Next Stop: High School!
Success Academy – June 27, 2019
This spring, Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts hosted a Meet Your Classmates event, inviting incoming freshmen to explore opportunities at the high school, talk to teachers and current scholars, and get a head-start on making new friends.
Success Academy Class of 2023: A Legacy of Perseverance
Success Academy – June 10, 2019
Thirteen years ago, the first-ever Success Academy kindergartners started out on an educational journey — with college as their destination. On June 6, these scholars walked across the stage of the New School’s John L. Tishman Auditorium to become Success Academy’s second class of graduates.
From Mongols to Majors: A Day in the Life of a High School History Teacher
Success Academy – June 6, 2019
Amanda Levy loves teaching about the past — while preparing her scholars for their futures. As a ninth grade World History teacher at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, she’s used to discussing everything from Mongols to majors with her scholars.
From Biology to Basketball, This First-Year Teacher Champions His Students
Elora Tocci – May 17, 2019
Mr. Brady is a biology teacher at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts. He’s on a mission to bring out the best in his scholars — all while showing them just how relevant science can be.
Emerging Elite: The Making of an All-Star Track Team
Success Academy – April 25, 2019
Track coach and teacher Ozzie Henderson is taking Success Academy’s track program to the next level, as this year’s indoor season and championship meet made clear.
Success Academy High School Dean (and Mom): They Might Not Admit It — They’re Teens, After All — But Our Kids Love School
Ronda Ramos – April 2, 2019
Last week, SA 8th graders who applied to a district high school received their placement offers. It reminded me of when my daughter was deciding where to go for high school. Ultimately, she chose to stay at SA, and she is now in 11th grade, with a great group of friends both new and old, a high GPA, close relationships with teachers and deans, and a passion for track in which she excels. Neither she nor I have ever regretted her decision to stay at SA.
Behind the Scenes: HSLA’s Theatre Tech Crew
Success Academy – March 28, 2019
Before the curtains part to reveal the opening act of SA HSLA’s production of In the Heights, a huddle of scholars are quietly dimming the lights, troubleshooting the sound, and pulling aside lead actors, reminding them to project their lines. They are the tech crew, and they are the behind-the-scenes hands and hearts of SA HSLA’s plays and musicals.
We Got into One of NYC’s Elite High Schools, But Chose to Stay at Success Academy: Here’s Why
Success Academy – March 20, 2019
Is a specialized high school the best option? Should I stay or go, is what many kids are asking themselves. In the case of Idalis Antonia Soto and Cana Iinuma, two SA scholars who were accepted to Brooklyn Tech last year, the answer was to stay. They’re now in the spring of their freshman year at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, and agreed to share how they came to their decisions and what they’re enjoying so far about this first year at SA HSLA.
Success Academy High School Debaters Storm Atlanta
Success Academy – February 20, 2019
Three of SA HSLA’s most promising debaters flew to Emory University in Atlanta recently to compete in the Barkley Forum. Extremely selective, the Barkley Forum admits only two or three competitors from schools with strong speech and debate programs each year. This year, juniors Tajaih Robinson and Bintou Cisse, as well as sophomore Silma Bathily, made their way down South to test their prowess against the nation’s top debaters.
Report from the Frontlines: SA Teams Competing Around the Region
Success Academy – February 5, 2019
Success Academy debaters and athletes competed in some major tournaments this January, marking several significant milestones for our programs. We’re excited to share the news about these incredible accomplishments!
What They Learned in (Three Months of) College: SA’s First Alums Advise Seniors!
Success Academy – January 25, 2019
It seems like just yesterday that we waved the founding class of SA graduates off to college, but they’ve already completed their first semester of freshman year! Recently, several of our graduates returned to SA High School of the Liberal Arts for an inaugural reunion. Members of the Class of 2022 shared pizza, cookies, and […]
Lessons Learned This Summer
Success Academy – September 21, 2018
When Success Academy 10th graders Ebrahim Jaiteh and Kiera Toussaint first arrived at the Loomis Chaffee boarding school campus, they were slightly shocked by the sound of silence — and the number of trees. The setting, so unlike the noisy bustling streets of where they grew up, would be the first of many differences that […]
She’s Got What It Takes: Success Academy Scholar Athlete of the Year
Success Academy – July 6, 2018
What do track and field runners at Duke, Stanford, and Georgetown have in common? They are all members of some of the most competitive collegiate teams in the nation — and they all have to balance intense training with rigorous academic workloads. Success Academy coach Ozzie Henderson thinks he has the next big star for top collegiate programs like these — someone who thrives both on the track and in the classroom: sophomore Ronn’e Bailey.
Doing the Math on Success Academy’s First Graduating Class
Success Academy – June 19, 2018
If you do the math, factoring in what the WNYC data showed about attrition for elementary, middle, and high school grades, a hypothetical group of 72 first-graders at a typical district school serving kids through Grade 12 would be expected to have about 11 students remaining by the time they were ready to graduate. Compare that to the Success total: 23 students remaining, 16 of them graduating seniors.
Success Academy Seniors: 100% College Bound!
Success Academy – June 8, 2018
On Thursday, June 7, our very first class of high school seniors graduated at the stunning Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, 100% of them college-bound, many with full scholarships.
Success Academy Scholars Make History at the Tournament of Champions
Meagan Kowaleski – May 8, 2018
On the last weekend of April, two of our high school debaters, sophomore Tajaih Robinson and senior Aida Bathily, travelled to Kentucky to compete in the Tournament of Champions, the most competitive debate tournament in the country. Both of them reached the quarter finals of the Lincoln Douglas (LD) section, placing sixth and seventh respectively out of 88 top debaters from across the country.
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 for Impressive College Acceptances!
Success Academy – March 22, 2018
This week, our trailblazing high school seniors were featured in the first of a two-part Wall Street Journal article examining our high school model (which you can learn more about by taking the high school virtual tour!).
Success Academy Scholars Earn 1st Place in Four Divisions at New York State Chess Championships
Success Academy – March 13, 2018
During this year’s New York State Chess Championships, spectators likely saw a sea of Success Academy blue and orange: about one in eight competitors at the event was an SA scholar, with 135 participants representing 14 Success Academy schools.
In Victory and Defeat, Success Academy Debaters Learn Valuable Lessons at Harvard Debate Tournament
Corinne Adams – February 27, 2018
42 middle school scholars and 14 high schoolers from Success Academy competed in the 44th Annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament, where they faced hundreds of top-ranked debaters from around the country in policy debate. The tournament concluded with 36 wins for SA’s 19 middle school teams at the high school tournament. Our high schoolers performed exceptionally well — with SA High School of the Liberal Arts senior Sekou Cisse winning the Lincoln-Douglas division and his peers senior Aida Bathily and sophomore Tajaih Robinson making it to the quarterfinals and earning a trip to the Tournament of Champions in April!
Success Academy Athletes Set School Records at Dunamis Super Meet in Atlanta
Ozzie Henderson – February 16, 2018
This past weekend, fifteen Success Academy scholars boarded a plane to Atlanta, Georgia, to participate in one of the most competitive track meets of the indoor track and field season: the Dunamis Super Meet. We’re so pleased and proud of how our scholars performed, especially given their youth and relative inexperience!
Fine Art and Secret Staircases: Success Academy Goes to Chatsworth House
Imani Johnson – January 23, 2018
This November, Imani Johnson and her classmates from SA High School of the Liberal Arts were invited to visit a home in Derbyshire, England. Step inside their journey to England and find out more about our experience at Chatsworth House!
Success Academy Founding Seniors: We Are So Proud!
Andrew Malone – December 22, 2017
As families and staff head off to relax and celebrate the holidays, I want to share some thrilling news from the high school. Over the past week, our founding senior class heard back from many of their early action and decision applications. I’m proud to report that 14 of the 17 seniors have already earned an admissions offer, with 23 acceptances overall!
Success Academy Chess Stars Earn Top Ten Finishes at US Grade Championships
Success Academy – December 18, 2017
Last week, 35 scholars from across the Success Academy network traveled to Orlando, Florida for some sunshine — and chess! Competing in the prestigious National K-12 Grade Championships, Success Academy improved from last year’s already stellar performance at both the individual and the team levels.
After a Visit from 10th Graders, Middle Schoolers Come Away with Top Tips for Success
Bridget McNamara – November 29, 2017
A group of middle schoolers might not be the obvious choice to turn to for advice on time management, cultivating a strong work ethic, and investing in your passions — but you’d be remiss to skip over our scholars. They might be young, but my 5th – 8th graders are incredibly hard-working, intelligent, and invested […]