Imagine Schools began this school year 30,000 students strong at 60 campuses throughout the nation. As a national non-profit family of public charter schools, we have adopted the theme of Focused for this school year to keep us dedicated to purposeful and personalized learning for every Imagine student.
We are Focused on our students and our responsibility to empower their success as scholars and citizens. We are Focused on equipping our teachers with tools and support that accelerates the learning taking place in their classrooms. And we are Focused on celebrating the growth and achievements that inspire us to reach higher and expect more this school year.
Imagine Prep Superstition in Apache Junction, AZ is a great celebration, being named Best High School Bronze Medal by U.S. News and World Report for the third year in a row. The school is also celebrating their highest enrollment to-date with 515 middle and high school students enrolled.
Principal Frank Stirpe credits the achievement to an individualized focus on learning, character education, innovative programs, accelerated curriculum, and high expectations for both students and staff. Congratulations to Mr. Stirpe, the staff, and students for accelerating learning and remaining Focused on achievement.
Imagine Schools at South Lake in Clermont, FL, is another celebration, having earned the designation of a National School of Character from Character.org. Our campus, serving 1,030 K-8 students, participated in an in-depth, rigorous evaluation process and was found to be an exemplary model of character development.
Kathleen Dial, Principal, references a Focused emphasis on Character.org’s criteria for selection and the alignment with Imagine Schools’ Shared Values and Measures of Excellence as the driving force for this designation. “Providing students with opportunities for moral action, fostering shared leadership and engaging families and our community as partners in building character forms the basis of our character initiatives,” she states. “We are proud of our students for bringing to life our efforts to develop learners and leaders.”
Congratulations to Ms. Dial, the staff, and students for demonstrating the character that has earned them such a distinguished national recognition.
A few days ago, our National Academic and Character Team launched their new blog, Databits. This resource offers an opportunity to learn more about assessments and engage in discussion around best practices that bring Focused effort to improving outcomes for our students. Be sure to visit often and share your questions and thoughts for our national assessment experts.
With a relentless and Focused effort on engaging our students with purposeful and personalized learning, we will have much to celebrate throughout this 2016-17 school year. Please share those celebrations with Rhonda Cagle and watch for them in future editions of Noteworthy.