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Health & Fitness

New Blended School – Getting Ready to Meet our First Students!

As an educator, the back-to-school time is among the most exciting times of the year. When you’re opening a brand new school, with a new approach to learning – Nexus Academy of Royal Oak – you can multiply the excitement ten-fold.

Leveraging technology, Nexus Academy of Royal Oak is a “blended” high school that combines online learning with a unique campus that more closely resembles the learning spaces you find in college. In addition, there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to when and where students learn.  Our students spend a portion of their school day on-campus (4 hours a day / 4 days a week) while the rest of the time they learn online from home, the library, or another location. Nexus Academy a great option for kids who want to take on college-level classes or get jobs, or those who simply want a new educational experience. It is truly a new frontier.

Having served as principal at a traditional charter school for the past several years, I’m eager to experience, along with the students, the new blended learning environment and what it offers, including flexibility, individualized learning, and personal accountability. Over the past several weeks, I’ve enjoyed working closely with our teachers, gearing up to greet our inaugural class of students. Many of our educators come from the traditional school setting and while many haven’t taught in this type of school setting before, the extensive training they’ve received, as well as the ongoing resources and support available to them, is making for a smooth transition.

Thinking back to past first days of school, one thing I’ve always been impressed by is the level of energy students bring. It’s a thrill to watch as they catch up with old friends and make new connections. Their energy and excitement sets the tone for the entire school year. As we get set to open our doors for the first time, I’m expecting the energy level at Nexus Academy to be immeasurable as students get acclimated to a vastly different learning environment than they’ve ever experienced before. I’m sure there will be butterflies – among students and teachers – but those nerves will soon be replaced with confidence as we get to know each other, start classes, and focus on what brought us together -- the desire for an innovative new form of education.

Dale Bernard, principal of Nexus Academy of Royal Oak

 

 

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