Dear Moravian Academy Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff,
As a school, we are engaged in a process of continual improvement, a journey that extends from one year to the next as we seek to perpetually improve how our students are learning and preparing to thrive in this complex and evolving world. Collectively, we are a school in motion and the school’s vision is our map for the journey, both where we have been and where we are headed.
For many, looking ahead is the most exciting part. I know it is for me. The excitement of the future sustains our energy and motivates us to keep improving ourselves. Ultimately, this enthusiasm - and this Moravian feeling of belonging to a community of ambitious ideas and collective passion - is essential for the pursuit of excellence. As each of us navigates the uncertainties of our current world, it is becoming clear that individual success and collective success are truly intertwined.
We are opening the 2019-20 school year with a lot of excitement around this year’s growth initiatives, which are described in more detail in the attached strategic progress report. The new projects enhance our strong curriculum in academics, arts, and athletics while giving our students critical advantages in preparing for their futures. Individually, each one is meant to deepen the student experience and to improve how each student is learning how to become the most effective learner. Collectively, we’ve designed the initiatives to help each student take advantage of the signature opportunities available in this special community, one that rewards both excellence and curiosity.
New Initiatives for 2019-20
The Personal Research Curriculum
New academic programs will form a coordinated pathway from early childhood to senior year to grow each student’s skills for conducting research and creating original ideas in their chosen interest areas and emerging passions.
Advisory in Grades 6-12 and Homeroom in Grades P-5
These updated programs will enhance each student’s relationships in school, feelings of belonging, and individual skills to direct his or her own learning.
Connect to Life: Turman Mentorship Program and Summer Term 2020
These two vital additions will help students connect learning to the outside world and to develop their futures while they are still enrolled at Moravian Academy.
“Reimagining the Schoolhouse” Renovation Project
Designing a new library, art, and music wing in the Lower School to meet the needs of the most curious and ambitious learners in the Lehigh Valley.
You can learn about several ongoing improvement projects in the report: safety and security training and practices for students; the development of new Spanish Humanities curriculum for bilingual, Spanish learners in grades 5-8; and the enhancement of myMA to allow students to keep track of class assignments and tests in and out of the classroom. We are also expanding our efforts to understand who our students and the broader community are through a parent survey planned for this fall.
I know we are all invested in the health and vibrancy of our school. I hope this report helps you understand how Moravian Academy is growing every year in thoughtful and sustained ways. We value each of your perspectives and I invite you to participate whenever you can in helping our school build a truly world-class education for each student.
Sincerely,