The Sharon Academy

The Sharon Academy

The Sharon Academy (TSA) will kick off the 2008-09 school year with their annual community building workshop days. Grades seven, eight and nine begin Wednesday, Aug. 27. The incoming high school class of 2012 will enjoy a day of orientation by the senior class of 2009. Students in grades 10, 11 and 12 return to the high school on Thursday. Parents and board members join students Friday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. for an all-school community potluck supper to meet TSA faculty and staff as well as other students and their families.

After a six-year absence, Nicki Abetti is back to teach foreign language at the middle school level. She will teach Spanish this year as part of the two-year foreign language program that introduces Spanish one year and French the next. TSA parent and volunteer, Natalie Golden, joins the middle school staff as well, teaching math, supervising study hall, and helping with Literary Circle, encouraging students to read.

Long-time TSA parent, Pat Woodin, comes on board as the information and technology coordinator, keeping the facility up-to-date with modern technology, hardware and software at both the middle and high schools. This year’s U.S. history course, taught by Seth Goodwin, will frequently integrate multimedia and web-based resources into the curriculum. Weekly current events discussions will be supplemented with videostreaming from news sources such as BBC and CNN. Historical footage will be viewed on "You Tube" and "Google Video." Goodwin is also designing a class website on "wikispaces" where announcements, syllabi, websites and readings will be posted. Since the site is a wiki (meaning content can be edited by other users), students will be able to add and edit content related to the class.

Louise Caldwell will be at the high school full-time this year, teaching math and providing academic services for students. Students are supported by her efforts academically as well as through the staffing of the Student Services Center, which is available to students all day long for any concerns, academic, social, or otherwise. Robert Bryant of Second Growth continues to be available one day per week to counsel students in groups or one-on-one.

This year, students in grades 11 and 12 travel to the school’s sister community, Cotui, in the Dominican Republic. Students will be working alongside Dominicans to build libraries and community ovens. All students at Sharon Academy are required to perform 40 hours of community service during the school year.

High school students will perform "Guys and Dolls" as their annual all-school musical at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph November 20, 21 and 22. The middle school will perform their annual circus in the spring.

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