IMAGINE BELLA ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE TRULY LIVING UP TO ITS NAME

Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence has a lot to be proud of these days.  They recently received many honors for their outstanding accomplishments this year.  The School recently received a 2011 National Promising Practices Award for The Bella Ball, a specific and unique character development initiative on the campus. 

The Character Education Partnership (CEP), the leading national advocate for character education, announced its annual Promising Practices in Character Education award to 260 schools and districts from across the United States as well as Mexico and Puerto Rico. Nearly 500 applicants submitted practices for recognition. The Imagine Schools National Office as well as eleven Imagine campuses, including Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence, received Promising Practices awards in 2011. This is the second consecutive year the school has won the award.

These awards highlight the unique, effective, and specific strategies used on campuses to help students become better citizens, friends, and leaders. The Bella Ball was an initiative that involved parents, students and community members to promote proper etiquette, Imagine’s Shared Values and excellence in character through ballroom dancing. 

Liz Soeder, third grade teacher and Character Education leader at Imagine Bella, describes their program by saying, “our character education program strives to develop students who show integrity in their homes, school and communities, demonstrate justice by understanding individual needs of peers and take responsibility and ownership through planning and decision making.”

Eileen Bakke, VP of Education for Imagine Schools, said, “We are proud of CEP’s recognition of Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence for helping students to become responsible, capable, caring citizens and tomorrow’s leaders.  These Promising Practices demonstrate only a few of the recognized ways that Imagine Schools integrates character development into every aspect of the school day. We partner with parents and guardians in the education of their children. They recognize the value of character formation, leadership and service as important components of a quality education.” 

Positive character development is one of Imagine Schools’ Six Measures of Excellence, criteria by which we measure our performance and hold ourselves accountable to high standards.  Every Imagine Schools campus places a strong emphasis on positive character development and evaluates its effectiveness in this area annually. 

In addition to receiving the National Promising Practices Award, Imagine Bella Academy has also received an award on the National Imagine Schools level for their blend of character education into their everyday educational program. 

All winning schools and practices are listed on the CEP website (HYPERLINK "http://www.character.org"www.character.org), and promising practices will be printed and published in the Character Education Partnership’s annual publication, National Schools of Character: Award-Winning Practices.

The recognition does not stop there.  In addition to recognition for their character education program, Imagine Bella Academy has also been awarded an Imagine Schools Parent Choice award.  The School’s incredible growth –nearly doubling enrollment- in one year is a testimony of the school’s academic success and parent’s selection of the School. According to the Imagine Bella staff, their families are the key to their success.  CCCC thanks the parents for their continued dedication, partnership, and trust in Imagine Bella’s education of their children.  

Imagine Bella Academy will probably receive additional acknowledgments for their academic growth this year.  The school has gone from an Ohio Department of Education ranking of Academic Emergency to Continuous Improvement.  Principal Woody attributes this success to the students and teachers, “the teachers teach to high standards and are committed to each student meeting or exceeding those standards.  Our students are just as dedicated.  As the principal and an Imagine Bella parent, I am incredibly pleased with the path we are on.”  It appears to be a path of excellence.  

Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence is a public charter school in Cleveland, OH. The school currently serves over 300 students in grades K to 7 and prepares students for a lifetime of achievement and the global future by creating an innovative and academically excellent school.

Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence is now enrolling for grades K-3 and is proud to announce their sister school Imagine Cleveland Academy ( HYPERLINK "http://www.imaginecleveland.com" www.imaginecleveland.com) opening this fall.