hands-on – Sophia Academy

Cooking With Garbage

Sophia students participate ever year in the Philly Service Award project. This year, students in STEM classes are building –from scratch–a methane digester that can be used as an outdoor lamp or stove. It will be powered completely by organic trash. Anyone living in a city knows that there is usually plenty of trash to be found. Students have gone into the neighborhood multiple times to pick up trash, thus meeting two needs at once: beautifying the school’s neighborhood and securing a stash of free fuel for the methane digester. Win-win. Just another way for Sophia Academy students to use all their senses and abilities to learn.

Field Trips to Finish Well

Sophia Academy’s school year is hurtling to a close. As we continue to delve into history and science, math and literature, we also take time to learn outside the classroom. This spring, our field trips included an art-based trip to the Schuylkill River and its hiking trails, a science trip to Eastern University’s planetarium and observatory, and a hands-on trip to a New Jersey egg farm where we helped care for animals and made home-made pizza.

Looking for material for a natural sculpture a la Andy Goldsworthy

Learning to control the telescope from the computer

Authentic, Hands-on

What is “authentic, hands-on” education? Education that prepares students with skills they can use in the adult world of 2022 and beyond. As part of Sophia Academy’s mission to awaken genius in students with language-based learning differences, we are always seeking to find ways to give our students practice with the same skills they might use as an adult.

We were fortunate to receive an award for the school as part of the Excellence in Teaching Award given to Mr. Brockman. With that award, we purchased curricula and equipment to enable students to learn design and development skills as they use tinkerCAD. Our new 3D printer has students quite excited!

Pumpkin Carving Comes Early to Sophia Biology Class

Comparing water samples gathered from Lorimar Park, growing mold on jack-o-lanterns, checking out crystalline structures under a microscope: these are just a few ways students put feet and hands on their learning under the direction of Mrs. Gudz, Biology teacher at Sophia Academy. Mrs. Gudz comes to Sophia after years of teaching and working in the health professions. She loves making the world of science come alive to students (and vice versa), but she especially loves the opportunity to help young men and women grow in character, in wisdom, and in favor with God.

Now Enrolling

Sophia Academy@ICHS, an arts-based high school for students with language-based learning differences is now enrolling for the 2017-2018 school year. Students entering grades 9-11 are encouraged to apply.

A hands-on, multi-sensory curricula that weaves visual and performing arts into standard subjects helps students with dyslexia and dyscalculia learn well. Contact us via this website or by calling 267-577-8020.