Acera School

The Acera School (formerly the Anova School) is an independent, nonprofit,[1] co-educational day school in Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, serving gifted students in grades K–11.

Acera School
Acera School logo
Address
5 Lowell Ave, Winchester, MA 01890

Winchester
,
Massachusetts

United States
Information
Former nameAnova School
School typeIndependent
Motto"The Massachusetts School of Science, Creativity and Leadership"
Established2010
FounderCourtney Dickinson
DirectorCourtney Dickinson
GradesK–11
Websiteaceraschool.org
Acera School sign yarn bombed
School sign yarn bombed

History

In 2010, Courtney Dickinson had spent a year as a volunteer facilitator trying to launch a gifted education program in Massachusetts public schools. Prompted by her family's challenges in finding suitable opportunities for gifted students, Dickinson created a school to help high ability students develop their potential.[2]

Dickinson founded "Anova: The Massachusetts School of Science, Creativity and Leadership".[3] In September 2010, Anova opened in Melrose, leasing a portion of the vacant former Decius Beebe Elementary School building from Melrose Public Schools.[2][4]

Dickinson described Anova School's environment: "Kids really engage; they don't have a ceiling on their learning."[2]

In 2011, Anova School was renamed Acera School, and when its lease expired, moved to the First Methodist Church's annex building.[3]

In fall 2013, Acera re-opened for its fourth year in Winchester, in its own building at 5 Lowell Avenue.[5]

Student body

The school serves "high-ability learners," including academically gifted/highly successful students, creative students, highly gifted/profoundly accelerated students, and twice-exceptional students who present both giftedness and disabilities.[6] Acera requires that children take the WISC-IV assessment as part of the admissions process, as a precursor to a parent interview/visit.[7]

In its first year, the Acera School offered three multi-age classrooms serving grades K–6.[8] For the 2022–2023 school year, the school included a Lower Elementary class, 2 Intermediate Elementary classes, 3 Upper Elementary classes, and 3 Middle and High School classes.

By January 2020, Acera had enrolled 130 K–9 students.[9] Acera initiated high school classes for grades nine and ten in the 2021–2022 school year.[10] For the 2022–2023 school year, tuition at Acera was $31,900 for grades K–5, and $33,800 for grades 6–11, with limited financial aid available.[11]

Curriculum

The Acera School curriculum is individualized for each student based on readiness and interests. Subjects such as math are taught in flexible cross-age groupings, with over a dozen math classes.[12] The curriculum reflects the school's stated goals of "early and deep exposure to STEM topics and innovative fields, practice in creative and complex thinking and problem-solving".[13]

Co-curricular activities

The school started offering an after-school program in its second year, and its after school enrichment programs are now open to students not enrolled at Acera during the school day. Boston Magazine named Acera "Best of Boston 2022" for its after-school catalog of activities open to the public.[14] Learning is interdisciplinary and project-based, with themes inspired by the Museum of Science Engineering's Elementary (EiE) program. Model United Nations,[15] Theater, and LARP are some of the optional after-school activities as of 2022.

Acera hosts the American Mathematics Competition AMC8 Exam each year along with the Noetic National Math Competition.[16]

According to The Boston Globe, "Students at Acera: The Massachusetts School of Science, Creativity and Leadership in Winchester won first in the state and 15th internationally in the Purple Comet Math Meet. Approximately 2,800 teams from 55 countries participated. Purple Comet is a free, online, international math competition for high school and middle school students which has been conducted since 2003."[17]

References
  1. Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Acera School Inc - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2023-02-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Killeen, Wendy (29 August 2010). "Mother's determination creates school for gifted in Melrose". Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2018-10-24 – via The Boston Globe.
  3. "A love of learning: at new independent school in Melrose, kids respond to emphasis oncollaboration". The Boston Globe. 2011-06-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-25. and "At independent school, students stay engaged (continued)". The Boston Globe. 2011-06-09. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  4. Haddadin, Jim (8 September 2010). "Anova opens doors in Melrose to gifted, talented students". wickedlocal.com/melrose/news. Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  5. "Acera School Announces Move to Winchester". Arlington, MA Patch. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  6. "Who Should Apply?". Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  7. "WISC Assessment". acera. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  8. "Anova: School for Gifted and Talented Children, Cambridge-Boston Area". Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  9. Mathewson, Tara García (2020-01-15). "She gave up on public schools that rejected her bold ideas a decade ago. Now she's back". The Hechinger Report. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  10. "Introducing...Acera High School! K-10 STEAM School". aceraschool.org/wisc-assessment. 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  11. "FAQs". acera. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  12. "Learning Philosophy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  13. "About Us". acera. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  14. "Acera". Boston Magazine. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2023-02-25. The private, STEM-based school offers an after-school enrichment catalog that would put many colleges to shame — and it's open to the public. Students can enroll in Model UN, debate, and architecture classes and camps, or try carnival design, wilderness survival, and hydrology.
  15. "Expanding Horizons | Young delegates to compete in model UN forum". The Boston Globe. 2014-01-30. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-25. and "All the world's a stage, and they're preparing to act on it (continued)". The Boston Globe. 2014-01-30. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  16. Content, Community. "Brookline students earns award in national math contest". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  17. Hom, Annika (June 6, 2019). "Summer art programs, scholarships, and math". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
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