Page 23 - Scene Magazine 43-08 August 2018
P. 23

Back-To-School
BY NOAH WILSON, Director of Marshal Academy
Education is an individual pursuit. No one can learn the rigorous curriculum for you. Knowledge cannot be forced. No one can build important friend- ships on your be-
half. However, a great aspect of education, is that no one can ever take it away from you. For this reason, it is of the utmost im- portance that you make sure you choose the right institution to gain this lifelong advantage.
With any major decision in life it is important that you take into account all of your choices and weigh each one carefully. There are a number of choices you could be missing out on if you simply take the path of the populist. Marshall Academy is one of the choices. The small personal niche school may not be the choice for you, but knowing your options and weigh- ing them carefully is, a very intelligent choice to consider.
Charter schools are not private and they do not cost money to attend. The funding for charters comes from state and feder- al sources. Therefore, all of the rules and policies of the public schools must be fol- lowed. This includes having a highly qual- ified staff, and participating in all mandat- ed state reporting measures. In fact, charter schools are actually held to a bit of a higher standard, because they also operate under their individual charter contract. This adds accountability not only at the state level, but also to the charter which is usually held by a state university.
Marshall Academy’s charter is held by Ferris State University. Being one of their fifteen schools across the state is not what sets them apart. Marshall Academy was founded by a local group of commu- nity parents who wanted a morally focused learning environment as a choice for edu- cation. In 2000 the school was opened to provide our community with the choice of providing our students a classical educa- tion in a small group setting.
In 2000 the Academy pledged to create and maintain a disciplined learning environ- ment based upon traditional moral values, while assuring mastery of the classic fun- damentals of learning and challenging our students to excel in their given talents. Since the opening, the focus has been to provide an education for a lifetime of excellence.
“Finding Your Best Fit”
Marshall Academy’s excellence in ed- ucation reaches beyond the classical cur- riculum to include the arts. Latin’s strong traditional heritage and mythological ties provide the fundamentals of our language program from third grade through gradu- ation. The art program not only instills a love of creation, but also dives deep into the fundamentals of composition. Music, in its many forms, is one of the shining gems of our school culminating in the end of the year musical. It is written, directed, and performed in our community theater... 100% by academy volunteers.
Excellence in extracurricular activities extends our moral values and teaches stu- dents a sense of responsibility and disci- pline. Along with programs like Girls on the Run, Quiz Bowl, and the classic mov- ie club, Marshall Academy hosts a full line up of varsity level sports. This past year, the basketball team reached excel- lence finishing with an 18-3 record, a con- ference title, and a district title under their belts as well.
Excellence in building positive rela- tionships fosters our fundamental belief in building a strong community. Mar- shall Academy does not simply rest on numbers to provide more support to our students. The academy is actively tar- geting students to build a one of a kind community. The Gentlemen of Quality and Leading Ladies programs are aimed at creating leaders out of the highest grades and preparing them for the next step in their lives. The S.O.S. mentoring program allows each staff member to take an active interest in one individual student and show them that there truly is someone that cares for them. Morning meetings each day, restorative practices in every classroom, and an actively en- gaged re-set room ensure that every sin- gle student in the academy has the caring community built right in.
If excellence is your choice, then we want you to consider choosing Marshall Academy, where our focus is always, “Education for a Lifetime of Excellence.”
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