By shifting the focus of learning from teacher to student, students are empowered to:

• actively participate in their own education and 

• take ownership of their learning experience.

Key characteristics include active engagement, collaboration, choice and agency, and personalized learning. In this approach, teachers are not mere "vessels of information." Rather, they act as facilitators and mentors who provide support and resources, while encouraging student autonomy.

Many people equate nontraditional educational settings with a lack of rigor, while this couldn’t be further from the truth at SNA. Rigor at SNA:

• focuses on depth of analysis, exploring complex ideas, and challenging assumptions, not simply focusing on breadth of material.

• promotes critical thinking through evaluating evidence, constructing well-developed arguments, and challenging biases, not accepting information at face value.

• requires engaging in well-established research methods based on academic discipline, not simply searching for information.

• emphasizes the learning process over the final product.

In short, all SNA students are held to high academic expectations.

This active learning process requires students to:

• explore, 

• research,

• form an understanding of concepts,

• and develop a variety of skills.

Students must then effectively demonstrate their knowledge through a range of communication styles.This rigorous approach does not allow students to passively receive information & prevents apathy & disengagement.

From the earliest years through high school graduation, we encourage all ages to "dig in" to learn through direct experience and active engagement.

This promotes improved:

• understanding and retention,

• critical thinking and problem-solving skills,

• motivation and engagement, and

• social skills and collaboration.

The simple, but critical result? It makes the learning process more fun, and therefore more successful.

Differentiation means:

• meeting students where they are, not lowering expectations.

• varied and ongoing assessment, not a single test “at the end.”

• the use of multiple instructional methods (whole class, small group, individual), not being reliant on teacher dictation.

• engaging students through allowing interest-based choices, not diminishing their voice and autonomy.

• identifying and celebrating individual student growth, not relying on a narrow definition of excellence or achievement.

From our LEED-certified green facilities to the way we approach curriculum and instruction, our school organization remains flexible, adaptive and forward-thinking! We achieve this through:

• constant learning and reflection,

• problem-finding and goal-setting,

• creativity and critical thinking,

• collaboration and communication, and

• technology integration.

...Plus so much more!