24590 LAHSER ROAD SOUTHFIELD, MI 48033
Laurus Academy is part of the National Heritage Academies family.
School Description
Laurus Academy is a K-8 college-bound school in Southfield, Michigan. The school opened its doors in 2004 and is now serving over 700 students. Laurus is a schoolwide Title I school with 71% of its students on a Free/Reduced Lunch status and 10-12% receiving special education services.
Laurus offers a challenging and rigorous curriculum in an environment that promotes high academic achievement and a strong moral focus. The moral focus is ingrained within the school’s curriculum and is the focal point at moral focus assemblies that are held each day in the classrooms and once per week at general grade-level assemblies. In accordance with the SchoolWorks School Quality Review Process of 2007, “the climate and culture of Laurus radiates respect for learning, collaboration and positive relationships. Communications are frequent and clear, partnerships are established to support the school, and student learning is established.”
The goal of Laurus Academy is “to better educate more children”, and our staff is committed to the mission of becoming one of the finest K-8 college-bound schools in the country by providing an academically-challenging, character-based education to every student.
Southfield, Michigan, where Laurus is located, is a city of Oakland County, with over 50% of its students arriving from the city of Detroit. Southfield has a residential population of more than 80,000, and the median family income is $64,500. The racial make-up of the city is 54% African American, 39% White, and 7% other. In the past 50 years, Southfield has grown from a rural farming community to one of the leading business centers in Michigan and the Midwest. It is the home where Laurus Academy, a schoolwide Title I school, is proud to service its wonderful student population by challenging each child to achieve (Student Improvement Plan, June 2015).
Challenging Each Child to Achieve…
National Heritage Academies has partnered with a voluntary local school board to create Laurus Academy, a no-cost public charter school. Our school is designed to eliminate the achievement gap and provide a public school choice to your family so your child is prepared for success in high school, college, and beyond.
Preparing your child for a lifetime of success
OUR FOCUS:
Academic excellence
Our parents are invited to actively participate in their child’s education and to regularly communicate with teachers and principals.
Moral focus
Parental partnership
When parents, teachers, and students work together, they form a powerful triangle of success. For this reason, parents are always welcome to stop by our school and join us in the classroom. Our teachers also make a point of being available to discuss your child’s progress or address concerns. For us, parental partnership is key to a strong school community.
Student responsibility
Safety and security
- Grades Offered: Full Day K-8
- Principal: Carolyn Boyer
- Deans: Lori Rowden,, Alaina Dwyer, Silva Nazoyan, Dara Abston
- Enrollment: 746
- Transportation: No
- Onsite Daycare: No
- Dress Code: Yes
- Established: 2004
- Authorizer: Bay Mills Community College
- Open Enrollment Dates: 9/6/2016-2/28/2017
Extracurricular activities play a vital role in helping our students grow beyond the classroom.
We offer many different extracurricular activities for our students:
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Fall: Girl’s Volleyball: 5/6 JV, 7/8 Varsity
- Boy’s Basketball: 5/6 JV, 7/8 Varsity
- Winter: Girl’s Basketball 5/6 JV, 7/8 Varsity
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Cheerleading: 5/6-JV, 7/8 Varsity
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Spring: Track for Boys and Girls 5–8th grades
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Boy’s Flag Football: 7/8
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Pretty Positives- promoting positive, proactive, and productive activities for girl on Wednesday
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Danse d’amour Dance Program
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Academic Workshop: January–May M/W/TH 3:15–4:15 p.m. K–8
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Spanish: 1–5 M/W/TH 3:15–4:15 p.m.
- Girls Scouts
- Imagination Station- morning and afternoon care that provides homework help, dance, sign language, drama, male mentoring, and hot meals
SCHOOL YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
- Grandparents Day – Laurus Academy held a Grandparents Day at the school that celebrated the interactions between students and their families. We were delightfully surprised when over 350 grandparents showed up to celebrate this day in our school.
- Mobile Nature Center – The Mobile is a traveling nature center that allows 1-3 grade students to receive a hands on approach to science. This exhibit is aligned with the State of Michigan Benchmarks along with NHA Exemplars in the area of science. Students were able to see many examples of wildlife on a real setting.
- Pennies for Patients – The Middle School National Junior Honor Society held its annual Pennies for Patients drive to help students with Leukemia. This event raised over $1000 to help this worthy cause.
- Gleaners Food Bank – Students showed their teachings of the Moral Focus by having a canned food drive to help families in their time of need during the holiday season. The students brought in over 700 cans of food that were donated to local food banks.
- Music Concert – We celebrated two musical performances for the 2014-15 school year. The concerts had the themes that celebrated diversity. Music was performed from many different nationalities, and abilities. Students sang songs in Arabic, Nigerian, and even performed sign language for some performances.
- Panther Den – Bi-monthly students are allowed to visit the Den and spend their Laurus Loot, which is money earned for good behavior incentives to student progress.
- The School Dentist- (Michigan Dental Association)- students are provided dental services at the school with an in school diagnostic and preventive care program
- Vision Screening- Wayne County Health Dept. offers vision screening to students
- Michigan First Credit Union- making it easy and convenient to teach your child how to save money and manage their money. Staffed by students, children have the rewarding opportunity to make deposits in their savings account.
- Trunk or Treat- event for families to socialize with one another and get candy during the Halloween season
- Fire Safety – Firestation #5 holds an assembly that educates students on safety practices in the home in case of a fire
Parent Perspective
“My children have attended Laurus since kindergarten. After much analysis and review of available schools, we selected Laurus and have been very pleased. I have found the administration to be very supportive and positive. The school work is very challenging – and there is support in place for children who need extra help. No school is perfect, but I find that parents who invest time in getting to know teachers and working with the administration have the best growth. It’s very important that children, not only learn, but are supported and protected. I feel that Laurus environment is positive and the moral focus component is critical. I am pleased that we chose this school for our children and look forward to seeing them graduate” (Laurus Academy Parent).
“Laurus doesn’t just look at the child as a number or a body in a chair. I feel the staff shows genuine concern about the children and families that are a part of their body”.– Laurus Academy Parent
Staff Perspective
“In the past parents ran the school and it was very frustrating because there was no accountability. Now the parent-teacher relationship is a partnership and it is supported by administration. It changes the whole climate of the school for the better” (Mrs. Williams, 8th grade).
Student Perspective
“I have been attending Laurus since Kindergarten and I feel that the school has gotten better. The teachers that are here now are more helpful and the uniforms are better”. (Courtney, 7th grade student).
“I have been at Laurus since Kindergarten and the school has been a good school. For a few years the school was disorganized and students were out of control. I am happy now because students are being held responsible for their actions and the school feels more organized” (Tre Tuck, 7th grade student).
School Improvement Plan:
The Single Building District Improvement Plan (SIP) is a planning tool designed to address student achievement and system needs identified through the school’s comprehensive needs assessment (CNA). Additionally, the Single Building District Improvement Plan provides a method for schools to address the school improvement planning requirements of Public Act 25 of the Revised School Code and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as applicable.
Annual Education Report:
The Annual Education Report (AER) provides key information on the 2014-2015 education progress for Laurus Academy. This report addresses the complex reporting information required by federal and state laws. It also contains information about student assessment, accountability, and teacher quality. You will also find data and analysis of school’s history and characteristics.
School Overview
| School Type | Charter School |
| Grades Offered | Grades KG-8 |
| Total Students | 736 students |
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| Gender % |  |
| Total Classroom Teachers | 35 teachers |
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| Students by Grade |  |
School Comparison
| This School | (MI) School Average | |
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 21:1 | 19:1 |
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| Diversity Score |
0.02 | 0.27 |
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| Eligible for Free Lunch |
58%
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43%
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| Eligible for Reduced Lunch |
11%
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6%
(Public School Review, 2016)
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Parent Initiative:
An important initiative at Laurus Academy is building better relationships with parents and getting them more involved within the school and helping them to set goals of creating social capital. Currently there are parents that are involved and playing an active role within the school but it is a small number of parents in comparison to the student population.
A great way to build these relationships with parents is to utilize many of the relationships we have within our community. This can be done by hosting events within the school year with our existing partners (Imagination Station, Pretty Positives, Laurus Athletics, etc.). Hosting with these events with partners will help to create a more inviting and comfortable environment that parents feel familiar with due to their existing relationships with these partners. Reaching out to local community organizations and inviting them to events will also be a great way to build new partnerships and provide ways for parents to be more involved.
These events can help to create opportunities to learn the needs of our parents and then offer workshops and or special events to meet those needs.
Community Asset Walk:
Fire Station #5
24477 Lahser Rd. (248) 796-5650
Laurus partners with Fire Station #5 for Fire Station Assembly. It might also be an asset if we have them involved in a Family Night as well to help with Parent Initiative.
Little Angels Child Care 24950 Lahser Rd, Southfield, MI 48033
Perfect Smile Dentistry, Alpine Driving School 24800 Lahser Rd, Southfield, MI 48033
Again, all these business could offer opportunities to get parents more involved in a Family night or any other kind of event.
Cornerstone Healthy Living 