Practical Matters

Projected Timeline

Fall 2022- Spring 2023 

Building the founding team, creating foundational documents, obtaining AAPCS approval, and locating a potential site 

Fall 2023-Spring 2024 

Finalizing and remodeling site, developing Internship/Apprenticeship partnerships, recruiting students, hiring/training teachers

Fall 2024- Spring 2025

Opening Year!

Sample Schedule Definitions

Crew =  Robust advisory - 12-14 students with one adult leader. Crews engage in team-building, mindfulness, personal and academic reflection, arts integration, and mutual support. 


Skills Workshops = Students select skills they want to work on with teacher support, through online instruction, or independently to pass competency exams and prepare for college or career.


Lunch Preparation = Crews rotate responsibility for preparing lunch for the rest of the school


Essay Block = All students choose a topic related to projects, skills, LTIs, or topics of interest to write or revise a five-paragraph essay each week, to be given feedback by peers, crew leaders, and content teachers. 


CAP Blocks = Community Action Projects: Students choose from a selection of projects each quarter that match their interests or help them meet competency requirements.  Project Block 1 is for G1 (9th/10th) students only.  Projects involve groups of students developing expertise in a particular area and using that expertise to meet an authentic need in the Annapolis community.  Projects are usually interdisciplinary, research-based, and arts-integrated.. 


WBL = Work-Based Learning – students are out in workplaces throughout the community learning in job placements - unpaid internships or paid apprenticeships.  Younger students who have not yet found career interests or shown the responsibility to be in workplace settings will stay with their Crew to engage in fieldwork, community service, career exploration, shadowing, or other real-world learning, generally off-campus.


Early Dismissal = Students without an LTI placement will be dismissed at 1pm on Wednesdays to continue learning at home.  Teachers engage in collaborative planning and professional development during this time block.


Pick Me Up = This is a vertical (all grades) Crew led by seniors.  This weekly structure drives peer mentoring of younger students and promotes awareness of the continuum of learning and growth at New Village Academy. Biannual Exhibition events are planned in Pick Me Up crews.     


Practical Skills = Crews learn personal health and wellness, take on more in-depth school-based chores and repairs, and engage in activities to prepare for adult life. 


Crew Closeout = Students and staff prepare the building for closing together in crews – cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, and replenishing basic supplies. 


Afterschool Fitness/Arts Options = Students and staff have the choice to stay after school to share fitness activities, including yoga/meditation, basketball, or running and rotating artistic and musical pursuits. 


School Council = All students and staff are invited, but not required, to stay after school to contribute their ideas and votes to the school decision-making process.


G1 = Students preparing for Gateway One, equivalent to 9th and 10th grade       


G2 = Students preparing for Gateway Two, equivalent to 11th and 12th grade.

Building Location/Needs

New Village Academy will ideally be located in the heart of Annapolis near the neighborhoods it serves and the businesses and organizations where students can learn through internships and apprenticeships.

The ideal facility: