From Your Division Leads

HIGH SCHOOL
   This year Stanbridge High School has started off wonderfully! The students have quickly accepted and welcomed our new High School teachers: Avery, Coach Daniel, Drew, Greg, and Kantodeia. Daniel Geller is now in high school full-time, too. This new crew of educators have brought wonderful insights, skills, and energy from their previous jobs (and Divisions) and helped our program reach the next level.
   One of the largest changes this Fall is that we have revamped our CARES program! While the program still highlights the importance of lifelong-learning in Community, Academics, Respect, Empathy, and Safety, students are no longer carrying around CARES sheets. Emphasizing 1:1 reflective conversations with their teachers at the end of every class, students now review their behaviors. This adjustment helps them become more introspective and strengthens their student-teacher relationships.
   I feel so lucky to work at a school with such thoughtful students and dedicated staff. If this is any indication of the year to come, students and staff are both  going to thrive this year!
– Jay Huston, Head of School

MIDDLE SCHOOL
   Middle School is off to a fantastic start for the new school year. There are many new faces, both students and teachers who have joined our program. We are so excited to have Drew take on Social Studies, Avery join us for math, Gregory for Tech, and Daniel and Gage for athletics!
   We have spent the last week in our advisory groupings getting to know each other and getting settled into our new routines. Our new advisory groups Blanc, Vinson, Everest and Denali are named after the highest peaks of different continents and students have been gathering both in their individual advisories and in Twin Peaks Advisory, where we combine two groups to play games and expand our social circle.
   Academic groupings are named for different sharks: Hammerhead, Lemon, Tiger and Nurse. Sharks are often misunderstood animals but have amazing qualities and abilities – just like our students.  Our shark groups give Middle Schoolers yet another opportunity to stretch their social and emotional growth while learning together.
– Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division Lead

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
   Our 2024-2025 Stanbridge Academy Elementary school year has begun! New additions and changes to classrooms have shaped up our clean and calm learning environments. 
   The first few weeks focus on learning new routines, schedules, students and staff. Class expectations have been set. Team building activities have been enjoyed. SEL classes and speech services have begun. Student workload and responsibilities increase slowly each day. Differentiated reading groups will be decided after observational and formal assessments occur to determine appropriate placements. Finally, the sign up calendar for parent volunteering opportunities has been sent. Be sure to check it out along with the SPA Volunteer Survey, too.
   Students have come in excited about starting school and we're off to a great start for school success!
– Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division Lead