New Hope Academy
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New Hope Academy is an academically-oriented private school, fully certified by the Maryland State Department of Education, which includes a four-year high school, grades K-8, and a fully licensed preschool program for ages 3-5 years. Located on an eight-acre campus in Prince George's County, MD (suburban Washington, D.C.), this former public school houses a high-end computer lab as well as at least 3 computers in every classroom, a science lab, a math manipulative based program, a foreign-language studio, an art studio, a gymnasium and a professional quality dance studio. Other offerings include before- and after-school care, a summer day camp for elementary-aged students, and a variety of extracurricular activities.
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[edit] The school's approach to:
[edit] Philosophy and goals
Founded in 1990 by parents concerned with the education of the whole child - intellect, creativity, character, etc., New Hope Academy welcomes children of all faiths, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. In contrast to public school approach that excludes the religious or spiritual dimension in education, the school attempts to include God, prayer, and moral focus in a way that conforms to universal expressions of faith; the school community believes these are an important part of children's development.
Religious instruction is not offered at New Hope Academy, but an environment has been created that affirms religious values and supports parents in their efforts to raise moral children. Parents at New Hope have created a character education program that includes a theme of the week universal to all faiths, promoting virtues such as responsibility, self-discipline, honesty, forgiveness, respect, kindness, etc. There may be instances where a teacher "promotes" the viewpoint of a particular religion without making it sufficiently universal to all faiths (although they try otherwise), but the New Hope community is not so afraid of this occasionally happening that they decide never to talk about important issues relating to the religious dimensions of morality and ethics or of religious practices. Rather these are seen in the context of appreciating various cultures. New Hope faculty, staff, and students represent over 20 faiths and more than 35 nationalities. The school has always been racially diverse also, but its initially majority white composition has evolved into a majority black composition because of the demographics of the area.
In addition to the emphasis on the cultivation of personal integrity, academic excellence and mastery of technical skills are promoted by careful attention to each child's creativity and innate desire to learn. Each child is given ample opportunity and resources to learn and to create.
An important aspect of the program is to help children see themselves not only as separate and unique individuals, but also as a part of a larger whole. From the family to the world level, children are encouraged to perceive themselves as existing in relationship with others and to understand that their actions have meaning and consequence.
[edit] Curriculum
The curricula include a variety of subjects: math, science, social studies, language arts, fine arts, physical education, music, foreign language, computer studies, and others. Optional classes in the after-school enrichment program are offered in activities ranging from drama, dance, and science to sports and martial arts.
The school believes that hands-on experience facilitates deeper comprehension of a subject. Math manipulatives and science labs, for example, are utilized in all grades. Teachers encourage students to explore and to learn through the use of appropriate formats which include cooperative learning, self-discovery, and self-motivated learning.
There is a system of "mentoring" within the school where older children work with and assist younger children. This fosters the social development and learning of both older and younger students.
[edit] Academics
The school believes that acquiring reading skills and being exposed to good literature are critical for success in learning. It teaches a phonics-based reading program, beginning with phonemic awareness in preschool. Most students start to read in kindergarten and read classic novels by 4th and 5th grade. Students begin writing short stories in kindergarten and by third grade are usually quite articulate and familiar with the written word.
Math is taught with manipulatives until the fourth grade. The school has adopted the Saxon Math Program, which emphasizes constant review and practice of all concepts embedded within the program. Students score well above average in every grade level on standardized tests.
Teachers often extend learning beyond the textbook by making use of projects, science experiments, hands-on learning, and monthly field trips. Students also participate in the Jason project, the National Geography Bee, and a school wide science fair each spring.
The strong academic record of New Hope Academy students is exemplified by their performance on the SAT (Stanford Achievement Test), a national standardized test. The students on every grade level are able to do academic work at a level significantly higher than students in the average American school, and the outperformance of Prince George's county public schools is even more sizeable.
On the one hand this academic performance may reflect in part the higher levels of education and affluence of the average family involved, but on the other hand the school tries to address fully the needs of students with learning disabilities, many of which went undiagnosed in the public schools from which those children came.
[edit] Teachers
Teachers are selected not only for their experience and academic background, but also for their sensitivity to the needs of children in a changing and increasingly complex world. They are expected to know when to challenge and when to support, when children needs to be encouraged to seek their own answers and when they need someone to direct them. There is a policy to make classes "reasonably sized" (20-21 children or less), which the school believes allows teachers to address differences in children's learning styles and to give them the individual attention they need. The teachers are well-qualified, and include a former principal and a former adjuct professor; most have master's degrees, especially in the higher grades.
[edit] Parents
The school's approach includes the idea that the involvement of parents is critical its success. Parents are viewed as the first educators and work closely with the teachers to support their child's academic success and personal development.
[edit] Religious affiliation
The religious affiliation of the founders of the school, 12 mothers from the same church - the Unification Church - who took on the ambitious project, is not a prominent issue or a source of problems in the day-to-day workings of the school, because it is not a church school and no religious instruction is offered. Nevertheless, because the Unification Church (and its founder Sun Myung Moon) is controversial, this issue may be of interest. The school was set up using a "community of religions" model of allowing expression of faith instead of banning them. Most of the students and even most of the faculty are not Unification Church members. Rather they represent a variety of religious beliefs and practices. The school is legally independent of the Unification Church, governed by a board of directors set up by the founding mothers, which consists of people who have varying current relationships to the Unification Church as well as members of other religions.
See "School statement on faiths" in External links section below for more information.
[edit] Challenges
As with any institution, there have been problems to overcome. If not for the dedication of parents in addressing a variety of issues in the first few years after the school's founding, it never would have survived. The aging building, a former public elementary school built in the 1940s, had a leaky roof until a second mortgage was taken out in 2003 to pay for $600,000 in renovations which included replacing the roof, various upgrades, and a new science lab. (See New Carrollton Gazette news article.) Even so, not every physical aspect of the school was renovated, but the school as part of its mission to serve Prince George's County deliberately seeks to keep tuition costs low (half of what some schools charge). Most classrooms, for example, are not air conditioned; on particularly hot days classes sometimes go to the large Multi-purpose room, which is air conditioned. Along with the advantages of a small school for academics and for community-building, New Hope Academy is at a disadvantage when it comes to resources such as sports teams, choirs, band and orchestra. A high school basketball program was started in 2003, with an expansion to the whole school by 2004; however, due to certain monetary issues and conflicts between staff and parents, the high school basketball program is slowly diminishing. There will be two new staff for the 2006-7 school year, a new P.E. teacher and a new after-school sports director, which should lead to improvements. The younger basketball programs are coming along very well.
[edit] Enrollment
- Pre-School age 3-5: 58 students
- Elementary grades K-6: 130 students
- Middle School grades 7,8: 42 students
- High School grades 9-12: 50 students
Average class size: 18 students
[edit] SAT (Stanford Achievement Test) results
Spring 2005:
- Reading 77th percentile
- Math 76th percentile
[edit] High school requirements for diploma
New Hope Academy High School is a college preparatory program with the following requirements for a diploma:
- English 4 credits
- Social Studies 3 credits
- Math 3 credits
- Foreign Language 2 credits
- Lab Science 2 credits
- Character Education 2 credits
- Health 1/2 credit
- Fine Arts 1 credit
- Physical Ed. 1/2 credit
- Technology 1/2 credit
- Elective 1 1/2 credit
Total: 20 credits
[edit] External links
- New Hope Academy (school web site, main page)
- School statement on faiths (on school web site)
- School faculty (on school web site)
- School curriculum (on school web site)
