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Shaping Elite Scholars
We Prepare Scholars for Higher Learning.
School-wide, our Reading, Language, and Math courses are based on the Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards. Scholars in grades 3-8 are required to take the ITBS test each spring. This assessment is not a high stakes test, instead it is used to track and improve scholars' readiness for college and career. Curriculum and instructional strategies are adjusted as needed in response to ITBS results. As a result, Hope Academy scholars score 17% higher than the national average on the Pre-ACT.
According to ACT.org, fewer than 2 in 10 eighth graders in America are on target to be ready for college- and career-level work by the time they graduate. By monitoring readiness using the ITBS beginning in 3rd grade, Hope Academy scholars have a better chance of success in first-year credit-bearing college courses.
We Create Relevant Learning Experiences.
At Hope Academy, scholars participate in Service Learning projects. Service learning creates opportunities for students to actively apply academic and leadership skills for the benefit of others. Each grade level at the school engages in a unique service project annually, ensuring that by 8th grade, students have contributed to the community through a diverse array of service experiences.
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Kindergarten supports the Humane Society of South Mississippi.
First Grade shares small acts of kindness with a local nursing home.
Second Grade scholars interview and spend time with local veterans.
Third grade supports Elijah's Closet, a local organization that assists families with children in foster care.
Fourth Grade partners with Back Bay Mission, an organization that meets emergency needs and helps Gulf Coast families out of poverty.
Middle School scholars improve our community's eco-footprint by working together and raising awareness about microplastics, food waste, and single-use plastics.
We Elevate Learning.
Hope Academy uses a Schoolwide Enrichment Program (SEP) to elevate learning for all scholars. The SEP promotes the use of gifted outcomes for ALL scholars, in contrast to the traditional practice of giving gifted students access to learning experiences that are different from those of non-gifted students. We believe that all scholars benefit from these approaches to learning.​
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Classroom and enrichment activities enhance the integration of advanced content and individual scholars' interests, emphasizing higher level thinking skills, problem solving, critical thinking skills, research skills, personal growth and human relations exercises, leadership skills, and creative expression. Enrichment classes include music, visual arts, Spanish, leadership, computer science, and physical education. These classes compliment the standard courses, which include math, STEM, social studies, English, and reading. Gifted outcomes are also used in planning standard course instruction.
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“Gifted learners need learning experiences that are rich. That is, they need learning experiences that are organized by key concepts and principles of a discipline rather than by facts. They need content that is relevant to their lives, activities that cause them to process important ideas at a high level, and products that cause them to grapple with meaningful problems and pose defensible solutions. They need classrooms that are respectful to them, provide both structure and choice, and help them achieve more than they thought they could. These are needs shared by all learners, not just those who are gifted.”
--Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ed. D. The University of Virginia
Nurturing Creativity
We Appreciate the Value of Arts in Education.
We're more than scholars.
We're musicians.
We're performers.
We're painters.
We're creators.
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The arts are so important to us, we dedicated an entire building - The Studio - to our Fine Arts Program. The Studio is a space where students can flex their creative muscles, sing as loudly as their lungs will allow and splatter the floors with paint as they create and learn.
We Find Our Voices Through Performing Arts.
We Make Masterpieces.
Hope Academy kids learn more than music theory.
They sing.
They practice choreography.
The play percussion instruments, recorders, ukuleles, and hand bells.
They help create sets and props for our annual Holiday Extravaganza and Spring Musicals.
They are multi-talented performing artists.
There are no "arts and crafts" in The Studio.
Our scholars are learning a broad range of techniques from Hope Academy's art instructor, a talented working artist. You'll see their creations displayed at Student Showcases, musical productions, fundraisers and special events. You'll also see art-class projects intersect with classroom instruction to add depth to our scholars' learning experiences.
Inspiring Leadership
We are a Leader In Me (LiM) Member School.
LiM is an evidence-based, comprehensive school improvement model developed in partnership with educators and the Covey Foundation that empowers students with leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.
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LiM redefines leadership. It is not a position of authority, but rather an intentional, positive way of living one's life, working well with others and encouraging greatness.
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Participation on Leadership Teams is one way that students demonstrate their leadership skills every day. We have a Lighthouse Team, Greeter Leaders, Library Leaders, Beautification Team Leaders, and Classroom Leaders, to name a few.
We Believe...
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When you change the way you see things, it influences what you do and the results you get.
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Everyone can be a leader.
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Everyone has genius.
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Educators should empower students to lead their own learning, not control it.
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We should develop the whole person and not focus solely on academic achievement.
How Do We Do It?
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We teach leadership to every student using the 7 Habits of Happy Kids.
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We create a culture of student empowerment through shared leadership and student-led parent/teacher conferences.
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We align our systems to drive results in academics because knowledge is power.