Our Mission

The mission of the International Academy (IA) at Francis C. Hammond Middle School is to support our students in their academic, social, and emotional transitions to life in the United States. We utilize current research-based practices aligned to the Internationals Approach, which combine language and content instruction for English language learners, in order to prepare our students to become vital members of their communities.

 Our Vision

International Academy students gain the knowledge and skills needed to prepare them for a variety of post-secondary and career opportunities.

The International Academy is a nurturing learning environment where students attain rigorous content and language goals through collaboration, inquiry, and exploration.

Francis C. Hammond Middle School is a model for English language learner instruction at the middle school level.

Our Beliefs

Beliefs about instruction:

• We believe that all students can master academic content and learn English when language and content are taught in tandem.
• We believe that literacy is the heart of all learning regardless of the subject.
• We believe that project-based learning will benefit all students and will create positive school memories.
• We believe that heterogeneous grouping of students enhances language development and content learning.
• We believe that experiential learning promotes conceptual understanding and connects our classrooms with real world problems and solutions.
• We believe that a student’s primary language development is also essential to
  their English language development.
• We believe that skills (literacy skills, school skills, social negotiation skills, etc) are a necessary component to student success in both school and real life and should be taught with as much focus as content knowledge.

Beliefs about our students and teachers:

• We believe that all students can learn.
• We believe that our students come with skills, talents, and experiences that contribute to a rich learning environment.
• We believe that we should not make assumptions about students’ background knowledge or cultural experiences.
  
• We believe that teachers will be at their best when they collaborate with students in mind at all times.
• We believe that learning should be fun for both the students and teachers.
• We believe that effort trumps innate ability.  
• We believe that we will be successful and make an impact on our students’ lives.