Outstanding Academic Program

Palm Beach Day Academy Garden Program

1. Palm Beach Day Academy’s Organic Garden Program

Through ten student-led organic gardens, children two years old through Grade 8 are taught teamwork, problem solving and the importance of caring for the world around them along with the inherent scientific lessons found within the gardens. The weekly time spent in the gardens also promotes physical activity and a healthy lifestyle, resulting in a holistic learning experience that fosters essential life skills.

Community partner FreshRX hosts weekly 20-minute gardening sessions for Lower Campus classrooms and 5th Grade teacher Thomas Ellis leads the garden for Upper Campus students. The Lower Campus also partners with Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, which has led to the design and creation of two butterfly gardens featuring native Florida plants. The Organic Garden Program partners with the school’s SAGE Dining as well and provides countless pounds of harvest that is served during lunch to 575 students, faculty and staff on a weekly basis.

The love of gardening extends to the PBDA parent community, who has created a “Health, Wellness, and Sustainability” parent committee that brings in additional community partners, such as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) partnership with Swank Farm, to further elevate the mission of our gardens.

PBDA is proud of the many lessons the program has taught students thus far and look forward to continuing to build upon the program’s success and furthering the school’s missions as a “Green School of Excellence”.


 
Greene Aeronautics Academy

2. The Greene School Aeronautics Academy

The Greene School Aeronautics Academy is an exceptional institution that goes above and beyond to cultivate a passion for aeronautics among its students. With its flight training center featuring five flight simulator stations and dedicated workspace for aeronautical engineering challenges, the academy provides a realistic and immersive learning experience.

One of the remarkable aspects of the academy is its emphasis on practical training. Students have the opportunity to log hours in the program, allowing them to earn actual flights in airplanes and gliders. This hands-on approach enables students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, enhancing their understanding of aviation concepts.

The academy caters to a wide range of age groups, starting from 4th grade through middle school. Students can opt for aeronautics as an after-school activity or a middle school elective. At the elementary level, students begin by building Styrofoam gliders and learning basic aerodynamics. They also gain exposure to flight simulators, which introduce them to soaring skills and further develop their understanding of aviation principles.

In the middle school elective, students delve into advanced aerodynamics, mathematics, and weather. They explore navigation techniques using the latest GPS technologies, both on iPads and on the flight deck. Through engaging activities, such as applying Bernoulli’s principles to engineer wing designs and calculating fuel burns and crosswind components for flight planning, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The academy utilizes the Condor Soaring Simulator, a state-of-the-art training tool with realistic graphics and cockpit sounds, to simulate glider flights. This prepares students for actual flight experiences while earning their private pilot glider rating, wing runner certification, and successfully passing their FAA private pilot glider written exam.

The visionary behind this exceptional program is Kaye Ebelt, an experienced instructor and founder of the Aeronautics Academy. Her unique approach to STEM education through aviation captivates students, making learning an adventure. As a certified private pilot in powered aircraft and gliders, she leads by example and recently received a flight scholarship to earn her certified flight instructor’s rating, further enhancing her ability to inspire and mentor the next generation of STEM innovators, engineers, and leaders.
The Greene School Aeronautics Academy stands as a beacon of innovation in STEM education. By combining aeronautics with hands-on experiences, practical training, and the guidance of a dedicated instructor, the academy ignites a passion for aviation in students, empowering them to become future pioneers in the field.


 

Lake Worth Community High School Band Program

3. Lake Worth Community High School Band Program

The Lake worth high School band is not only a music making powerhouse in central Palm Beach County, but is a hub of cultural acceptance, individual growth, and community engagement in Lake Worth Beach. In just five years, the band has grown from a membership of just nine students to over 150 young musicians. The band staff strives to provide world-class music, education opportunities for all students, regardless of race, class, gender, or musical experience. Band Director, Dr. Tiffany Cox, emphasizes the importance of community service and civic engagement in her band students. And students have a great deal of leadership opportunities, in training that prepare them for life as active and contributing citizens in our communities. The Trojan sound band program is more than just a class during the school day, it is a family, a safe place for students to thrive, regardless of the hardships that they have endured.


 

4. Rosarian Academy’s STEM Program

To ensure its students are prepared for the science and technology of their future, Rosarian
Academy developed The Freitas STEM Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art, hands-on
learning environment for science and technology.

Rosarian also teamed with the Carnegie Science Center to become the first Carnegie STEM
Excellence Pathway Partner in the state of Florida. This partnership enables Rosrian to
offer a research-based and field-proven strategic planning process to its STREAM (Science,
Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) initiative.

Features of the curriculum include the robotics and coding programs. Robotics are first
introduced in the Montessori classes and continue through 8th grade, with additional
robotics opportunities available on the lower and middle school robotics teams. Coding
begins in first grade and culminates in the Carnegie Melon University designed program
“CS Academy,” which teaches the Python programming language through a high school
level.

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