At Peak’s Greek Games, students don togas and parade in the parking lot as part of an Olympic procession as three homerooms compete in an event that combines social studies content, Moral Focus, and team building competitions. They build Greek boats as part of a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) challenge and take part in debates as if they are in ancient Athenian democracy.
It’s one of many events Dobosz orchestrates at Peak. The work that goes into those productions is well worth the effort to engage students.
“You can incorporate fun projects that help give students the chance to be creative, have fun or do something different,” he said. “That's something I’m really proud of and something that I strive to bring into my classroom time.”
Dobosz was greatly impacted by teachers who put on events when he was a student, and he is doing the same at Peak, which has outperformed the district since it opened in 2017. He is in his second year at the school but already has spearheaded a field trip to the food bank to make meals for others, a toy drive, a Thanksgiving food drive, and the Cupid Cup, a Valentine’s Day competition, among others.
“I don't mind spending extra time because I know it’s going to be fun for students,” Dobosz said. “To have stuff like that hopefully makes it more worth it for them.”
The Greek Games are one of many events at Peak orchestrated by Timothy Dobosz.
Service is something Dobosz has always been passionate about. His elective class, Service Squad, involves students researching philanthropists and seeing what goes into helping others.
“That’s an important lesson for them to learn,” he said. “The hope is eventually we’re getting kids to make their own service projects and, if they get off the ground, they get off the ground, cool. If they don’t, at least they’ve gone through the process of thinking about someone other than themselves.”
Dobosz first got into teaching in 2015 but said he lacked the maturity for the role and pivoted to the restaurant industry. After closing his private chef business, his passion for education was rekindled when he began grading standardized tests. Peak’s focus on taking care of teachers and Moral Focus-based curriculum resonated with him, giving him the perfect place to become a teacher once again.
“It was a big jump to say, ‘Let me get back into teaching,’ but I'm glad I did it,” he said. “I have no regrets and ultimately found where I should be. I’m really grateful for Peak because they really excelled at making it a good spot for you to be a teacher.”
Dobosz said Peak has made his second time teaching a joy because of the warmth and compassion from his co-workers and students. It’s a unique atmosphere that he appreciates and repays by putting in the extra effort to help his students become better people.
“Mr. Dobosz is the epitome of Moral Focus teaching and relationship-building with students,” said Peak Dean of Middle School Savannah Angel. “Mr. D is constantly looking for ways to make our students great scholars and productive members of society. He works tirelessly to make Peak the best place for students and families.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Dobosz!
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About Peak Charter Academy
Peak Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Apex, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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