Our school is distinctive, designed specifically to meet the existing and emerging needs of our community. Yet, like all Leona schools we share in these hallmark characteristics:
- High expectations for academics and behavior
- Personalized student attention
- Caring, highly qualified teachers
- Hands-on, relevant learning
- Safe, nurturing environment
We encourage parent involvement and also work to establish lasting partnerships with community organizations. This combination of caring and high standards surrounds our students, parents and staffs – and excellence in teaching and learning is the result.
Students leave our school with a solid foundation for learning, taking their first steps toward a lifetime of success. Our goal is for each one of our students to graduate well prepared for his or her next step in life. Whatever they choose, we want them to thrive as individuals as well as members of their families and communities.
Microsociety
ACE will incorporate service learning within a MicroSociety learning environment and seamlessly integrate this throughout the educational program. Evidence shows MicroSociety as well as service learning strategies provide a positive impact on learning.
What is MICROSOCIETY?
Microsociety provides a miniature society within the school that empowers students to take ownership of their learning. Microsociety, Inc’s co-operative, rigorous esteem-building programs have the power to address many of the problems that plague American classrooms today. These are additional factors and differentiation of the program that clearly establishes a need for such a school while addressing the following educational gaps:
• Increase Academic Achievement -
Program impact has been especially remarkable with those who struggle hardest to succeed – children from low income families, children with special needs, and children with limited English proficiency.
Little Havana is a high minority community that the surrounding schools have not been able to meet Annual Yearly Progress with the following subgroups: Blacks and English Language Learners.
• Improve Behavior and Reduce Violence -
Students learn the value of rules and laws when they create them, interpret them and enforce them in order to get along in their shared society. They also learn empathy and respect for others and hone valuable conflict resolution skills in order to get along in the progress of its evolution.
• Motivate a Desire to be in School -
By connecting curriculum to real-world activities, through a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, the program re-engages students who are disinterested in school because they don’t see its relevance to life.
• Enhance Citizenship, Service Learning and Community Engagement -
Students learn why voting is important and that demanding ethical decisions of their elected officials is not only their right, it is their responsibility. They witness firsthand how engaged citizens play a vital role in the success of a community and its ability to thrive.
• Prepare Tomorrow’s Workforce -
This innovative educational design is an incubator for the kinds of workers who will take the lead in running the businesses, government agencies, and charitable organizations of tomorrow. By linking real world activities to classroom learning, MicroSociety puts meaningful work into the experience of childhood. Students develop the critical 21st century skills like communications, critical thinking and decision-making, team-building, and personal initiative that will enable them to thrive in a global economy.
• Improve Financial Literacy -
Students uncover the fundamentals of finance as they buy and sell products in the marketplace, create personal and business budgets, maintain checkbooks for both, calculate taxes, and meet payroll. MicroSociety teaches financial literacy in a real world context that is meaningful to students. These practical challenges strengthen their aptitude math-related areas like banking, investment, and personal finance. Students come to recognize the value of a dollar and how to make more informed decisions about their own financial futures.
To learn more about Microsociety, click here.
The goal of the ESOL Program will be to ensure that all students entering Alpha Charter of Excellence with varying levels of limited English proficiency receive comparable and comprehensible instruction. This instruction will help these students develop communicative and academic skills necessary for meeting national, state and district educational standards. All students who classify as English Language Learners will be provided an appropriate ESOL program to meet the specific student’s need in language learning, academic achievement and in cultural integration.
To learn more about the ESOL Program, click here.
Special Education
At Alpha Charter of Excellence, we will identify and evaluate all children in the schools who may have special needs. We embrace the philosophy of personalized instruction and educate all students in the general education classroom when possible. Teachers accept responsibility for educating all students in their classroom, modifying and accommodating instruction as needed. Special education staff supports the regular classroom teacher with this process.Our knowledgeable staff is able to provide the individualized attention that each child needs to perform to his or her fullest potential, academically, socially and developmentally.
We employ specialists and teachers as part of the school staff. Speech/language and OT are contracted services through a private provider. Please contact the office for additional information regarding ESE services and/or eligibility.
For a list of ESE resources available through Miami-Dade Public Schools, click here.