Where Creativity Drives Innovation and Learning

Embracing technology and innovation in education promotes critical thinking, a sense of adventure, and an openness to fail and try again. These two offerings will provide our students with the necessary 21st century skills and adaptability to overcome any challenges with confidence and creativity. These programs are offered to all students in grades PK-8 and in all content areas - not just science.

Instructional Technology

Learning to effectively use the tools of technology is an important life skill for our students. We strive to integrate appropriate technology into the curriculum of each class as a tool to enhance learning and engage students.

Sumner Academy has a one-to-one program for first through eighth grade and is a Google School. Our first grade through sixth grade students are issued Chromebooks and all of our students use Google Apps. Google provides easy tools to engage students anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Seventh and eighth grade students are issued iPads to prepare them for for high school. Students leave Sumner Academy with extensive user knowledge in Chrome OS, iOS, and Windows OS environments.

We believe teaching digital citizenship and having a one-to-one learning environment:

Promotes development of collaboration, communication and information literacy skills
Supports more individualized student learning
Creates opportunities for “just in time learning” through spontaneous access to information
Extends the classroom beyond four walls

Our students use Google Apps and Google Classroom to share, collaborate, explore, and problem solve. Google provides a safer online experience for our students with an easy to manage dashboard control system for our technology team.

Sumner Academy provides these additional opportunities:

LEGO Robotics: We have a competitive LEGO Challenge team that competes in First Lego League competitions each year. This team is open for students in 4th-8th grade. Every Spring, SA hosts a Lego club for students in grades K-4th. We also use Lego materials and robotics kits in class.
Computer Coding: Students will get hands-on experience in Scratch programming starting in middle school.
Other robotics opportunities are embedded within the curriculum of Technology or done through the IDEA HUB.
3D Modeling and 3D Printing are also done with students in both Lower School and Middle School

The IDEA Hub

The IDEA HUB at Sumner Academy is a place for all students to come and tinker, design solutions and original pieces of work, and to collaborate and build real-world skills for the 21st century.

This interdisciplinary space is equipped with materials from basic crafting supplies to 3D printers that will allow for a diversity of intellectual pursuits and hands-on learning.

Our mission is to provide a space for creative innovation and exploration while empowering students to gain the skills necessary to solve real world problems today and in the future.

Students are encouraged to approach all challenges and projects with the I.D.E.A. method of thinking. They will become familiar with the concept of an idea or process failing, re-evaluating it, and trying again. Students are encouraged to tap in to their creativity and use that to guide their decision making process.