The Academy believes that knowledge is constructed and not transmitted.
Students, teachers and administrators develop partnerships to create a "Community of Learners". Our teachers create an environment where all students are comfortable sharing thoughts, ideas, and misunderstandings without the fear of ridicule. All perspectives, current understandings and beliefs are evaluated to create opportunities for rediscovery.
All community members bring unique prior knowledge. Greater knowledge is constructed as these perspectives are combined and new knowledge is uncovered. In our classrooms, you can hear much more than a pin drop and students are not seated in rows with their eyes fixed on the teacher. A variety of activities are happening all at once that culminate with a community meeting where information is reported.
In our community of learners, teachers are not the keepers of all knowledge but facilitators. Our students are required to analyze the correctness of their ideas and the ideas of others by using their prior knowledge and research to successfully justify or refute proposed ideas.
As we prepare our students to compete in an ever changing society, they will be distinctively different, unchanging in excellence and ready to effect change in their chosen fields and endeavors.
