Innovative curriculum brings generations together

Summit Academy has developed a mentorship program where a student works with a local senior to write and illustrate a story about the mentor’s childhood. Graceful snow geese glide through the Stanwood Community and Senior Center to the delight of the audience. Grandmotherly exclamations of love erupt from the group watching a dance recital portraying the journey of the snow goose.

These children and senior citizens were strangers to one another last October. They were brought together as part of a mentorship program that Summit Academy developed to ignite learning for their students by integrating real world content into an early literacy program.

Through the course of a senior stories unit, each student worked twice each week with a senior mentor. Each student wrote and illustrated a book about their mentor’s childhood.

While each senior came to the first meeting with “the perfect story” to share, the final books had little to do with their planning. With titles such as “Rita’s Spooky Sounds” and “Hot Dog Memories,” the children made their own connections to topics through laughter and deepening relationships.

“It reaffirms what we all know to be true,” said Summit Academy founder, Jane Cassady. Human relationships nurture the brain and the heart.”

Each child found and wrote the story they wanted to tell.

While the book was the goal, the magic was the relationships that evolved.

“If there is one word to use to describe this, it’s community,” said Tori Kelly, mentor to first graders Grace and Isabella.

Summit Academy is a school where content and academics are integrated for inspired learning. Projects this year have ranged from intensive fieldwork studying the snow goose and visiting the Pacific Northwest Ballet studios for brain dance work.

The seniors who gave so much time and love have remained connected with their students.

When asked how these women transitioned so quickly from strangers into beloved role models, mentor Regina Hiatt laughed and said, “Because we’re grandmothers, it’s what we do.”

Summit Academy is a private, non-profit school currently enrolling K-3 students for the 2010/2011 school year. Plans are to grow into a full K-8 school. An open house is scheduled on March 10 6:30-8 p.m. at the Stanwood Community and Senior Center. For information see www.summit ed.org or call 360-202- 5710.