School Spotlight: Bradford Academy – High School

Bradford Academy:

Students Served: 1500+
Grades Served: Pre-K – 12th Grade
Year Established:  2003
High School Principal: Cheryl Paull

Board Members:

Hriday Prasad
Mark Baughman
Dylan Luna
Lee Caldwell
Theresa Vaughn

Website: bradfordacademy.com

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Part III: Bradford High School

In this special three-part series, Bradford Academy is being featured as the May/June school spotlight story. Each article part will focus on initiatives and achievements made primarily by the specified Bradford school, as well as the school in its entirety.

As one of Southfield’s PreK-12 academies, Bradford Academy is continually rising above the rest! Located on one safe and beautiful campus, Bradford Academy is able to provide a continual and cohesive education for all of its students, as well as free busing. In Part III of this School Spotlight Series, the focus of Bradford Academy is shifted to it’s 9-12th grade high school.

Interested in learning more about Part I and Part II of the Bradford Academy Series, continue reading here: Bradford Academy Elementary / Bradford Academy Middle School.

Bradford Academy High School offers a wide range of classes and courses for their students, providing additional educational opportunities. However, the school environment created in Bradford’s high school is that of a well lead, taught, and safe academy. From the leadership to the staff and to the students, Bradford Academy is a true family who works together to assure continual success. Bradford Academy High School also provides students with technology integration learning, a well rounded education, safe learning environment, and multiple athletics – including a full functioning and well performing football team.

Building Community
A sense of community is bursting at the seams at Bradford Academy High School. In order to ensure community, communication is key. Through open and honest conversations, and constant communication, Bradford Academy staff are able to meet the needs of their students and parents. But community at Bradford Academy is more than communication, it’s having a welcoming atmosphere. When parents and students enter the doors to the high school, they are treated like family, not just because they deserve to be, but because they are! These high expectations are shared and understood by all, leading to increased accountability for the academy.

Accomplishments
When you have a staff that values their role and truly feels appreciated, then staff turnover will be predominately low. At Bradford Academy, low staff turnover hasn’t only proven that staff values teaching, but has also increased the positive moral of the academy! Every year, through the success and determination of the high school students and their teaching staff, Bradford Academy students are receiving full-ride scholarships to colleges and universities, athletic teams are thriving, and students are showing positive academic growth in standardized assessments.

College Bound
Bradford Academy High School values educational opportunities for students outside of their high school career. To help students prepare, Bradford Academy is able to offer Advanced Placement (AP) Courses, Honors classes, and dual enrollment. All academics are foundationally based on Bradford’s rigorous core classes, with a new curriculum in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

 

Cheryl-Paull-Bradford-high-school-principal

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”20″]“I am proud to lead in Bradford’s high school, because I know that I am offering a sense of safety and stability to our students,” states Cheryl Paull. [/perfectpullquote]

 

 

 

Students succeed at Bradford Academy, and students who complete Bradford Academy High School become successful lifelong learners. “I am proud to lead in Bradford’s high school, because I know that I am offering a sense of safety and stability to our students,” states Cheryl Paull, Principal at Bradford Academy High School. “We provide a proper education to our students in a family atmosphere,” says Paull. “We have an open door policy inviting parents and guardians to share in a positive partnership with us to better the education of our young learners,” Paull concludes.

Entering the doors of Bradford Academy, you will notice an academy that takes learning seriously, but properly balances their rigorous curriculum and high expectations with a family-like environment. Students and staff work together cohesively to ensure educational, characteristic, and academic growth.

How Bradford educators motivate their students to learn…

Tyloaha-Parker-Bradford-high-school-teacherTyloaha Parker, High School English teacher at Bradford Academy

What keeps your students aiming for success in the classroom?

My students keep aiming for success in the classroom because of the high expectations that are set. They are able to connect the learning concepts to real world experiences. This keeps them craving to learn, continuing to understand, and growing to be successful.

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Sharon-Krasner-Bradford-high-school-teaher
Sharon Krasner – High School English Teacher

I feel that some of the ways that I motivate students to learn are by setting my expectations high and by building relationships with my students. I start that on day one. My students know that I care about them – not just how they do in school, but about who they are as people. Because of that relationship, I’m able to encourage all my students to reach outside of their comfort zones, to understand that getting an answer wrong and being confused about what they are doing are all part of the learning process, and that these situations are actually when the best learning happens. I make myself available to my students outside of the actual class period they have with me. Students can come to me between classes, at homeroom, before or after school, and, if necessary, by email. I never want a student to feel that learning is something that only happens during school hours.


Shannon-Graham-Bradford-high-school-teacherShannon Graham – High School Business, Technology, and Marketing Teacher

How do I motivate students? That’s a very good question every teacher should ask themselves when they are developing lessons. I motivate students in several ways. First and foremost I need to get to know my students to understand WHAT motivates them. In some cases I find that giving praise and compliments is enough to motivate students who just need that extra bit of attention and support. I find this motivates them to want to do a good job not just for them, but for me as well.
Another avenue I use to motivate students is by giving them choices. I may have several ideas for a lesson and I’ll ask the students what they would like to do. I’ll also give assessments that aren’t your traditional “multiple choice, true/false” tests, but instead are projects in which they have 10 different options to choose 1 from. This way THEY are choosing something of interest to them, and they are choosing the learning style that fits them. The options would include writing or presenting or putting something together, just to name a few. Not EVERY student learns best by reading or writing, so give them options! In my technology class, all my assignments are projects. For each project, I also give them options. I may have them create a brochure, but they get to choose what subject (with parameters) they want to do their brochure on.


Fida-Amir-Bradford-high-school-teacher

Fida Amir – High School Mathematics Teacher

I motivate my students by recognizing their work in class, displaying work on the walls, and holding weekly awards in my classroom. Moreover, taking pictures with my students and displaying them in class is what they like most. I get my students motivated by showing them that I care, speaking to them, and listening to their problems. I also provide them with hopeful words of encouragement and a smile with a laugh to show that not everything in life is meant to be taking so serious. Sometimes you have to smile to get through the hard times. I make it a priority to get everyone involved and feel like they are heard by noticing that everyone is an individual – no two people are the same; they might have something in common but they are so different. That’s my usual day at Bradford.