Rising to the Challenge

flexibly to meet the individual needs of scholars and leveraging the power of “crew” to support kids and families.

As a result, our scholars stayed invested in their school experience, despite not physically being in school. Our scholars continued to attend daily Crew meetings with their classmates and complete daily assignments. Likewise our families reported feeling well supported. These efforts provided a strong foundation upon which we have now strengthened our remote learning program for the new school year.

“We had to drastically change the way we taught, and you had to change the way you learned. Our leaders were asking us to make a big sacrifice for our community and the well being of those that were vulnerable to getting sick. We didn’t get to end our year the way we had expected, but what you showed was that when life changed you were able to adapt. I know it wasn’t easy.”

- Mel Overson, Middle School Science Teacher, in keynote speech during Alma’s virtual 8th Grade Graduation Ms.Cotugno, a reading specialist and member of Alma’s founding team, recorded daily readalouds of The Tale of Despereaux and posted the videos on YouTube for scholars to follow along all spring.

Ms. Frazer Rego, a visual arts teacher at Alma, used Instagram to engage her middle school scholars with unique arts activities. Scholars then submitted their work to be showcased on her account.

Mr. Jacome, a sixth grade teacher at Alma, produced weekly videos to keep in touch with his scholars. “Just a teacher, trying to find a way to entertain his scholars,” he explained.

Rising… To High School

Over half of our eighth graders were admitted to at least one selective high school or high school program this past spring.

The journey of our first-ever Kindergarten class culminated this past spring as the Class of 2028 graduated from Alma in the midst of a pandemic. These 42 scholars proved time and time again that although their school building was closed, they could still learn, inquire, research and challenge. This cohort of eighth graders presented their Passage Portfolios - an opportunity for the scholars to reflect on their experiences at Alma - during Zoom meetings. Alma’s traditional “Clap Out” celebration was turned into an outdoor, drive-thru parade with Alma staff lining the streets. Their eighth grade graduation ceremony was held virtually as well. While many of this year’s graduates attended Alma for all 10 of their first years of school, all of them have long had their eyes on high school and beyond. Starting in sixth grade, our scholars and their families work with our Secondary Schools Guidance counselor to learn about high school options and chart a path from Alma that will put them on a college track. The most popular option among our scholars remains Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School. Along with allowing our scholars to specialize in trades and technical shops, GNB Voc-Tech is a selective, academically rigorous high school that sends a significant percentage of students on to college. Greater numbers of our scholars have also been admitted and matriculated to New Bedford High School’s Academy of Honors, a rigorous, exam-based program geared towards preparing students for selective undergraduate institutions.