High Point Academy is a free public charter school serving students in preschool through eighth grade. Our educational approach is rigorous, and our focus is always on achieving the highest academic standards. We believe in a family-centered learning environment that challenges children to reach their full potential. Our students have a love of learning and are well on their way to becoming responsible, respectful, and well-rounded citizens.
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Teachers Hone Their Craft Through Partnership with Educators for Social Responsibility
Once a month, on Wednesday afternoons, HPA’s middle school teachers can be found sitting at students’ desks, deeply engaged in small group discussion. They consult articles and take notes as they try to come up with thoughtful responses to the list of questions they’ve been charged with answering. In a twist on their normal duties, they are students – at least for a couple of hours. Their task? To become better teachers.
Thanks to Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR), the professional development they’re participating in is top-notch. ESR is a national leader in school reform that works directly with educators to implement systemic practices that create safe, caring, and equitable schools. Through their work with teachers, they aim to help young people succeed in school and life, thereby shaping a safe, democratic, and just world.
This is HPA’s first year partnering with ESR, and the primary focus is on reaching and engaging all learners. Middle school staff took part in several days of training before the start of the school year, but unlike many types of professional development, the work didn’t end there. It continued with monthly trainings, and perhaps more importantly, with individual observations and feedback, provided for each teacher once a month.
“It’s been really nice to have the constant feedback and insight on how to improve your teaching. We haven’t gotten stuck in the mundane because ESR is constantly challenging us. It helps us to resist falling into old habits,” shared Ryan Marks, a science teacher.
A large part of ESR’s teachings are about how to build positive relationships with students.
“ESR has taught us how to engage students on a more personal level, how to make sure that we’re a social presence as well as an academic presence in their lives. We’ve found that once we have that solid foundation built, students want to be there and they’re willing to work for you,” added Mr. Marks.
For more information about ESR, visit http://esrnational.org.
Students Actively Learn at 5th Annual 9Health Fair
On November 11, HPA’s K-8 students had a blast participating in the school’s fifth annual 9Health Fair. Organized by wellness teacher Stacey May and run by 16 student leaders, the fair featured interactive booths, a healthy snack, and a food drive.
The 12 student-run booths explored a variety of health topics in kid-friendly ways. One of the most popular booths compared healthy lung tissue with the lung tissue of a smoker, then had students breathe through a straw while doing jumping jacks, thereby demonstrating smokers’ reduced lung capacity. At another booth, students completed a vision screening, and at a third booth, they enjoyed a half-cup of air-popped popcorn with their choice of seasoning sprinkled on top. In addition, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science brought an interactive booth about the inner-workings of the body’s muscles and organs.
The fair also included a food drive, sponsored by 9Cares Colorado Shares and a local Boy Scouts troop. The generous contributions of HPA families resulted in 940 pounds of food that improved the health of needy families in the community.
One of the best parts of the fair was seeing the 9Health Fair Leadership Team students in action. After six weeks of practice and preparation, the students’ hard work shined as they taught their peers valuable lessons about health.
“The students’ faces lit up as they entered the gym to see the blue and yellow balloons, their peers and all of the booths. All day, we heard from participating students, leadership team students and staff about how much fun they were having while learning about health. I was impressed by the student-generated ideas about becoming an advocate for health. I owe a big, “thank you” to businesses that made donations, the Specials Teachers, the Boy Scouts, the PTO, and 9Health Fair organization for helping our fair run so smoothly!” said Ms. May.
