Page 18 - Scene Magazine 43-03 March 2018

Education Scene
Marshall Academy – Growth and Change
BY LESLIE KATZ, Headmaster
Chartered by Ferris State Uni- versity, Marshall Academy became a free public school academy in 2000 based upon a class- ical model to offer
a choice in education. Not every school is the right fit for a student, therefore choice needs to be available.
In the classical model there are three stages of the trivium – grammar, log- ic, and rhetoric. Young students master basic skills and facts and figures in the grammar stage. The next stage, logic, students differentiate facts and opin- ions and learn to organize. Finally, stu- dents learn to express their conclusions through writing and speaking during the rhetoric stage. In the classical mod- el, all knowledge is woven together. While students study a historical time
period they read a novel, biography, or autobiography from that time period, or set in that time period. Each subject is not its own discipline, but rather each subject is intertwined, and through this model knowledge and understanding deepen.
Marshall Academy’s mission state- ment guides our programming: “As members of the Marshall Academy community, we pledge our best efforts to create and maintain a disciplined learning environment based upon tra- ditional moral values, while assuring mastery of the classic fundamentals of learning and challenging our students to excel in their given talents.”
The arts are an important part of a classical curriculum. The music pro- gram is a highlight of Marshall Acad- emy. Our music program includes vo- cal ensemble, band starting in fourth grade, and an original spring musical.
Mr. Knoch, the music teacher, has es- tablished a quality program since our founding in 2000. Mrs. Howell in- structs students in art K-12, maintaining a quality program as well. Additionally, Marshall Academy now hosts a Ro- botics and Lego team as they integrate math, science, communication, and team building.
In order to maintain a disciplined learning environment our teaching staff develops classroom procedures and routines that support students in their social, emotional, and academic development. Over the past year we have adopted a different approach to student behavior. The importance of getting to the “why” of behavior be- came a priority over punishing the be- havior. There are three tiers of support for Marshall Academy students. All students at Marshall Academy bene- fit from tier one supports that focus on building a healthy classroom and school community, while intention- ally teaching social, emotional, and academic expectations. Students who exhibit a need for additional support will participate in tier two to learn ways to take ownership of their be- havior and prevent future incidents. Tier three supports are reserved for the few students who create an unsafe environment and will receive appro- priate consequences. To build a com- munity, students will learn that they have control over the choices they make and must be held responsible for those choices. We believe that we can impact appropriate behavior by creating a caring, encouraging, and consistent environment. Using our ex- pectations in concert with leadership, professional development, instruc- tion, curriculum, and assessment, Marshall Academy creates a culture of high expectations, acceptance, and citizenship.
As Marshall Academy grows and develops, we keep in mind that we must provide an “Education for a Life- time of Excellence.”
For further information on classical studies visit WellTrainedMind.com.
18 SCENE 4303 I EDUCATION ISSUE