32 The Courier sun • kids & education • MAY 28, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com ▶kids & education Stacey Howard, Dean of grades 3-6 at Merrick Academy; Shereda Coke, Dean of grades K-2 at Merrick Academy; Dr. Karen Valbrun, principal of Merrick Academy; and Gerald Karikari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Merrick Academy. Merrick Academy is changing the way students learn in Springfield Gardens By ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Students are getting a unique learning experience at Merrick Academy, which is helping to prepare them for their bright futures. Merrick Academy is one of the first charter schools in New York, and was the very first charter school in Queens. Founded in 2000, the Springfield Gardens’ school caters to approximately 500 students in grades K-6. “This is a school created by members of the community,” said Gerald Karikari, chairman of the board of trustees for Merrick Academy. “They did not believe that the schools in our neighborhood reflected the type of expectations we have for our children.” The expectations parents and teachers have for the students of Merrick Academy is evident in the school’s slogan, “Proficiency and Beyond!” They not only want their children to be proficient at what they do in life, but to surpass that and be even better. Merrick Academy is helping students reach that lofty goal with the use of high-tech equipment and interpersonal teaching styles. The charter school is equipped with a technology lab which is available to all students. The lab is outfitted with laptops for students to use and learn from, as well as a smartboard, an interactive whiteboard that has touchscreen capabilities, for the teacher to show the students what he is doing on his screen. “I’m proud to say that even our kindergarten students are also receiving technology classes,” said Dr. Karen Valbrun, principal of Merrick Academy. “So, technology is infused in the school as early as kindergarten.” The tech is not only reserved for the lab, smartboards and laptops are in the classrooms as well. The laptops are secured in tech cases and are available for the teachers to use in the classroom when needed. Besides a technology lab, Merrick Academy also has a science lab. The music room with the teacher and children.
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