Our Educational Philosophy

Mel Nelson, Head of School

The 2022-2023 academic year was invigorating! We rebranded, launched innovative entrepreneurial and grade-level programming, focused intently on empowering student leadership, and reimagined and redefined traditions. I had a blast with our incredible educators and students through it all.

Having recently returned from the Week Without Walls adventure to the National Parks trips with the middle school students, I was ecstatic to have had the opportunity to explore three states in five days, go rafting at the Hoover Dam, kayak down the Colorado River, and on our first day, breathe the air in 5 different states! It was astounding! It confirmed the importance of our educational philosophy, grounded in a real-world application. Integrating real-world experiences can take education to a whole new level. This is why it is a vital component of our Educational Pillars.

Our incredibly caring and knowledgeable educators immerse our students in real-world scenarios daily, in and out of the classroom walls They know that application through project-based learning, internships, service projects, educational trips, and much more are core components to engage and empower our students to think beyond what is presented. Our students have gained a deeper understanding of the studied content through real-world applications. With a keen focus on incorporating our Educational Pillars, our students explore Intellectual Curiosity, Creativity, Analytical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Collaboration, Responsible Risk-Taking, and Reflection daily. Our educational philosophy provides students the tools to navigate challenges, think creatively, and adapt to dynamic situations- skills that cannot be acquired through passive learning.

The 2022-2023 academic year was incredible, with tremendous opportunities for small and large learning applications. If you missed the Signature Project Showcase at the Lower Camps, you missed seeing our "kinderpreneurs" holding an active marketplace. On the same day at the Upper Campus, our 7th graders presented at the inaugural Innovation Fair to practice the process of analyzing a process, product, service, or activity and modifying it to improve efficiency with a focus on human well-being, protecting and managing natural resources or general business activities. The day before, our 6th graders held an open market as they utilized the concepts learned in mathematics. Two weeks before that, our 3rd-12th graders explored the world outside the classroom in the Galapagos Islands, traveling throughout Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, exploring the National Parks, swimming with manatees in North Florida, learning from an FBI agent, and much more This happened in the last month alone, and I have yet to mention the many projects throughout the school year, discussions, and research that occurred yearlong. I am amazed by the incredible real-world application that occurs each day and the manner in which our students engage and explore.

Sagemont Prep educators recognize the tremendous value of real-world experience. We continually seek innovative ways to incorporate this into daily instruction to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in a dynamic, ever-changing, and complex world beyond the classroom walls. As educators, we never stop learning alongside our students. We are excited for 2023-2024 as we continue to carry out our mission with the students of innovation, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. Thank you for sharing this incredible year with us!

Sincerely yours in transformative educational excellence,

Mel Nelson

Sagemont Preparatory Upper School

Felicia Myers, Upper School Principal

As we reflect on the 2023-24 academic year, it is impossible to list the numerous curricular and cocurricular achievements of our talented students. Over the course of this year alone, students launched the first-ever Community Service Fair, where community impact opportunities were highlighted, and participated in rigorous STEM competitions from Autonomous Aerial Drone Flight and Robotics in the brand new Innovation Hub on campus to the Astronaut Challenge at Kennedy Space Center. Students succeeded in new coursework on campus, such as theatre production and sculpture, building sustainable cities in Future Cities, and launching innovative products in various entrepreneurial classes and during the 7th-grade Innovation Fair. Our seniors successfully applied and earned scholarships through the College Counseling Class and finished their year creating passion projects designed to promote peace and wellness on and off campus through Youth & Peace in Action.

Thespians not only had a victorious return to state competitions, but drama students transformed the Black Box Theatre three times this year from their terrifying Haunted House, to the elegant cabaret-inspired Winter Follies to finally the depths of the jungle to experience Tarzan in collaboration with Sagemont Synergy. More students in the SCUBA club received their dive certifications and put their skills to the test when they participated in an in-depth coral reef restoration project. Students in our brand new Financial Literacy Applications class experienced realworld scenarios designed to prepare them for life beyond high school, and our original entrepreneurs on campus returned to their home away from home when Pride Rock was successfully re-opened. The re-opening of this collaborative space sparked new partnerships, where business-minded students have been selling their homemade products, and our student artists can proudly display and sell their artwork.

One of the major highlights of the 2023-24 academic year, was the much-anticipated return of the Week Without Walls program, during which middle school students had the opportunity to explore the national parks of Utah, Arizona and Nevada, as well as the high school international program to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands, where students visited the Darwin Research Center, climbed volcanoes, explored indigenous markets and traditions and swam with sea lions and turtles. Students participating in the local programming gave back to the community by packing over 15,000 meals with Rise Against Hunger and removing exotic plants and restoring the habitat for native flora and fauna at Long Key Nature Park. Students had behind-the-scenes access at the FBI Miami headquarters with their SWAT team, learned from graffiti artists at Wynwood Walls and became Pelagic Problem Solvers at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Reflection is a core component of Sagemont Prep’s educational pillars. As an educational institution, we have placed a high value on self-reflection and designed opportunities for students to engage in metacognition while emphasizing a growth mindset. Over the course of the year, embedded within our Advisory Program, students developed digital portfolios to showcase their learning process. Students were encouraged to highlight times of failure and what was learned from the experience, moments of success and how they achieved it, reflect on what academic areas they were passionate about and perhaps academic areas students were surprised to learn they enjoyed, as well as areas they discovered they did not prefer. This process is critical to helping students create their personalized pathway to success.

As student-powered innovation is embedded in all programming, it is essential that students feel confident in their direction and can communicate their goals to faculty, other students, and of course their families. It was incredibly rewarding to witness students sharing their educational journey over the year during student-led conferences, from pre-school through 12th grade.

As we promote the self-reflection and growth of our students, Sagemont Prep is dedicated to continual improvement and consistently seeking new and innovative ways to enhance programming for students and families. If you attended the Curriculum Fair in January, you received a sneak peek of what to look forward to for next year, beginning at orientation with new parent and student workshops designed to enhance your understanding of school programs, technology, and events.

Sagemont Prep is proud to launch a new engineering curriculum, to include Civil and Aerospace Engineering and new entrepreneurship offerings, to include GloBus Strategy, and to be the first high school in Florida to provide Lean Six Sigma certification. We are committed to increasing rigor across the curriculum to include a new science graduation track to build on 8th-grade high school physical science and to require three additional high school courses, for a total of 4 credits, and revamping the 6th-grade science curriculum to include a larger component of Earth Science. In the English department, all 7th-grade students are required to take an additional writing course to enhance their research and persuasive writing skills and launch the TEDed talks as a staple of 9th-grade English courses. Students will have the ability to take the HOPE physical education graduation requirement on campus and have the opportunity to pursue new elective offerings in film broadcast, musical theatre and forensic science.

In addition, now that students have learned the value of building digital portfolios and regularly incorporating reflection in all their classes, the Advisory program will shift gears to include more speaking engagements, a continuation of the Lion Table Talk and the addition of Lion Legacy Talks, an alumni speaker program, and group lessons with an emphasis on social and emotional wellbeing guided by the school counselors. Week Without Walls programming is shifting in dates to January of 2024, to become a required off-campus engagement opportunity with enhanced local programming and internship opportunities, and of course, incredible distance trips with the Middle School heading to visit the waterfalls and volcanoes of Hawaii and the High School heading to the see the majestic pyramids and cruise on the Nile in Egypt!

We wish you an enjoyable summer vacation with family and friends, and definitely make time for some rest, as 2023-24 will be action-packed at Sagemont Prep!

Sagemont Prep Lower School

Monica Vigna, Lower School Principal

As Sagemont Prep closes out the 22-23 academic year, it is a time of reflection, one of our educational pillars. Our school’s vision, mission, and educational pillars continue to lead our work to fully develop all our students as global learners, innovators, inquirers, and creators. This work demands high expectations from our teachers, staff, parents, and students. Our community service, school-wide events, and curriculum reflected high achievements.

Sagemont Prep has a very active and hands-on guidance program. Students are exposed to lessons and character programs correlated to their age group and grade level, such as Cyberbullying, Safe Child, Character Traits, Archways, Great Kindness Challenge, and Red Ribbon Week. The Student Council, organized by our school counselor, led a successful year of community service, student government, and environmental awareness. Within these areas, fundraising allowed these groups to donate eco-water fountains around campus. The students conducted monthly meetings with a clear agenda of responsibilities, projects, and suggestions for the school year. In addition, the council was invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at Weston’s City Hall monthly meeting.

Community involvement is effective and implemented at all grade levels beginning in preschool. Students grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally through their friendships, relationships, and connections with the community. Students are presented with events and opportunities involving the community, whether taking them out of the classroom or bringing the community to them. For example, students celebrated the City of Weston Broward Sheriff’s office by having Bagels with BSO, a parade, cheerleaders, posters, and lots of school spirit. In addition, gratitude was expressed to the City of Weston Fire Department by inviting them to the Fruit and Food with Fire and a parade, music, chants, and presentation. Community members were also invited to our Annual Career Day to present and teach our students about their profession/occupation. In addition, all grade levels adopted a community service project where students made an impact on those particular organizations selected by them. In the end, students reflected on their chosen community service project's process, success, and result.

Sagemont Prep’s mission is to develop well-rounded learners that embrace diversity and culture. The Spanish department planned a schoolwide Hispanic Heritage Festival encompassing presentations, displays, artifacts, museums, and student-led projects. The Art department displayed artwork in the Weston Arts Showcase, and the Weston Celebrates the Arts festival. Selected students were recognized at the ceremony. The artwork was also selected and displayed in the local coffee shop with a cat-drinking latte theme. The physical education department promoted health and fitness through the lessons across all grade levels. Our school participated in the City of Weston Commissioner’s Cup, where students could walk, jog or run as one school family. The school earned 1st place for the most participants in the run. It was a funfilled day that brought awareness of health, wellness, and fitness. Sagemont Prep received the first-place trophy and a monetary price which was allocated for playground equipment and toys. The music department participated in local community events that showcased our Show Choir, such as the Tree Lighting in Weston. In addition, a student Winter Show and a Spring Show, “Around the World in 80 Minutes,” at the Lauderhill Theater were held. The Science department conducted explorations, dissections, experiments, gardening, and other projects aligned with each grade's standards. The innovation class enhanced coding skills as well as provided hands-on robotics lessons. Our inaugural Night of Innovation, facilitated by Code Ninjas, was a fun, educational evening featuring over a dozen STEM stations, each with innovative tech and a Code Ninjas Sensei ready to leverage the equipment engagingly.

Sagemont Prep provides a rigorous, dynamic, and caring learning environment. Sagemont Prep’s intentional pathways for students encourage authentic engagement. When students are passionate, deeper learning occurs. Students across all grade levels in preschool through 5th grade explored various topics through the Sagemont Prep Signature Projects. For example, Sagemont Prep’s early childhood department worked collaboratively to develop and enhance academic and foundational skills aligned with the Links to Learning curriculum. In addition, preschool worked on their signature project of Flower Mart, and Prekindergarten worked on the Bees and Butterflies Simulation project. These projects went beyond the classroom, where connections were made, and lessons became real for the students.

Students had the opportunity of having guest speakers, such as a florist and a beekeeper. Students were encouraged to inquire and expand their knowledge of these topics. The foundational skills in kindergarten were further developed by incorporating entrepreneurship lessons across the curriculum. Students brainstormed businesses and completed a business plan. The students then presented their business plan to students at the Upper Campus Pride Rock Cafe, which is a business/coffee shop that the students run. Our Kinderpreneurs pitched their project to the Pride Rock students and had hands-on experience with how the cafe is operated and its responsibilities. Such jobs included but were not limited to cashiers, preparing the shakes, maintaining the cleanliness of the facility, pricing, marketing, and production. In addition, the business plan came to life when the students were taken to the local Publix to learn about departments, prices, replenishment of supplies, and customer service/care. Upper elementary students participated in dissections and NASA astronaut presentations and created their unique Shark Tank. The students were thrilled to display their projects at our First Signature Showcase Family Night. The families explored and learned about the other projects through the different classrooms. Students were to analyze each grade level’s project and search for the answers to the questions on their scavenger hunt. It was indeed a night of discovery and exploration!

Students at Sagemont Prep learn beyond the classroom walls. Students can apply their knowledge and educational pillars to real-life experiences. Our distance learning trips contributed to the further development of the school’s educational pillars. Students in 3rd grade traveled to Kennedy Space Center and participated in various space-related activities and stations. Fourth graders experienced animal life, an airboat ride, and Florida parks. Fifth-grade students learned about manatees and marine life and experienced a swimming adventure with manatees. Finally, students continued to learn beyond the classroom walls by participating in The Odyssey of the Mind competition. This competition taught students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problemsolvers.

Imagine being faced with a problem that requires an original solution. It was frightening yet challenging to develop and test the prototypes. The Odyssey of the Mind team united and became great listeners, allowing all participants to see their strengths emerge in the final project. These skills and self-confidence will carry over to all areas of their lives. Odyssey of the Mind brought the classroom to life as students applied what they learned and combined it with their interests and passions to solve the unique open-ended problem titled “Where’s the Structure.” This program also emphasized teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and more. This international program is designed to help students at all levels grow as individual learners and team members and reach their full potential.