Hawaii Technology Academy - Public Charter School and Blended Learning
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Why Celebrate Summer and the End of the Year?

5/19/2016

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With school year 2016-2017 drawing to a close in less than one week, we have a lot to celebrate!  This has been an amazing year of growth for HTA’s students, faculty and school community.  Some highlights include
​:
  • Effort and excellence demonstrated throughout the year by learning coaches and students
  • Dedication and commitment of the faculty
  • Students competed in county, state and national level competitions in various sports, arts and academic events
  • Student attendance rates were our highest in four years
  • HTA’s Smarter Balanced Scores beat out the combined scores of all other DOE and Charter Schools at every grade level
  • Opening of our Kona Learning Center
  • Construction began on our new Oahu Learning Center
  • Plans underway to open our new Maui Learning Center in Wailuku
  • Entire school community participated in Schoolwide Strategic Planning
  • Highest re-enrollment rate in five years
  • Waiting lists for SY 16-17 already exist
  • HTA’s Blended Learning program was featured in several news articles, publications and education conferences around the country

As the year draws to a close, we encourage all of our students, parent learning coaches and teachers to take time to relax and enjoy the summer with family and friends.  For those families and faculty who are moving on to new educational experiences next year, we wish you fond aloha.  For those families who will be returning in August, we look forward to greeting you in the new school year.  We thank all students and parent learning coaches for your continued support of HTA.  We continue to evolve and improve each year and are excited to see what next year will hold.  We hope that your family uses the coming weeks to reflect, refresh and recharge in the summer sun.


Have a wonderful summer,

Ms. Fitz and Mr. Zitello

Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?
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Why Do I Need To Read the Computer Return/Renew Message?

5/13/2016

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One of the processes that we get the most questions about is HTA’s end of year computer return or renewal process.  Today you received a message from HTA outlining this process.  Please read this message carefully and make the correct selection for your student.   Just in case you missed the email, here is a refresher:

This year, we continue on HTA's more direct approach in computer deployments to our students.
What does this mean for you?
Depending on your student's grade level, condition of the student's current computer and intent of your family to return for the 2016-2017 school year, you have the option to either hold onto or return your student's laptop. Below is a breakdown of your options:
Your student may opt to keep his/her laptop over the summer if he/she meets the following criteria:
  • Fully re-enrolled for School Year 2016-17
  • Your student will be going into grades 1-8 or 10-12 next year (all 8th graders must return computer)
  • Computer is in working condition
  • You understand that your computer deposit will continue to be held
Your student must return his/her laptop if:
  • Student is not re-enrolled for School Year 2016-2017
  • Student is entering 9th grade next year (a new laptop will be issued)
  • Student is currently a senior and graduating this year
  • Laptop is damaged or otherwise not in working condition
  • You wish to receive your computer deposit back over the summer

Log into HonuHub and click on "Computer Loan Program" from the main menu to Begin the process.
A link to additional guidance and instructions is located under General Information in your Parent Dashboard in HonuHub.

If you have any questions, feel free to email tech@MyHTA.org 
Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?
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What is HTA's Strategic Plan?

5/5/2016

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HTA’s Vision
A community embracing the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

HTA’s Mission
We empower students to succeed through our blended learning experience – face-to-face, virtual and independent
This installment of the Weekly Why? comes to us in the form of a What? question.  This year HTA’s Governing Board undertook the process of guiding HTA’s 3 year strategic planning process.  Working with our consultant, Eric Kapono, we offered multiple venues through which our entire community could share their feedback and ideas about how HTA should evolve over the next three years.  These opportunities included but were not limited to:
  • Schoolwide Survey for parents and faculty
  • World Cafe Focus Groups (every island)
  • 2 day direction setting retreat with 22 Board, Faculty and Staff members
  • 2 day strategy setting retreat with 64 faculty and staff members
  • ½ day financial strategy retreat with Finance Committee and Friends of HTA
  • Review of the school’s current DOE Schoolwide Plan, WASC self-study, StriveHI data and all other DOE and charter specific data available to us
​

Based on feedback from the data collection, world cafe focus groups and schoolwide surveys, the Governing Board, faculty and staff composed the attached strategic plan document. This document will guide the school in terms of financial, academic and organizational planning from 2016-2019.  The plan offers multiple avenues through which parents, community members and students can have an active role in shaping our school’s culture and strategic directions.  Quarterly progress reports will be publicized and shared with our entire school community.  
We invite you to read this concise version of the schoolwide plan and to get involved with the dynamic evolution of HTA. 

Click here to view HTA’s Strategic Plan

Thank you,
Ms. Fitzgerald and Mr. Zitello
​

Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why? ​
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Why you might want to join HTA’s Ohana Committee (HOC)?

4/28/2016

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This year HTA engaged our school community in an extensive strategic planning process. Our entire community had the opportunity to participate.  Many common themes emerged. One was that HTA should better utilize a community of  volunteers to help plan and organize school events and activities.
To this end, HTA will endeavor to create a true community organization called the HTA Ohana Committee (HOC). The intent of this committee will be to create a more active presence in growing our school wide community by tapping into the passion and dedication of our parents, teachers, and friends.
A group of teachers has taken the lead in beginning to form HOC.  They need your enthusiasm and ideas! If you might be interested in joining HTA’s Ohana Committee (HOC) for school year 2016-17, or would like to know more, please fill out this very BRIEF FORM
Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?
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Why did HTA get a new website?

4/21/2016

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HTA is pleased to announce the launch of our new and improved website.  The website is completely redesigned but the URL is still the same - myhta.org.  We hope the new website is easy to navigate and possesses a fresh look. Our goal is to provide prospective families and interested community members with information about our school and our unique blended learning model.  
The new website:
  • Displays our best and most informative public “digital face”
  • Celebrates the academic and extracurricular triumphs of our current students
  • Highlights our innovative approach to teaching and learning with videos, student spotlights and testimonials.
  • Better informs and provides immediate answers to those who may consider enrolling at, working for or supporting HTA
  • Stimulates discourse as a leader in this emerging educational model - blended learning
  • Shares HTA’s pride and success with others
​
Current families will continue to rely on HonuHub and their island, division, and/or teacher websites for most of their daily needs. 
Help HTA spread the word about our awesome blended learning program by sharing our website with prospective students, friends, and families.
Feel free to send any questions, comments, or suggestions about the website to Kristen Wolf, Director of Communications at kwolf@myhta.org. 
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Why should you follow HTA on social media?

4/14/2016

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Since social media is used on a routine basis at home, it is the easiest way to spread news and information to our students, parents, and community members.  Social media also gives HTA a platform for recognizing student achievements, school accomplishments, and exciting events.  Not only does social media help to keep our families informed, it also helps build our school's brand and reach prospective new families.  Help us spread the word about HTA and show people the great things that are happening at our school by joining us on social media.  Each one of your "likes" or "shares" helps us reach a broader audience.  HTA has social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube.
"Like" us on Facebook:  HTA-Hawaii Technology Academy
"Follow" us on Instagram
:  @htacharter
"Follow" us on Twitter
:  @htacharter
​"Follow" us on Google+
:  Hawaii Technology Academy
"Subscribe" to our YouTube channel
:  Hawaii Technology Academy 

If you have something that you would like to share on social media, please email your submission to Kristen Wolf, Director of Communications, atkwolf@myhta.org
Have a question about HTA?  Email your questions to Mr. Zitello mzitello@myhta.org or Ms. Fitz fitz@myhta.org and we will do our best to answer them in the Weekly Why?
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Why does the Smarter Balance matter?

3/30/2016

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The Smarter Balance Assessment provides an annual snapshot of your student’s academic growth.  For students in grades 3 through 8 and 11, the Smarter Balanced Assessment offers the opportunity to apply the skills and content knowledge that they have learned in face-to-face class, online through the curriculum and in independent learning opportunities.   Based on last year’s results, our students are well prepared for success on the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  The length of the test has been reduced from last year as have the number of days of testing. Please be certain to review your division/island calendar for Smarter Balanced Assessment dates and times.
Did you know…
that Hawaii is not an “opt out” state.  If your student does not participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment, HTA is demerited on our academic performance framework.  The academic performance framework is a key indicator in Hawaii’s StriveHI system for school improvement.  In 2015, HTA was demerited an average of 2% of those students who tested as proficient in each subject area.  As a result, HTA remains in School Focus status.  This means that our school falls subject to school improvement measures mandated by the Department of Education.  Below you can view an example of how a participation rate of less than 95% impacts our scores.


HTA encourages all students to participate in SBA testing so that we can celebrate the academic growth of our students and collect data to better equip us as teachers and parent learning coaches in enriching their learning experience.  As a reminder, if you refuse testing for your student, your student still needs to report to the learning center or test site on the scheduled test dates.
We thank you in advance for supporting your student during the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  
With Aloha,
Ms. Fitz and Mr. Zitello
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Why is HTA Robotics awesome?

3/9/2016

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...did you know that HTA’s Kona and Oahu Middle School Robotics teams both made it to the state competition this year?  The Kona team won theJudge’s Award for Sportsmanship and the Oahu team performed so well that they advanced to the World Competition!  Testimony from the students of Oahu’s HTA Robotics Team……….


7th Grader- A. Hanby:
“I love HTA Robotics because I met a lot of amazing kids and it helps me learn about technology and our future.”
7th Grader- S. James-Piedra:
“I think HTA Robotics is awesome because we get to learn about robots, and how to work as a team to solve different challenges”
7th Grader- C. Brown:
“I really enjoy HTA Robotics because I get to learn about how to program and build robots to solve a challenge. One day I would like to become a robot engineer”
8th Grader- R. Craythorn:
“I really like HTA Robotics because I’ve learned so much and met many interesting people. I can play around with robots and socialize with my friends.”
8th Grader- Z. Peerboom:
“I love HTA Robotics because it is a place that I can socialize, build and drive robots with other students that have the same passion.”

A message from Jeff Brown, the coach of Oahu’s HTA Robotics Team……….
“The HTA Robotics Team seeks help raising funds for our trip to the Vex IQ Robotics World Championships in Louisville, KY. Our students have worked tirelessly this season to secure a victory at the Hawaii State Vex IQ Robotics Championships. As State Champions we now need your help to reach our goal of attending the World Championships. In order to meet this goal, we are asking for donations or sponsorships from local businesses and the HTA Ohana.  By giving, you will be helping our students represent HTA and our great State of Hawaii as they compete with the best teams from around the world in this prestigious international competition.”
Why you might want to help?
  • HTA is cultivating a true sense of school pride and ohana, one in which we support each other when and where possible.
  • Successful schools celebrate school success! HTA is in the business of celebration, as there are countless other successes on a daily basis
  • HTA Robotics has put out the “Bat Signal” to our community and we hope that people will consider helping.  Traveling to Worlds and participating in the competition is expensive, and although they are fundraising, the team hopes that the community will support them.  
  • Click here to donate to the Robotics Team via paypal or check via HTA’s associated non-profit, Friends of HTA.
  • Do you know about Friends of HTA? Friends of HTA (FoHTA), exists “to provide financial assistance for school related activities, functions, and facilities”.  Click here to visit the FoHTA website
HTA and the Oahu Robotics Team thanks you! for your support!
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Why should I take time to complete the School Quality Survey?

3/2/2016

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Every year the Hawaii Department of Education distributes the annual School Quality Survey.  All public school families, including those enrolled in public charter schools, are encouraged to complete the survey.  Your participation is important because:
  • It provides you, the parent, with the ability to have your voice heard in our schoolwide planning & continuous improvement process
  • Results are shared with administration and faculty to identify areas of strength and areas in need of improvement
  • HTA reviews the responses and incorporates the data into our annual Schoolwide Plan and Strategic Plan
  • The SQS results are calculated into the annual Honolulu Magazine Ranking of Hawaii’s Public and Charter Schools

The full results of our 2014-2015 School Quality Survey are attached to this Weekly Why.

Consistent areas of strength were identified as:
  • Students are emotionally “safe” within the school building/lack of bullying
  • Approximately 90% of parents are satisfied with HTA
  • HTA’s common core aligned curriculum (in the data points)
  • Quality of Faculty

Consistent areas for improvement were identified as:
  • Physical safety outside of the Oahu Learning Center
  • HTA can work harder at engaging students when at the learning center
  • HTA’s common core aligned curriculum (in the comment section)
  • Schoolwide Communication


Participating in the 2015-2016 survey further enables HTA to take your voice into consideration when crafting our annual Schoolwide Plan and the strategies that drive our 3 year School Strategic Plan.  Please note that the SQS is different than the HTA Perception Survey that you may have completed in December.  The HTA Perception Survey is HTA’s own annual survey on which we are able to ask island, division and blended learning specific questions, the results of which also drive school improvement.

The online survey can be completed at:
  • If your child is in grades 4 or 5: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016ElemParents
  • If your child is in grades 7,8,9, or 11: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016MiddleHighParents

Completed surveys must be received no later than March 15, 2016.

We thank you in advance for taking time to complete this survey and we look forward to sharing the results of our 2015-2016 School Quality Survey with you.  

With Warm Aloha,
Ms. Fitz and Mr. Zitello
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Why does my child take the Smarter Balanced assessment?

2/24/2016

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HTA students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment this spring.  Unlike the old “smile and file” standardized tests, the SBA is not a “fill in the bubble/fill in the blank” test.  The SBA emphasizes writing, problem-solving, and critical thinking- the exact same skills that HTA’s students encounter in our blended learning program.  In taking the SBA, HTA’s students are able to exhibit and apply the academic skills that they have developed through their class projects, work in the online curriculum and personalized learning plans.   

Most important, the SBA results enable HTA’s faculty and administration to thoughtfully develop our blended learning program to ensure that we are meeting the academic needs of your student.  The faculty takes time and care to read the individualized student reports- reports that provide useful information on areas in which our students are doing extremely well and those areas where we need to provide more focus, instruction and dynamic learning opportunities.  The SBA results, coupled with report card grades, work samples and face-to-face learning provide an informative snapshot of how HTA can best craft enrichment opportunities, courses and a personalized learning profiles for your child.  

At HTA we empower students to succeed through our blended learning experience- face-to-face, independent and virtual.  Participating in the SBA provides your student with an independent opportunity to showcase his or her content knowledge and applied academic skills.  While not every student might enjoy the testing experience, we encourage students to consider this as an opportunity to stretch themselves and work on their test taking skills.  As we know, confident test taking is a skill that students need to develop to be college and career ready.  

In order to better serve your student, the length of the SBA has been shortened.  This year your student will sit the test over a three day period, rather than a five day period.  We believe that this will be less disruptive to our overall program.  Please refer to your division calendar for your island and grade level test dates and times.  Please ensure that your family prioritizes attendance on these dates to avoid making up the test at a later date.  Our teachers have planned their spring pacing guides around the test dates to ensure that your student does not feel overwhelmed.

We believe that HTA’s teachers and you, as parent learning coach, have equipped your students with the content knowledge, skill sets and confidence that they need to successfully navigate the Smarter Balanced Assessment.  We thank you in advance for preparing your student to take the test and look forward to celebrating his or her results next fall.

If you have questions about the Smarter Balanced Assessment and would like to learn more about the test, please contact our Instructional Support Team through Mrs. Goodhue at: mgoodhue@myhta.org

With Warm Aloha~
Ms. Fitz &  Mr. Zitello

​
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​Main Office
​Hawaii Technology Academy​
94-450 Mokuola St, Suite 200
Waipahu, HI 96797
808-676-5444 (phone)     
​808-676-5470 (fax)
info@myhta.org


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  • Home
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