At Montverde Academy, students succeed in academics and develop a strong moral compass to ready them for life beyond school.

Montverde Academy is preparing students for the future both in and out of the classroom.

“Our community is a network of students, families and faculty working together. In this environment, students feel safe to take appropriate risks, try new activities and grow as individuals,” Dr. Troy Urquhart says. “Through clubs, athletics and service organizations, they develop leadership skills, empathy and a sense of responsibility to others, qualities that prepare them for meaningful contributions well beyond our campus.”

Dr. Urquhart is Dean of Montverde Academy’s Middle School, which encompasses students in grades sixth through eighth. The Academy also includes the Lower School, serving students in grades pre-K through fifth, and the Upper School, home to ninth through 12th graders.

Regardless of grade level, the school mission remains the same.

“It overwrites everything we do here. We focus on knowledge, character and community, and those principles are taught in an age-appropriate way,” Meristell Shackelford, Dean of the Lower School, explains.

When investing in a private school, “knowledge should be a given,” according to Ms. Shackelford. There are high expectations of students at Montverde Academy, but just as important as challenging a student academically is ensuring the students are also developing a love of learning.

Academic excellence
Montverde Academy prides itself on academic excellence: No matter the grade, the rigorous curriculum challenges students while fostering critical thinking and creativity.

“Academic excellence here is about more than just knowing the material. Our students learn by celebrating their wins and working through challenges. Teachers encourage them to take chances, ask great questions and try out their ideas,” Dr. Urquhart says. “Whether it’s through our hands-on science program with NASA’s GLOBE project and the Florida Youth Naturalist Program, or our CommonLit 360 Language Arts curriculum that helps students dive into deeper analysis, they’re always practicing how to explore, connect ideas and solve problems creatively.”

At the Upper School, students this year had an 88% pass rate in Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and they saw a 27% increase in AP® scholars over last year. Associate Head of School and Dean of the Upper School David Bernatavitz says it’s “pretty spectacular” to see these achievements.

“You can just see the shift that has taken place in our academic program over the past five to 10 years,” he says. “There’s an acceleration that’s taken place that’s really exciting and we’re seeing the results through the college admissions process.”

Mr. Bernatavitz credits this success students are achieving in advanced coursework, academic competitions and college acceptances as a testament to what’s happening in the classroom—not only in the Upper School, but also those early classrooms in the Lower and Middle schools. “There needs to be a foundation,” he says.

Preparing Middle School students for the Upper School is a focus for all three years, Dr. Urquhart adds.

“In sixth grade, students learn study habits, organizational skills and time management. In seventh and eighth grades, they deepen their connections across subjects, pursue areas of personal interest and take academic risks as they learn to articulate their own perspectives,” he explains. “By the time they reach Upper School, they are confident, resilient learners ready for the rigor of a college-preparatory curriculum.”

Embracing the future
Ms. Shackelford recognizes that she is preparing her young students for jobs that may not even exist yet. Those children she taught 10 or 15 years ago are now entering career fields that weren’t thought of during their Lower School years. This makes embedding foundational instruction and the importance of self discovery at a young age that much more important.

“It’s not just imparting knowledge. It’s supporting children to find it on their own with our guidance,” Ms. Shackelford says. “We want our children to be confident learners.”

And while they may not always know what the future will hold for their students, the faculty and staff at Montverde Academy are always looking forward. This is evident in the academy’s approach with artificial intelligence (AI).

“We spent a lot of time this summer coming up with levels of use policy for AI, from pre-K through 12th grade, and I think we’re prepared now to help guide students through the complexities of AI in education,” Mr. Bernatavitz says.

The school also hosts guest speakers and assemblies to address life beyond Montverde Academy. For instance, this year a speaker will talk to senior students about the new world of employment.

“We want to bring in speakers to talk about how to prepare for the unknown,” Mr. Bernatavitz says.

With small class sizes and a strong curriculum, Montverde Academy does all of the academic things needed to help its students succeed in that facet of their education. But the faculty recognizes that it’s important to help students succeed outside of the classroom, too.

“We believe that who our students become matters as much as what they know. Alongside rigorous academics, students practice empathy, responsibility and self-advocacy,” Dr. Urquhart says. “By weaving character into daily life—through service opportunities, leadership programs and ongoing community engagement—we help them become not only excellent students, but also principled people.”

Montverde Academy
Montverde
(407) 469-2561
Montverde.org