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What is the Freshman Academy?
The Freshman Academy is a small learning community within the school that strives to support freshmen as they transition from middle to high school. Teachers plan and communicate together in a professional learning community to help ensure that students achieve. Our Freshman Academy is a transition program based largely on the research-based, results-oriented smaller learning community (SLC) concept. An SLC is essentially a small, semi-autonomous school-within-a-school. Research has revealed that SLC’s create a greater sense of connectedness and belonging for students as well as academic equity. In addition, studies have shown that SLC’s, such as our Freshman Academy, produce improved academic achievement and decreased behavioral problems.
Motto: |
Excellence is tradition! |
Mission: |
The mission of the Freshmen Academy is to facilitate and support all students' efforts and provide them with the skill sets necessary for making a successful transition from middle school to graduation. |
Vision: |
The GHS Freshmen Academy vision is the engagement of students in a supportive environment that values self-motivation, independence, commitment, high expectations, positive social interactions, and meaningful relationships and develops the responsible, adaptable learners of the future.
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Goals: |
#1 Improve each EOC pass rate (Algebra 1, English 1, Biology 1) by 5% annually. #2 Increase the number of students who successfully complete the requirements for promotion to 10th grade to 92%. #3 Increase the number of students who have fewer than 10 days of absence by 10%.
#4 Increase the number of students graduating in 4 years. |
Purpose |
Improve student achievement
Help students build positive school relationships
Reduce retention rates
Improve student GPAs
Improve study habits
Improve GHS's graduation rate
Raise End of Course Exam scores
Improve student involvement in school activities
Track individual student progress |
Strategies: |
Cornell Notes
Goal Setting
Graphic Organizers
Differentiation
Learning Centers
Reading Comprehension strategies like SQ4R
Lesson Integration
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| Monthly Focus Areas |
August: Outlining
September: Note taking and Questioning
October: Reading Comprehension with SQ4R and INSERT
November: Mind Maps and Graphic Organizers
December/January: Study Techniques and vocab strategies
February: Storytelling through technology
March: Journaling/Blogging
April: Study Techniques/ Review
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