Upper Division
What attracts parents and students to Academy at the Lakes’ Upper Division? The promise of an outstanding college preparatory education draws their attention. But it is the sense of community that piques their interest. It is palpable. Often, parents comment that they wish they could enroll.
Relationships
Our mission mandates that we dedicate ourselves to the success of each individual in our community, and the atmosphere is conducive to that end. From the initial admissions interview to the alumni holiday gathering, our concerted effort to nurture and maintain strong relationships is evident. Relationships are central to the Academy at the Lakes experience. Students quickly learn that the road to success lies in their ability to build lasting bonds with peers, with teachers, and with adults in the community. It is this ability, coupled with true academic achievement, that opens doors both today and into the future.
Opportunities…
To Think
Academic work at Academy at the Lakes takes many forms. We know well that one size does not fit all teenagers. A range of courses provides each student with appropriate challenge through the Advanced Placement level. AP, honors, and regular courses coexist in our broad program. In Advanced Scientific Research (a signature course developed by our Ph.D. science faculty), students choose a topic in the fall, gather their research in the winter, and publish their findings and present their work at fairs and symposia in the spring. With the assistance of our faculty, they establish relationships with local college professors, visit college labs, interview graduate students, and experience college level science in ways that few high school students can. In 2009, Academy science students presented their findings at the Geological Society of America conference in St. Petersburg. Many who attended the conference found our students’ projects comparable to graduate level work.
To Stretch
During their Upper Division years, each student must write and deliver a Senior Speech at Morning Meeting. These speeches are the culmination of several performance-based events that dot the landscape of our students’ high school careers. Some present legislation and debate public policy before the Junior State of America Congresses in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C. Others appear annually in the school musicals, in dramatic productions, and in the Winter and Spring Concerts. Students in the chorus, orchestra, or band programs have even more opportunities for public performance. By the time students take the stage for their Senior Speech, they possess a comfort level that allows them to pour their thoughts and feelings into their oration. It is not uncommon for there to be few dry eyes in the audience when the speakers conclude. Underclassmen provide the perfect audience, for they know that their turn at the podium will soon come. They listen respectfully, knowing that the path they pursue will eventually lead them to the same stage.
To Compete and Create
Through our inclusive culture, Upper Division students are encouraged to be athletes and artists. A “no-cut” policy provides each student the opportunity to be on a team, to proudly wear their school’s colors in interscholastic competition, to be cheered as our school’s standard bearer. The power of athletic experiences to teach the lessons of teamwork, effort, commitment, and leadership is transformative and accessible for all of our student-athletes. Our outstanding coaches challenge, nurture, and inspire our students to genuine personal achievement and growth. As a result, many Academy alumni are competing at the college level in NCAA Division I, II, and III settings. The individual and collaborative skills learned in Academy team sports experiences are very much aligned with what the 21st century workplace will require of our students.
Our fine arts program provides students high-quality professional instruction in choral and instrumental music, theater, dance, and studio art. Our fine arts teachers all have professional performing lives outside of school, which gives our students the unique opportunity to see and hear their teachers perform throughout Tampa Bay in the metropolitan area’s top venues. As a result of the excellent instruction they receive, our students have arts experiences that are truly special. Our community is justifiably proud of all of our performing groups and the ways that Academy arts experiences teach, transform, and enrich.
To Mature
Prior to graduation, every senior is required to pass a course in personal finance. We believe that financial literacy is an essential competency that will lead our students and alumni to great success and, ultimately, the freedom to pursue their dreams and goals.
Through the many Academy experiences with our accomplished and talented faculty, our students learn and grow. They develop confidence, awareness, and judgment. They learn how to learn and how to choose well.
College. . . and Beyond
Academy graduates are accepted at the finest colleges and universities; but more importantly, they choose post-secondary schools that are right for them. Through our college counseling program they are guided to examine their immediate and longer-term goals. We work with each student and each family to find the best fit for college — academically, socially, and financially. The end result is a polished, poised, confident young adult who is prepared to make and take advantage of a lifetime of opportunities.
