Type of School      A Public School Academy chartered by Ferris State University. Our doors opened in 1998 to students in           

                             kindergarten through eighth grade.

Location                6315 Secor Rd., Lambertville, MI

Campus                 Twenty-five wooded acres including wetlands.

Size                       We maintain a 20/1 or less student/professional ratio. The full-time teaching staff is completely certified by

                              the state of Michigan.

NBA Students         The NBA student body represents a mix of students from public school districts in southeast Michigan.

Mission Statement To provide meaningful learning and a need-fulfilling environment, empowering all of our students with

                               the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that will add quality to their lives.

Curriculum             Students participate in eight subject areas beginning in Kindergarten. These areas are: Reading, Writing, Social

                               Studies, Science, Spelling/Vocabulary, Mathematics, Art, and Physical Education.

Professional          Teachers and Para-professionals participate in professional development workshops on Friday

Development         afternoons. In addition to the in-house development opportunities, teachers attend workshops at the Monroe

                              County Intermediate School District, local universities, the public library, and the art museum.

Testing                 We administer the Scantron on-line testing for grades 3-8, as well as the IOWA Test of Basic Skills and the

                             Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP).

Technology          Each multi-age classroom houses eight to ten computers. Students utilize the computers daily as part of their

                             learning center rotation. Students also have access to digital cameras and scanning equipment. NBA uses the

                            World Wide Web to enhance classroom instruction.

Special Services  NBA is a fully inclusive school that blends students with special needs into all aspects of the educational

 Team                   program. An on-site Special Education teacher and Speech Pathologist partner with classroom teachers to

                            ensure that the needs of all students are met.

Multi-Age             Students needs are met and growth obtained through multi-age groupings called Learning Families.

Classrooms          Students are afforded the opportunity to develop at their own rate, mentor others, and interact with students of

                            different ages. They have opportunities to collaborate on areas of central study, yet still have smaller group time to

                            work on various skill-based areas.

School Calendar The school calendar consists of approximately 183 days which are broken down into four quarters. All traditional holidays are

                            observed and each Friday is a half day for students.

Student Progress Student progress is reported at the middle and end of each quarter. Anecdotal reports are administered at the

                            end of the second and fourth quarters.
 

Student-Led        At the end of the first and third quarters, parents, teachers, and students participate in conferences led

Conferences        by the student. These conferences highlight successes and outline strategies to strengthen areas of weakness.

Honors                 NBA boasts an Honor Roll that recognizes academic achievement as well as effort and conduct. Students are

                            honored for their technology skills, their attendance, and their commitment to fostering a peaceful

                            school community.

Homework Policy Homework assignments are an extension and reinforcement of the concepts and skills presented during the

                            school day, therefore, students can expect to have homework each weekday night. Homework is not always a

                            written exercise. It may consist of practice, drill, oral and silent reading, or time spent reviewing the learning

                            begun at school.

Discipline             NBA utilizes “task cards” in each of its Learning Families. The number of cards allowed, the classroom rules

                            they correspond to, the consequences, and the rewards are age appropriate in each Learning Family.

Portfolio              Each student maintains a portfolio to celebrate his/her achievements. These portfolios follow the children

Assessments        throughout their careers at NBA and serve as a record of their process of learning. Students are actively engaged

                            in the evaluation of the pieces in their portfolios providing them with authentic opportunities to measure their

                            success.

Student Activities Student activities cover a wide range of interest and include Yearbook, Student Council, Job Corps, Earth Service

                            Corps, and Science Club.

Admission            NBA is open to all students who are residents of Michigan. Existing students and their siblings receive priority

Policies                when accepting enrollment. Open enrollment is run for a two week period in the spring. At that time all

                            applications are received. At the end of the two weeks if there are more applications than openings, a lottery will

                            take place.

Transportation     All student transportation is provided by individual families.

Y-Care                 In partnership with NBA, the YMCA offers a before and after-school child care program.

Parental             To promote the growth of each child, education must be a partnership between school and home, therefore,

Involvement       NBA welcomes and encourages parent involvement. Each family is asked to volunteer ten hours throughout the

                          year. Parents assist in the classrooms, as well as with hot lunches, student activities, and field trips.

Visitors &           Visitors are welcome at NBA and volunteers are essential to our success. To maintain the safety of all

Volunteers         students and visitors, everyone must report to the office to sign in and receive a visitor pass or a parent/guardian

                          badge.

Parent Teacher The PTT is a volunteer group comprised of parents, teachers, and the administrator meeting to provide

Team                 additional programs, items, and services for the students. Activities include the Ice Cream Social, Book Fairs,

                          Fall Harvest Festival, and Fun and Field Day.

Board of           The Board of Directors is a governing body comprised of community members, parents, administrator, educators

Directors           and members of the Management Team.

Management    All business and personnel affairs of NBA are handled by Helicon Associates and MJ Management Company.
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