HERITAGE ACADEMY
HAPPENINGS
Greetings from Heritage Academy!
On behalf of the entire faculty, I happily inform you that it has been a great start to our new year. Not even a hurricane could impede progress toward meeting learning goals for our students this important first quarter. We know of untold other lessons in weather / meteorology that students learned first-hand as we contend with Florence. Most importantly, the top lessons of this week include keeping oneself safe in times of weather emergencies and helping others in need. Bravo to all.
We are indeed proud of our students’ school and passion area achievements and effort. Settling into a new school, lifestyle, academic program, and social group comes with challenges, but our students have embraced each area of life with honesty, caring, resilience, and positivity. Smiles and engaged laughter infuse our hallways and classes; hands-on learning opportunities abound; and new relationships are blooming. Our dedicated teachers, residential instructors, house parents, partners, and coaches have assisted students with transitioning into their new school, residential life, and training regimens.
We hope you are using student information portal, Powerschool, as a tool to stay informed and active in your child’ s learning at Heritage Academy. We will continue to improve upon the system to ensure your experience aligns with your expectations. Please contact our Assistant Head of School, Dean Costakis, to report problems and to provide feedback. You will receive a survey this semester asking for feedback regarding Powerschool and many other aspects of the school. The more student and parent participation in the survey, the better we can make this wonderful school and the better we can meet your needs.
The school’ s electronic bulletin board – Ricardo – showcases events, public announcements, and our students in action. You will receive emails throughout the year sharing with you what is broadcast on Ricardo. Many special and notable accomplishments have been celebrated already on our newsmakers board. As our students’ tournament competition, service, and academic lives gain momentum, Ricardo and the other bulletin boards around campus will overflow with public recognition and accomplishments.
Our successful synchronous instruction learning option, Synchronous Education @ Heritage Academy, continues to grow. We have talented students joining our classes in real time from Mexico and Florida this semester. Through technology advances, classes use“ Lifesize” videoconferencing to seamlessly integrate our remote students with their teachers and classmates on the Hilton Head campus. This technology can serve all students who must be away from school for emergency reasons. They dial into the class on their computers and receive instruction. Just another way we prioritize learning opportunity.
A hallmark of Heritage is that students mastering course objectives are also broadening their knowledge about their classmates. Classes are filled with students from 22 countries this year, and all students are actively learning about their subjects and about their peers. Midway through Quarter I, it is a joy to witness students make new friends, take responsibility for their daily academic and interpersonal decisions, and live this year’ s theme:“ Learning Changes Everything.” Students are stepping forward to organize and take responsibility for their academic lives as well as social and service events. Student leadership at school is at an alltime high. We have remarkable students!
School events are underway to provide students with leadership and service opportunities. To date, the Service Club, the Senior Class, and National Honor Society members have begun volunteering and fundraising for service projects and social events. Campus is alive with advocacy meetings, buzz about upcoming school pictures, college fairs and visiting reps, and other interests. Students enjoy Spirit Day / Pizza Day the last Wednesday of each month, and they already participated in the first Student of the Month assembly. This assembly recognizes facultynominated and selected students at the senior and undergraduate level who consistently display of one of the school’ s honor code traits.
Sincerely, Gloria Shoemaker Heritage Academy Head of School
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