-
(1)
Academics
Our Approach
Our Approach
At SEA our promise to you is clear: your child will be known, cared for, and challenged, to become an outstanding student and a great friend. Some of the practices in place to ensure we deliver on this promise include:
Home and School Partnership
We believe, and research shows, that a student’s success is not solely reliant on the work of their school. Therefore, the partnership between school and home is an important part of our approach to educating children. Families can expect regular communication with teachers, and frequent opportunities to contribute to a child’s learning.
Small Classes
Our small class sizes and student to teacher ratio allow us to meet each child’s specific needs in the classroom, whether it’s cognitively, socially, or emotionally. Individual attention gives students opportunities to make huge advances, while playing and exploring how to become a good friend.
Racial Literacy
In 2019, SEA introduced the Pollyanna Racial Literacy Curriculum at every grade level, employing concepts from history, language arts, science, geography, and STEAM, to support students in acquiring an awareness of their own racial socialization and skills for engaging in productive conversations about race and racism.
Time Outside
Whether working in one of our vegetable gardens, walking through our neighborhood to one of the nearby parks, or playing on the Playdeck, time outside is a big part of the day. In Early Childhood classes, students are normally outside two or three times a day. In Lower and Upper School, in addition to daily recess outside, Faculty members look for frequent opportunities to use the Outdoor Classroom…or to simply make the outdoors a classroom!
Social and Emotional Development
Social and emotional development underpin our student’s growth and success. The way we are able to teach skills like empathy, emotional regulation, self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making, is through our social and emotional curriculum, Second Step.
This program gives our Faculty tools designed to put children on a path to lifelong success. Since Second Step is used throughout our school from Preschool to 8th Grade, our students are continuously engaged in both learning and social and emotional skills for emotional regulation and social development.
Project-Based Learning
SEA’s Signature Experiences for Global Goals is a curriculum thread inspired by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations. This program allowed St. Edmund’s Academy to be the first school in Pittsburgh to sign on as a UN Global School. These schools serve as hubs of education and leadership on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, ultimately empowering students to prioritize sustainable development in their lifestyles, behaviors, education, and professional careers.
St. Edmund's Academy
Guided by our Core Values and commitment to high standards, St. Edmund’s Academy provides a diverse, inclusive, and nurturing learning community where students are known, valued, and challenged to achieve their potential.
