Page 16a | The ReCORD-ReVIeW | FRIDay, augusT 23, 2013 – Back to School
BTS Guide N School News & Notes Ridgefield Academy empowering students There is something different about Ridgefield Academy. Located on 42 scenic acres in Ridgefield, Conn., Ridgefield Academy is an independent day school that offers a dynamic and comprehensive program for children in preschool through eighth grade. Our challenging program empowers children to realize their academic potential through technology and creativity, arts and athletics, innovation and diversity. Teachers and administrators believe the key to future success is empowering each and every student. students have daily opportunities to build confidence, use their creativity, work collaboratively and problem solve. Through small classes and individualized teaching instruction, children develop the skills to be critical thinkers, public speakers and self-advocates. Ridgefield Academy’s curriculum combines the traditional core subject areas of language arts, mathematics, science, history, world language and social studies with a rich program of music, art, media arts and drama designed to inspire students and spark their creativity. Thanks to talented teachers and small class sizes, Ridgefield Academy can take teaching out of the textbooks and bring lessons to life with memorable experiences. When children learn by doing, they care more, remember more and are empowered to achieve more.
an important part of becoming a confident learner is learning the tools to effectively communicate your ideas. Many years ago Ridgefield Academy implemented a public speaking program. The school recognized that if children are taught the tools for effective communication and given ample opportunity to practice, they could effectively learn written and verbal communication at a young age. Ra students learn the strategies for successful written and oral communication and through practice, develop into confident writers and public speakers. The Ra school community is also a caring community built on a foundation of shared values. In all areas of school life, students model and reinforce the principles of respect, responsibility, fairness and service to others. service learning is incorporated into the curriculum to engage children in meaningful activities that reinforce the importance of service to others. Ra’s recent addition of a 5,800-squarefoot state-of-the-art media arts center and sound room allows students to use the latest technology to develop their writing skills, learn the current methods of research and explore the digital arts through classes such as animation, digital storytelling, film and sound editing. This fall, a similar facility will open in the preschool and lower school building. Last september, the academy opened a renovated preschool wing under the Landmark Preschool name, designed specifically for students ages 2-5 years. The facility
The opportunity to be anything, the freedom to be yourself.
Upper School Open House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, October 23 All School Open House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday, November 2 Barat Center Open House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, November 15 In the close knit community at Convent of the Sacred Heart, girls are surrounded by supportive peers and faculty who help develop their potential. Our Middle School girls emerge well prepared for the academic rigors of high school. More importantly, they feel valued and confident, have a strong sense of spirituality, and feel free to be themselves as they prepare to challenge the world.
Greenwich, CT 203-532-3534 www.cshgreenwich.org
NEW IN
2013
An independent, Catholic school for girls K-12 with coed preschool and prekindergarten.
The Barat Center for Early Childhood Education
Dynamic coeducational learning for preschool and pre-K
features a kitchen laboratory and a small amphitheater for performances. The academy’s preschool program offers children purposeful learning experiences to support social, emotional, cognitive and physiological development through science, art, math, foreign language, pre-reading exercises and movement activities. Many families have discovered what a difference the Ridgefield Academy experience can make for their child. For more information about Ridgefield Academy, visit www.ridgefieldacademy.org or call David suter at (203) 894-1800 ext. 112.
Future taking place at Greenwich academy By MARK fEiNER In september 2012, greenwich academy announced the launch of the Initiatives for the Future, pioneering new programs, opportunities and partnerships that will prepare ga students not just to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing world, but to be leaders in shaping that world. The initiatives are designed to cultivate in students the skills necessary for true creativity and innovation, as well as to facilitate collaborations with other top schools and organizations so ga students can transcend the imaginary boundaries between the ga campus and the “real world.” While the focus areas of the Initiatives
for the Future are broad, they share these common objectives: • To empower girls and young women to become leaders for positive change. • To foster creativity and a spirit of innovation in the student body. • To enhance students’ engagement in the world, locally and globally. • To honor and inspire faculty innovation and growth. • To affirm Greenwich Academy’s role as a model institution for ingenuity and intellectual inquiry. • To continue to inspire in Greenwich academy students and alumnae a lifelong commitment to our motto, Toward the Building of Character. so how do we accomplish all of that? We offer educational opportunities that are as ambitious and creative as any out there in schools today. We offer ga students the chance to study and form lifelong relationships with peers at schools in China, spain, France, New Zealand, argentina, australia, Peru, switzerland and elsewhere around the globe. We teach ga girls from the youngest ages to be problem solvers, to tackle real-life challenges by designing and building their own solutions in the context of their classrooms and in extracurricular endeavors. We offer courses at every level in which the classroom learning is supplemented by expeditions both near and far, so students associate education with action, and learning with doing and living. coNtiNuED oN thE NExt pAGE