Goshen News
Plymouth Community School Corp. officials announced three of their Project-based Learning schools have again been deemed exemplary schools and all three will continue to serve as national demonstration sites for the New Tech Network for the 2016-2017 school year.
The Plymouth Community School Corp. is the only school system within Michiana to have achieved this recognition.
The three schools are: Washington Discovery Academy (K-4); Innovation Academy at Riverside (5-6); and Weidner School of Inquiry at Plymouth High School (9-12).
This is the third year in a row both the Innovation Academy at Riverside and the Weidner School of Inquiry at Plymouth High School have received this honor, and the second year in a row that Washington Discovery Academy received the honor.
“These schools have achieved a very high honor. We consider them exemplary schools within the New Tech Network,” NTN President and CEO Lydia Dobyns said. “We applaud the significant work necessary for schools to meet the demonstration site criteria. We consider them exemplary schools within the New Tech Network of nearly 200 schools. Through the school’s hard work, students are better prepared for life and college. They have also developed a deep love of learning.”
Superintendent Dan Tyree said, “We truly couldn’t be more pleased that our three schools will continue to be recognized as New Tech Network National Demonstration Site schools. We are continuously challenged with new innovative ways to re-imagine teaching and learning and we continue to see amazing examples of engaged students from kindergarten all the way to the other end of the spectrum — high school.”
Riverside Intermediate School Principal Jeni Hirschy said, “Our teachers have continued to attend national conferences and ongoing professional development to help towards maintaining our continued demonstration site status. We embrace the visits from other schools and are committed to continued improvement to implement the model.”
Demonstration site schools play a key role in the development and scale of the New Tech Network as well, school officials said. All three schools will continue to host tours for national, state, and local schools and districts to experience a New Tech school firsthand.