A typical day at BA...

Throughout this year, I have discussed the academic rigors that the students of Brandon Academy face each day. We have delved into discussion about individual subjects, homework and project requirements and purposes, the importance of public speaking, learning how to time manage, what challenges the future holds for these young people in tomorrow’s work force and much more.

But today, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the academic growth of our students in the many creative an innovative ways BA offers. In walking around our school I saw students from multiple grade levels learning about Rome by creating Roman wreaths and standards. I saw students building and creating their own rockets that they will launch. I saw children learning about the Battle of New Orleans and French culture and traditions all while eating authentic New Orleans king cake. Meanwhile still other students were busy building and designing robots to “battle” each other. I saw this all in one day!!

In the world of education today the word collaboration is a hot topic. But how does that really manifest itself? One could see that question answered firsthand. Gifted teachers creating unique, challenging and fun activities, enthusiastic students actively engaged and learning beyond the classroom and the textbook, and in many cases, caring parents right by their side assisting in a true sense of community. A truly inspiring sight.

Next Friday, Feb 3, we invite you to visit Brandon Academy for an afternoon of true STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) activities with our students. Next Friday, our brand new Robotics class will have a demonstration in the Gym at 1:00pm of “Sumo Wrestling Robots”.  Designed and built by our students in the new Robotics class, this promises to be a new fun tradition at BA. Immediately after, join us on the field as the 5^th grade class will be launching the model rockets that they have built and designed. This is the seventh year our fifth graders have become rocketeers!

While the backbone of any student’s education lies in the classroom, often that education comes to life and use outside of the classroom. It is amazing to see this take place… even in one day!

R.Rudolph

Head of School

Brandon Academy

Academics and Discipline

As we close the first nine weeks and begin the second, this is a good time to take another look at the many aspects of academics at Brandon Academy. Today we want to explore the relationship of classroom and school wide discipline as related to academic success.

From our very youngest grades, classroom behavior and expectations are practiced.  Classroom discipline and expectations begin simple in the lower grades and become more advanced in the upper grades.  Research has proven that students themselves seek an orderly and organized environment to learn. Distractions and disorganization have a tendency to stress students and extract from the learning environment.

Classroom discipline and a positive environment are a top priority at BA. Starting with our admission process, students must meet certain requirements, both academic as well as conduct, to qualify. The admission process is paramount to all private schools as this is the time for a school to make the decision on the type of student who will sit in the classroom. Preventing and avoiding potential problems before they begin is a large factor in maintaining a well-structured classroom. At BA, past disciplinary issues is one of the major factors in an admission refusal. Just this past spring, BA refused admission to over 30 high school applicants alone. The reasons are many and vast, but discipline is always a consideration.

Throughout all of our grades we emphasize a system of positive reinforcements and rewards for approved behaviors and a system of consequences for inappropriate ones. The “Conduct Reward Day” we have done in Middle School for many years was one of the items highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education during our Blue Ribbon process. That idea was passed along to other schools in the Blue Ribbon community.

Lastly, it has always been a source of great pride when we lead our students out into the community for field trips and overnight experiences. Time and time again our students have been pointed out for outstanding and respectful behavior. This has happened as near as the local firehouse, all the way to the United States Capital and Arlington National Cemetery.

Our students are our greatest strength and maintaining an environment for them to thrive has been and will continue to be a hallmark of BA.

Science at Brandon Academy

As the calendar approaches the end of September, this is a great time to take a deeper look at another aspect of the academic challenges of the Brandon Academy student. This week’s focus will be on the science program throughout our school.

The importance of science and the studies of the many different fields and careers cannot be overstated. In our modern world, the field of science is one of the most rapidly changing and developing of all professions. It has been stated that 40%-60% of the jobs our children will have, have not yet been invented. Many of these will lie in this field.

At Brandon Academy, science has a significant position in our curriculum. From our earliest grades, students are taught the basics of science and, especially, science lab procedures and safety. All students have science labs built into their curriculum to coincide with classroom instruction.  These labs grow increasingly more challenging and difficult as we ascend grade levels. One of the most important aspects of the labs is requiring the students to write lab reports. The formal written lab report is a must for the rising IB student. This skill starts as early as first grade and, once again, becomes more demanding the higher the grade level.

The topics of our courses vary widely and include such disciplines as the importance of natural resources and pollution, the importance of reduce, reuse and recycle among our second graders, life cycle of plants and animals in third grade and intensive study of weather, air masses and hurricanes in fourth and fifth grade. Sometimes, these lower school classes will go into even greater, higher level topics such as biotic and abiotic factors, biome study or creation of static electricity.

In the Middle and High schools, the curriculum accelerates. The Middle School students have delved into motion and energy, as well as the effects of soil erosion and how this is affected by the angle of the slope. In high school intensive study of vertebrates vs. invertebrates is a central theme in biology. Recent labs included the regeneration of planaria where students actually got to see planaria worms divided and watch them regenerate into new worms.  In high school level physics, Newtonian laws are the focus with experiments focusing on force including the inclined plane among others.

As we move further into the 21^st century it is imperative science be a focus for all our students as we ensure multiple options for their careers in the future.  And, after all, isn’t this our goal for our all our students. This week alone, our high school students will meet with representatives from universities such as FSU, Tulane and Embry-Riddle. Having a diverse and meaningful education that includes the ever expanding and changing world of science, will be a tremendous asset as our students move through their academic careers.

Here is hoping for a wonderful rest of our week.

R.Rudolph

Head of School

Brandon Academy

Back to School 2016

Welcome back to school (again)! It seems we had just gotten into a groove with the start of school only to be interrupted by weather. Such is life in Florida. 

It is so good to be back now with our students and really have the school year underway.

Throughout this year, I will use this forum to concentrate on the true nature of what any school should have as its central core - its academics. Academics are the strength of Brandon Academy and our past accomplishments of our school as a whole and our students speaks for themselves. Over the years we have seen our school grow from its humble beginnings as a part of the University of Tampa to the full, all encompassing learning institution we have today. We have watched our students go on to be high school valedictorians, being accepted by the likes of MIT and Penn among many many others and becoming nationally recognized for academic accomplishments like the Scripps Spelling Bee and the National Geographic Bee. 

The completion of our new Student Life Center and new classroom building has brought our campus to the forefront of all Brandon schools. And, of course, the birth of our new High School has finally given our students the option to continue their education at BA. 

So what about this year? What is on the horizon for the academic accomplishments of our students this year? Those will be the topics of this forum throughout this school year. 

Fast approaching is what promises to be several historic days for Brandon Academy. First, on Sept. 15 the students of Brandon Academy High School will be visited by Florida Atlantic University. This will be followed by visits from Florida State University, Tulane University, Embry-Riddle University, Florida Gulf Coast University and many more.  The high school students will also be visiting the campuses personally of FAU, Florida Gulf Coast and Florida International. This is all taking place for our freshman and sophomores!!! One of the biggest weaknesses I have seen of other high schools is that the college conversation is not happening early enough to give students a realistic goal to aim towards. To that end, in addition to all this exposure to colleges and universities they will receive at Brandon Academy, our students will also take the PSAT and the practice ACT in preparation for college admission. This will be followed by individual meetings, as we did last year as well, to help guide our students in their university selection.

What an exciting time for all of students! 

Next week, I will focus on what the International Baccalaureate program will mean to BA as a full school community. I will discuss what IB is and how our youngest students all the way through to the high school Class of 2019 will greatly benefit. This academic growth will have give tremendous academic benefits to all of our students.

Have a great rest of the week!

Robert Rudolph

Head of School

Brandon Academy

IB at Brandon Academy

In a continuation of my series of academic interests and growth of our students, I will be focusing on Brandon Academy’s selection of the International Baccalaureate program.

The IB program, as it is known, is a global instructional ideology that has become quite popular in the United States, and especially in Florida, in recent years. IB presents a challenging and visionary curriculum for students and gives them a distinct advantage over their peers in non-IB schools.

Brandon Academy’s selection of the IB program was driven mainly to give our students an advantage on college applications in conjunction with many common educational philosophies. In this modern world of hyper-competitive college admissions, IB stands above all other programs including AP course work and Honors programs when the time arrives for college applications.

Throughout our school we will see more and more of the positive effects of IB as we prepare our students for the academic rigors of Pre-IB and, eventually, the IB Diploma Program. All of our students will benefit greatly throughout the length of their education by striving to fulfill the IB Learner Profile, which includes: open-mindedness, caring, balanced, knowledgeable, thinkers, risk-takers, reflective, communicators, inquirers and principled. I truly believe these are traits we all seek for our children.

In addition, IB also drives community service and spirit through its Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) program that focuses students on becoming community and global leaders. Through community service, out of school activities, active participation in off campus causes, the student will gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the challenges in the 21st Century. Understanding viewpoints from all parts of the world and getting involved will foster a holistic approach to education.

In October, International Baccalaureate will visit our campus and we will be proud to share our students’ successes. Our classrooms will exhibit these learner profile traits as a reminder to our students of their goals. From our youngest three year olds to our high school students, we are helping to develop the global leaders of tomorrow.