Horizon Science Academy Davenport is a top-of-the-line, tuition-free public school. It is open to all students, which school principal Shawn Buettner believes is essential to creating a strong bond within the building.
“That’s probably one of the more important things to note at this stage as we acclimate the community to our presence,” said Shawn Buettner, principal at HSA. “But we also offer something else for families. We are providing our community with an academically strong STEM-focused school that allows students to immerse themselves in a standards-based college-preparatory curriculum, which includes multiple support opportunities for them along the way. Again, for free.”
Managed by Concept Schools, a not-for-profit charter management organization, HSA Davenport will be its 41st school in the Midwest when it opens in August, and the second in Iowa (after Des Moines). As a Concept-network school, the Davenport school will focus on an education rich in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, for students in K-6, adding a grade each year to eventually serve students through high school.
Buettner said the interdisciplinary learning style, which aligns to the Common Core and state standards, helps students develop crucial skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration, while also fostering creativity and innovation — all of which help them navigate a more technology-based future.
From Day One, teachers will be introducing the STEM variables into all classes, which includes physical education, art, history, IT and more. Students will also learn age-appropriate skills in robotics, coding and computer literacy. For example, while kindergartners might be learning where to put their fingers on a keyboard and identifying characters, older students will have opportunities to develop gaming apps and robots and participate in competitions.
In addition, teachers will work closely with parents so they, too, become active participants in the child’s learning. In fact, each student will receive one well-home visit every year.
“The home visit provides us with a wonderful welcoming opportunity with the families,” Buettner said. “It’s a chance to meet and greet and see the other aspects of a student’s life. It also gives the teacher a chance to say, ‘We are here to support you.’”
“To each student we say, ‘You are bright and ready to learn and this curriculum is accessible to everyone.’ Our job is to give them the avenue of success they need to succeed in life, and we focus on the high achievers as much as the kids who might struggle more with learning.”
Buettner and her team are currently working and meeting with area civic and nonprofit leaders to spread the word about HSA Davenport’s offerings, as well as to identify community partnership opportunities.
“We all want a strong education for our kids,” Buettner said, “and at HSA we have the resources to allow our students to attain just that.”
To learn more about HSA Davenport, please visit hsadavenport.org, follow on Facebook, or contact the school at info@hsadavenport.org.
