Last night, we hosted the first of four sessions dedicated to gathering parent feedback on a strategic vision for our school; we are truly enjoying listening to our parents, students, and staff as part of this Strategic Planning Process! This first part of the process is all about soliciting your ideas and hopes, to be consolidated into a draft Strategic Plan this winter. Acera 2030 plans, then, will be shared with you in the late winter and spring. Please come and be part of one of the workshops!
Even though a Zoom format is less vibrant than workshopping in person, last night we leveraged Jamboard as a remote tool to get concrete input across key areas of our school. Jane Moulding, Acera Board member, facilitated the conversation.
Earlier in the day, I got a chance to hear from elementary students in Emily’s class about their hopes for the school. Students added Post-It notes to chart paper organized into specific categories, then shared their ideas. In only 30 minutes, great ideas came up, some of which we can implement this school year!
Courtney Dickinson is Acera’s Founder & Head of School
Additionally, I have been holding listening sessions with Acera faculty over the last two weeks; so far, I’ve met 1:1 with 18 of our full-time teachers. They have made time to share their hopes, what is working for them, and what they wish would change. They also give input and feedback to the program and school overall, and are invited to give direct feedback to me. Always, teacher voice has been a key part of Acera’s philosophy about how our program is designed, about the assessments, projects, and student learning journeys we facilitate, and about how things unfold and improve every year.
We want to include you in this process. To attend one of the Strategic Planning sessions, please email Trent at trent@aceraschool.org. The remaining sessions will take place on:
- Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 9:00-10:30 am, in person at Acera
- Thursday, November 16, 2023, 11:45-1:15 pm on Zoom
- Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 6:00-7:30 pm, in person at Acera
Right: Courtney visits with students in Room 5 to hear their ideas and hopes for Acera’s future.
If your interest is less about giving input and more about hearing from us about the school and our direction, there are opportunities for that as well! Our Annual Acera Teacher Panel will be held on Wednesday, November 8 from 6-7:30pm (on zoom). Hear directly from our faculty, focusing on:
- How do students learn about and improve their writing at Acera? (Ruma, MS core teacher, Sarah S, teacher mentor)
- What are different ways kids learn about Science at Acera? (Alexis, Physics & Math)
- How does the IMP / Passion Project Work? ( Kei, IMP, Movement & HS Apps)
- How does math work at Acera? (Viktor, Math Coordinator)
- What are ways students learn in the arts, and how is that integrated? (Camilla, integrated arts and math)
- How does thematic, project-based and interdisciplinary learning happen at Acera?
Thanks for the many ways you, as parents, find time to engage with Acera!
Best,
Courtney
