Acera’s First Days of School 2025-2026

By Dr. Heather J. Pinedo-Burns

As you enter the vestibule at Acera, a poster showcasing our Core Capacities greets you. These guideposts—Collaboration, Creativity, Systems Thinking, Perspective Taking, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Emotional Intelligence, Ethical Decision Making, and Leadership—shape our work with students every day.

During these first few days, classrooms have been abuzz with energy as students and teachers jumped right into the work of school: discovering class themes, building community, and getting to know one another.

Lower School launched schedules in full swing, with one special twist: the first day began with Math Games—collaborative puzzles and challenges designed to spark curiosity and teamwork. Early Math groups began this week with activities and snapshots, which serve as informal assessments. Our first full math classes will be starting on Monday.

Upper School students tackled an engaging design challenge, created by Alison and supported by the full US faculty. This project asked students to draw on creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking—truly embodying our Core Capacities. (More information coming soon on Instagram!)

Creativity Tasters introduced students in both divisions to the wide array of classes offered on Creativity Wednesdays. From Theatre and Drama to Woodworking, Poetry to Cooking, Band to Creative Movement—students sampled classes to discover what excites them. Each Wednesday, students will choose two trimester-long classes that nurture creativity and encourage them to try something new.

Elective Pitches, a cherished Upper School tradition, showcased this trimester’s diverse offerings, including Psychology of Humor, Chemistry: Atoms and Bonding, Ethics, Woodworking: Small Project Joinery, Perspective Drawing, Music and Sound Design, and more. With over 40 different elective class offerings each year, through each of these academic opportunities, students will practice and deepen their Core Capacities throughout their Acera experience.

Looking Ahead

Next week, all Upper School students will head out on a divisional field trip to Treetop Adventures, a high ropes course set in a forest. The course is fully differentiated, with multiple levels of difficulty, so each student can find their own “just right” challenge.

Experiences like this give students authentic opportunities to practice their Core Capacities in action. At Acera, we believe it is essential for gifted students to be both supported and challenged. The confidence and sense of accomplishment that come from stretching into something new—within a supportive community—are truly foundational. This balance is at the heart of an Acera education.

Looking Forward Together

As we look ahead, we are reminded of the gift of learning in community—where students are guided by passionate teachers who have the freedom to design curriculum that reflects their expertise and responds to the needs of the learners before them. In this supportive environment, both students and teachers are nurtured, challenged, and encouraged to grow. Together, we look forward to cultivating curiosity and the Core Capacities within each student in the months ahead.

With Love & Respect,

Heather