End of School Year Brings Ceremonies and Celebrations For National Heritage Academies

2023 Best & Brightest Award®

National Heritage Academies Detroit Metro schools were announced as winners of the 2023 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For® award. The Best & Brightest program recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional people practices and a commitment to their employees. The schools won the award based on engagement practices and data gathered from their schools. 

Congratulations to everyone at these schools and thank you for the impact you make in the lives of your scholars!

The schools include:

• Achieve Charter Academy
• Canton Charter Academy
• Canton Preparatory High School
• Center Line Preparatory Academy
• Detroit Enterprise Academy
• Detroit Merit Academy
• Detroit Premier Academy
• Flagship Charter Academy
• Grand River Academy
• Great Oaks Academy
• Hamtramck Academy
• Keystone Academy
• Laurus Academy
• Legacy Charter Academy
• Metro Charter Academy
• Oakside Prep Academy
• Pembroke Academy
• Plymouth Scholars
• Prevail Charter Academy
• Quest Charter Academy
• Reach Charter Academy
• Regent Park Scholars
• South Canton Scholars
• Taylor Exemplar Academy
• Taylor Preparatory High School
• Walton Charter Academy
• Warrendale Charter Academy
• Westfield Charter Academy
• Westfield Preparatory Academy

Lansing Charter Academy - Lansing, Mich.

Scholars from Lansing Charter Academy celebrated excellent attendance with a trip to a Lansing Lugnuts game on May 31.
 
The trip came at no cost for the 83 scholars who were eligible to attend the trip. Eligibility was determined based on attendance from March 1 through April 21. Transportation, a ticket, and lunch were all included. For most of the scholars, it was their first baseball game.
 
Lessons were tied into the event with each grade level going over a unit of lessons that would apply to baseball. Each grade level learned one unit about a different subject to get ready for the event.
 Lansing Charter Academy scholars with perfect attendance for an eight-week stretch earned a trip to see the Lansing Lugnuts play as a part of Grand Slam School Days.

These lessons included: examining how math concepts apply to baseball and the real world, analyzing maps to recognize impact of population on an area, identifying leadership responsibilities and styles and how to apply them, and positive decision-making to maintain healthy lifestyles.
 
Dean of Lower Elementary Keith Stradley said the scholars had a great time and that Lansing Charter Academy, which has outperformed the local district for nine years, plans to implement the trip again next year after seeing better attendance in the eight-week qualification window.

North Dayton School of Discovery - Dayton, Ohio

Eighth-graders at North Dayton School of Discovery celebrated graduation in a variety of ways this year as final sendoffs before making the jump to high school.
 
The school, which has outperformed the local district for three years, held its third annual All White Recognition where the scholars wore white and performed the song, “Optimistic,” drumming along on buckets.
 
Scholars also heard from guest speaker Marlon Shackelford, whose message was to maintain a positive attitude as scholars moved through high school. He also encouraged scholars to speak with their elders and take in their wealth of knowledge.
 Scholars at North Dayton School of Discovery play buckets as drums at their All White Recognition to celebration graduation from eighth grade.
The celebration honored 51 scholars with completion certificates. Nine scholars received the Compass Award for attending the school from kindergarten through eighth grade.
 
The day before the celebration, eighth-grade scholars enjoyed a special cookout luncheon, playing touch football and enjoying time together before they head off to high school.
 North Dayton School of Discovery scholars painted a ceiling tile at the school with this quote to commemorate the Class of 2023.

North Dayton’s scholars will be a part of the school forever with a part of the school’s ceiling adorned by handprints from each scholar. Included is their class quote: “It isn’t where you come from that matters, it’s where you’re going that counts.”

Paramount Charter Academy - Kalamazoo, Mich.

Scholars made their high school decisions in style at Paramount Charter Academy with a high school signing day.
 
Much like high school athletes making their college decisions, five scholars set up in front of a Paramount Panthers backdrop and signed paperwork declaring their high school commitments for the next four years.
 
Commitment letters included scholars’ interests for colleges to attend and degree programs to study after their four years of high school. The enrollment process for scholars’ high schools was required and parents were invited to participate with their scholars.
 Graduating eighth-graders from Paramount Charter Academy signed a commitment letter to their future high schools.

Each scholar is set to receive some new high school merchandise to fire up school spirit for their new schools.
 
The celebration was a first for Paramount Charter Academy. The school plans to continue the tradition, hoping to foster relationships with local high school principals, even planning to invite them in future years to celebrate the transition.

Eagle Crest Charter Academy - Holland, Mich.

Eagle Crest Charter Academy in Holland, Mich. welcomed recent graduates from Zeeland West High School and West Ottawa High School on separate days to walk the halls of their former elementary/middle school and visit with teachers and students.
 High school graduates from Zeeland West High School and West Ottawa High School visited Eagle Crest Charter Academy in their caps and gowns to thank former teachers. 

The graduates thanked teachers who helped them along on their education journey, and high-fived current scholars who lined the hallways.
 
The annual event is held to celebrate the successful completion of secondary school, and to show current scholars what lies ahead.
 
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.