars. When challenges arose, we confronted them head on and worked together in the best interest of the scholars. In great moments, we celebrated the efforts and successes of our scholars. You have supported our community throughout this year, and I thank you for all that you have done. In particular, thanks to all of you who were able to make time to meet with your scholars’ Achievement Coaches. Please continue these efforts as we approach the end of the Academy. Thank you all.

Summer Summary and Thank You!

This summer challenged the scholars socially, academically, and behaviorally; it prepared them for this coming year and the challenges that lay ahead of them. The scholars demonstrated that they can meet those challenges head on, and overcome them together. Higher Achievement is so much more than academics, it’s about the scholars and their ability to develop deep relationships so that they can support and challenge each other as they strive for their goals. In good times and in bad, scholars have demonstrated true solidarity. Summer Academy was an amazing experience. Thank you, families, for your commitment to Higher Achievement and to the Ward 6 Community.

Summary for the Week of July 12th-16th

Summer Academy is flying by! Scholars are coming to Center daily with great energy and really pushing themselves to learn. In the midst of preparing for the Science Fair, Model UN, and Mock Trials, scholars continue to shine and serve as great examples of what it means to truly be a “Higher Achievement scholar.” I look forward each day to sharing in the learning moments that scholars experience daily. Thank you for being a part of our family, and for your outstanding communication and support.

Center Summary for October 30, 2009

Thank you families for an amazing week! It was inspiring to see all of you at our kick-off event. I am continually inspired by your presence and engagement at Center. With Center starting, now begins the work to facilitate success for our scholars. Please continue to communicate with me and your scholar’s achievement coaches around areas of concerns, and outstanding achievements. We are off to a tremendous start in the face of so many challenges and I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to that success.