We seem to live in a world of “what’s wrong” instead of a world of “what’s next.”

When the parent of a prospective student comes to meet us, we ask them to tell the story of their child’s education and development. Most stories have the same plot: things were going pretty well, they started going bad, and now we are in a really bad place. The stories always end on a sour note; parents feel stuck, kids are in a cycle of failure, and they are looking for a way out. After years of struggles, both within the family and with the schools, our visitors seem to be stuck in a place best described as “what’s wrong.”

At NHA we refuse to live in that world. While it is helpful to know the story of how a family ends up visiting the school, we are not in the business of what’s wrong; we are in the business of what’s next.

Today I met with a family that has been struggling. As I tried to move the conversation to what’s next, they kept taking it back to what’s wrong. I even wrote out “What’s WRONG vs. what’s NEXT” on a piece of paper so they could see it in large, bold letters, but they kept going back to what’s wrong.

It occurred to me that they have difficulty living in the realm of what’s next because so many of their experiences have ended in disappointment and failure.

It is not easy to move away from an unhappy story. It takes discipline to accept that things are the way they are and, perhaps more importantly, are not the way they are not. It takes even more discipline to stop judging the circumstances as being wrong. It isn’t that they are right – it is that judging your circumstances is not at all helpful. Being mired in wrongness is not productive and does not lead to success.

To be successful requires that you look to what’s next. If you have a hard time doing that, stop by for a visit and we’ll help you through it.

Matt Marcus, President
New Horizon Academy

Yesterday Dr. McCue, our Academic Director, shared an idea for a slogan to represent New Horizon Academy. It is, simply, “Success is possible.”

Most of our students come to us because they struggled for success in other schools. In a large school, successful students excel in one or more areas: they get good grades, they are good at sports or music, or they are part of the right social circle. In such a setting, success is possible for most students, but not for all. Why not?

Some students need more academic support than they can get in classes with 20, 25, or more students. Others have a hard time navigating the turbulent waters of middle and high school social life. Absent some other extraordinary talent, these students usually get the message that they are not successful – they are seen as failures, by others and eventually by themselves.

Are these students succeeding? No. Can they? Absolutely. How?

We move children from the world of failure to the world of success in several steps. First, we honor their individuality. We do not try to fit students into categories and limit them by labels. Second, we match our learning environment to the student’s learning style, needs, and goals. Third, we challenge them at a level that is right for them as an individual. Within a week or so our students start tasting success, and as the saying goes, nothing succeeds like success.

Getting better grades and enjoying school help erase the feelings of failure and self-doubt that burden our students. The cycle of success leads our students to new horizons in their lives.

“New Horizon Academy: success is possible.” It has a nice ring to it. Thank you, Dr. McCue.

-Matt Marcus

 Special note: the first day of school for the new year is August 22nd, 2012. See you then!

Welcome to New Horizon Academy, Boca Raton’s premier alternative middle and high school. We welcome students who seek an alternative to larger schools. Our small size allows us to appreciate our students as individuals, to create an educational program that meets a student’s specific needs, and to make school a relaxed, enjoyable experience.

For over 18 years New Horizon Academy has made a difference in the lives of our students and their families. If you would like to learn more, feel free to call us or drop by for a visit. We look forward to meeting you and helping you reach your new horizons.

A few of our students