Montverde Academy focuses on serving the whole student, from nurturing academic success to encouraging passions and hobbies.

When Montverde Academy Associate Head of School David Bernatavitz looks out on the school’s campus, he can tell the students are happy.

“It’s an environment where students love being at the Academy,” says Bernatavitz, who also serves as the dean of the Upper School. “It’s been really fascinating to watch our students just embrace and excel in this environment.”

Welcoming students from around the globe, Montverde Academy is a coeducational, independent, international college preparatory school, with day programming for students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12, in addition to boarding options for those in grades 7-12.

While Montverde has built a reputation for strong academics, the school goes above and beyond with what Meristell Shackelford, dean of the Lower School, calls the “added bonus” at the Academy.

“We have such a strong program focused on character and community. Our students come out very well rounded,” she says. “Knowledge, character and community—that’s truly what we do here at Montverde.”

Lower School growth

Montverde was founded as a two-room schoolhouse in 1912, and over the past century-plus it has grown significantly to become the impressive college preparatory school it is today.

And it’s still growing.

This year, the Lower School added an extra class to the third, fourth and fifth grades, creating three classes per grade level.

“We know that the longer children have the opportunity to stay at Montverde, the better they grow in the middle and upper schools,” Shackelford explains, adding many of the valedictorian and salutatorians graduating from Montverde started in the Lower School program. “Expanding so we have more children in the Lower School just betters that opportunity.”

Fostering a welcoming, understanding environment is a focus at the Lower School, and Shackelford fully credits her faculty with ensuring each student receives the support and encouragement they need to thrive academically.

“I have been blessed to hire dedicated professionals who have a passion for children and each child’s success,” Shackelford says.

Evolving curriculum

According to Troy Urquhart, dean of the Middle School, what sets Montverde apart from other institutions at the middle school level is its rich academic programming and emphasis on personal accountability.

“Our students develop essential skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and leadership and they have real-world opportunities to apply what they’ve learned, whether this is through projects at school or through partnerships with outside organizations such as NASA,” Urquhart says.

In order to best serve its students, the Middle School has updated its English curriculum in recent years based on student needs, as well as added math and science support to close achievement gaps formed during the pandemic. Electives have been expanded, and new non-graded enrichment courses allow students and teachers to “explore areas of passion,” Urquhart says.

“We’ve also provided more opportunities for students to take ownership of school events such as our weekly assembly program, student socials and community service projects,” he adds.

Another change at the Middle School is the adoption of a social-emotional learning curriculum within the school’s advisory program. Emilie Fracker, associate dean of the Middle School, explains the program is “to help students develop skills related to executive functioning and navigating peer relationships in a healthy way.” 

“We have provided opportunities for increased communication among faculty members, both in the Middle School division and in our Academy programs, to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students and supporting them with a team approach,” she continues.

Much like with the Lower School, both Urquhart and Fracker mention faculty dedication as a key component to helping their Middle School students flourish.

“Teachers build strong relationships with students, both in the classroom and through our advisory program, which includes a structured, research-based curriculum that helps students build their self-knowledge and their interpersonal skills,” Fracker says.

Challenging students

Students at the Upper School have a passion for learning.

“We have programs that fuel student interests. We also have programs for students who aren’t sure what they want to do and where they want to go,” Bernatavitz says. “We challenge our students, but we balance that with, say, a student who has a desire to play basketball, or soccer, or get up on the stage and sing. We want to make sure we’re providing equal value to those interests.”

The Montverde Upper School curriculum is designed to support growth and prepare students for college. There are 32 Advanced Placement classes, and dual partnerships with the University of Florida, University of South Florida and some junior colleges. The school has focused on building its academic profile, especially in the last decade. Of its 800 Upper School students, 150 were recognized as AP scholars this past year.

“Students have the opportunity to stretch themselves. We design the curriculum. It’s a customized program where we get to know the students and we build a program to serve them,” Bernatavitz explains.

It’s important to “fuel and inspire” whatever the students desire to pursue, even if they aren’t sure what they want to study in college.

“Having paths for all of our students,” Bernatavitz says, “is an important part of what we do here at Montverde.”

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