Foxcroft Academy named Apple Distinguished School

iPads in English class photo taken by Robert Krivicich. L-R: Abigail Simpson '17, Hannah Fishburn '17, Michelle Smith '17, Camille Bozzelli '17, and English teacher Bridget Ferry

iPads in Math class photo taken by Robert Krivicich.
The teacher in the background is Wayne Strout.

Dover-Foxcroft, Maine – Foxcroft Academy is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2014–2016 for its innovative use of Apple technology since implementing a 1-to-1 iPad Initiative in the fall of 2011.

The Apple Distinguished School designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence while also demonstrating a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.

“The selection of Foxcroft Academy as an
Apple Distinguished School highlights our success as an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment,” said Head of School Arnold Shorey, who started at FA in the fall of 2010 and implemented the iPad Initiative in his second year. “This recognition represents the FA community working, learning, planning, and solving problems together–the Board of Trustees supporting the technology; the faculty having the courage to try new things; the students teaching adults how to use new tools; the ongoing support from parents and alumni; the Information Technology department constructing a solid infrastructure; and the administration modeling and facilitating a new style of learning.”

Through innovative practices and experiences, Foxcroft Academy students are empowered to direct the path of their own learning as they collaborate with a faculty excited to work with individuals or small groups for independent study or enrichment. Students develop a sense of self through knowledge, choice, and ownership of a personalized and self-directed learning experience while the faculty, eager to lead by example, employs digital means of communication and collaboration, providing students access to materials through class websites and course learning management systems such as Edmodo or iTunes U. Foxcroft’s teachers also believe strongly in sharing their work with learners the world over, having created and published courses on iTunesU that have now amassed more than 1.4 million views, 293,000 subscriptions, and 436,000 downloads.

Foxcroft Academy was established as a private secondary school on January 30, 1823. Over the past decade, FA has opened its doors to the world and become a true global community, welcoming students from Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Foxcroft’s course guide includes 21 accredited Advanced Placement courses, 19 math and science offerings, 27 electives in the Humanities, 25 Visual and Performing Arts courses, 15 in-house offerings in Technical Education, four World Language tracks, and a robust ESL program. In addition, electives such as Filmmaking, Digital Photography, Applied Media Production, Inventing the Future, Electricity and Electronics Technology, and Computer-Aided Drawing enable students to develop an assortment of technical skills that help them achieve success in college and beyond.

iPads in dorm photo taken by Robert Krivicich. L-R: Kate Sukhanova '14, Phuong Dang '14, Songqi Yang '17.