i3 Scholars Already Taking On Active Roles Within The Academy

The school year hasn’t even started and yet we are already sure that we have the most amazing students.  Last week we had the pleasure of hosting our i³ student Architectural and Design Committees.  As we move forward with the preparations for our opening in August, we know that the success of our students is our number one priority, so it only makes sense to give them a voice during this process. 

Each of our committee meetings began with a tour of the campus and a discussion of what it really means to be an i³ student.  Then our conversations turned to some of our architectural and design needs.  We have some unique spaces here at i³ and very much want some student input on how these spaces get setup and eventually used.  We are currently looking at creating some small group breakout rooms and a production lab.  During the meeting, our Architectural Committee scholars gave honest and meaningful feedback on some of our ideas and even shared some of their own ideas that they had been working on.  It was exciting to find out that many of our ideas seemed to be aligned.  It looks like our first Design Committee priorities will be our student t-shirt designs and the design of our front gate.  Both of these projects will be a great opportunity for our scholars to really make a lasting impact on our academy.  

We would like to thank these scholars and their families for giving up part of their valuable summer to join us on these new endeavors.  i³ scholars if you were unable to attend our first meetings you are still welcome to join us for our next one.  Be sure to call or email for more information (386-437-7540 ext. 6124 or sandsk@flaglerschools.com).  Thank you for your continued support!

New Tech: New Schools Training 2013

A few weeks ago, our facilitators had the opportunity to attend the New Tech: New Schools Training in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Facilitators from this year’s 20 or more brand new, New Tech Schools from around the country were in attendance.  This training was jam packed with new teaching strategies and protocols that are part of the New Tech Project Based Learning approach to the curriculum.  A really cool and unexpected part of the training was the presence of student voice.  Current New Tech students were there to share their side of the story and offer meaningful feedback on our ideas and attended many of our sessions. We were also able to network with other experienced New Tech facilitators and coaches, from around the country, who will be supporting us on the coming journey.  These five training days were among the longest and toughest we have ever attended.  This trip has enabled us to grow professionally and even closer together as a team.  We are grateful for this opportunity and definitely left this training bursting with new ideas and an excitement about the coming year.

Grand Rapids, MI

Summer Update

Even though it is summertime, we are busy getting everything ready for our opening this August. Our facilitators are hard at work planning some very exciting projects that will engage our scholars while helping them to bridge the connection between school and the real world. Our Guidance and Administrative staff is currently working on creating our scholar schedules for next year.  We do have about 20 student openings left, so if you happen to know anyone who might be interested in attending the academy please send them our way.  Once we reach 130 students or the first day of school, we will no longer be accepting applications.

We are currently looking for i³ scholars that would like to take on some leadership roles within the academy.  Our first opportunity will be for our scholars to volunteer this summer to be part of our Architectural Committee.  This group will help us make important decisions about the layout, furnishings, and decorating needs of i³. The second opportunity will be for some of our creative scholars to join our Design Committee.  This group will be working on designing our school shirts and signage.  If your scholar is interested in either of these opportunities please email us at sandsk@flaglerschools.com or call us at 386-437-7540 ext. 6124.

We are very excited about the upcoming school year and hope you are too.  Be sure to like our Flagler i³: New Tech Academy page on Facebook, as another way to stay up to date on the latest i³ news.  Please don't forget to mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

• i³ New Tech Academy Open House: August 13th and 14th at 6pm - Choose one, as agenda will be the same each night.
• 9th grade FPCHS Orientation and Schedule Pick-up (i³ families need to attend this also): August 15th at 6pm
• 10th grade Schedule Pick-up: August 16th at 9am
• First Day of School: August 19th