Achievement Academy is built around the five core REACH values: Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship, and Hard work. These values set very high standards for both scholars and faculty. At Achievement Academy, it is not enough to simply stay out of trouble. REACH requires that scholars respect teachers, classmates, and property, participate actively in class, produce top quality work in all their classes, help their teammates, and come to school every day on time and prepared to learn.

The REACH values are reinforced throughout the day beginning in Morning Circle and repeated in every class. Teachers use the REACH values to set classroom and school-wide expectations for good behavior. In order to help scholars, teachers, and parents understand what each of the REACH values are, Achievement Academy developed a REACH rubric that outlines the specific behaviors for each value.

Recognition Systems / REACH awards:
Daily, advisors ask scholars to recognize members of the class who lived up to the REACH values. Scholars recognize members of their class by stating a specific action and which REACH value it demonstrated. Teachers select exemplary scholars to give recognitions during Morning Circle. There is also time during Morning Circle for teachers to give recognitions.

Monthly, scholars use the REACH rubric to evaluate themselves and set goals for the following month. Teachers then assess the scholars using the REACH rubric. Scholars scoring a 4 (almost always) or 5 (always) in every category for each REACH value get that value’s “Academy Award” for the month. For example, a scholar who received all 4s (almost always) and 5s (always) for Respect in February would get the February Respect Award. Scholars who receive 4s and 5s in all categories will get the overall REACH Award, the school’s highest honor, for that month. REACH Awards will be announced in Morning Circle and displayed prominently in the school. Scholars receive certificates to take home. The REACH Awards are Achievement Academy’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl ring, and the Nobel Prize. Please take the time to congratulate your child on a job well done!

Morning circle closes with scholars chanting the preamble of our Commitment to Excellence -- our declaration that explains what the REACH values look like in action. To read the commitment to excellence, click here.

Values are taught by modeling. To read how our faculty lives the REACH values,
click here.