How are parents involved at Acton?
- Exhibitions
- The school year consists of six 5-7 week sessions that make up the yearly Learning Arch. At the end of each session is an exhibition
- At Acton Academy, we choose public exhibitions over exams. So, at the end of every Quest, rather than taking a test, our Eagles are challenged to show what they have learned through a creative event for an audience of their peers, parents and professionals in a related field. Exhibitions come in many forms: an original theater production, a chess tournament or a mock trial of Socrates, to list just a few examples.
- Journey Meetings 3 times a year
- In addition to weekly journey meetings with a guide, three times a year, learners have journey meetings with a guide and their parents. While the weekly journey meetings help equip the learners for the meetings with their parents, the learners also spend a lot of time preparing.
- They complete reflection and tracking sheets to review and map their goals and achievements over the course of the year. Additionally, the guides challenge the learners to anticipate the types of questions their parents might ask. These preparations allow the learners to take the lead in the meetings and confidently present their progress in core skills (math, reading, grammar, spelling) and studio life.
- Journey meetings bring together different components of learning at Acton Academy, such as learning to do, learning to be, and learning to learn, and are a special time for learners because they get to demonstrate their ownership over their Acton journeys and share their progress.
- Friday family launch
- Once a month on the last Friday, parents will be invited to observe the morning launch in the studio. They will not be participants, but can observe the class dynamic, watch learners take a stand, and contribute
- Field trips
- Field trips are going to be incorporated into the schedule of Acton as often as possible. We will be visiting people in the community doing amazing things. Examples include the shores of Lake Erie, local creeks and woods, an architecture firm, a faith-based horse farm, an industrial print shop, and the firehouse of a local city.
- Parents will be invited to join us on field trips to transport learners and chaperone if needed
- “Experts” and speakers
- A part of the Acton model is to invite experts into the classroom to share their experiences and how they found their God-given calling
- Parents who would like to share their story will be given the chance to join our studios
- 3 parent dinners a year
- Three times a year we will be breaking bread together to discuss our family’s hero’s journey, the community we are building, and to build our tribe
- Weekly coffee meet ups with other parents
- Similarly, parents are encouraged to have weekly or bi-weekly coffee meet ups. This has worked well on other Acton campuses to share and learn, and support each other in this journey
- Weekly and daily conversations with your learner
- Parents must be actively involved in their learners journey. This means asking questions like:
- What are your goals this week in the studio?
- Did you accomplish your goals this week?
- Can you show me your Kahn (or another math program) dashboard? Can we look at your progress from this week?
- Parents must be actively involved in their learners journey. This means asking questions like: