IN THE NEWS
Innovation and Community
From the very beginning The Bridges Academy captured the media spotlight with our remarkable community pulling together to open the doors to this amazing school for the very first time. We continue to excite with our innovative programs and partnerships. We diligently look for new ways to create rewarding experiences for our students to help them explore the world and themselves in new ways.
THE BRIDGES ACADEMY WELCOMES A SEASONED TEACHER AS NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL
The Bridges Academy in West Islip is pleased to welcome Stephen Edward Rubenacker as the new Head of School, who began this past July. Mr. Rubenacker has been an independent school educator for almost 20 years, starting in public school before moving to the Friends Academy Middle School. He has taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Social Studies, coached multiple sports, and served as the middle school principal for 10 years.
Read more on NYMetroParents site:
https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/bridges-academy-welcomes-seasoned-teacher-as-new-head-of-school-
MINDFUL EDUCATION K-8TH GRADE
The Bridges Academy is sponsoring a new eight week program called Mindful Education. Our K-4th grade students are attending the program now and the Middle School students will begin in the winter. Mindfulness is the intended development of moment to moment non-judgmental focused attention and awareness. This program helps students to grow cognitively, socially and emotionally and improves upon students’ memory, attention span, self- esteem, patience, cooperation and moods while decreasing anxiety, fatigue and stress in class and at home. The students are enjoying the program and are creating their own Mindful journals in their classrooms.
SEA PERCH PROGRAM
The Academy has deployed the SeaPerch Program with the Webb Institute College of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture for our 6th and 7th grade students. The program is an innovative underwater robotics program that equips teachers and students with the resources they need to build a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Sea Perch provides students with the opportunity to learn about robotics, engineering, science and mathematical principles while working on their ROV’s. It is amazing to see what the students are building in this class.
Read more a Webb Institutes site:
http://www.webb.edu/webb-hosts-seaperch-fun-day/
BRIDGES CELEBRATES CHINESE NEW YEAR
Students celebrate Chinese New Year at The Bridges Academy in West Islip, News 12 Long Island TV. Kids in West Islip today celebrated the Chinese New Year today with a colorful lesson in Asian culture. At the Bridges Academy, students watched the traditional Chinese lion dance in honor of the Year of the Horse.
Read more and watch the video here:
Bridges Celebrates Chinese New Year
PARENTS OPEN THEIR OWN SCHOOL!
Parents open their own school in response to closing – Kristin Thorne Eyewitness News WEST ISLIP, N.Y. (WABC) – It has been a turbulent year for many districts in our area because of all the school closures. But now, there is word of a new school opening up on the South Shore of Long Island. What’s remarkable about this one is that it was created by parents!
Read Full ABC7 Article:
http://abc7ny.com/archive/9041909/