“In these challenging times, the one thing we can be sure of is that the way to repair the world is through education.” - HVA founder Dr. Deborah Kenny

Welcome to the Kenny family little Tyler Joel. We are overjoyed! 💗

Happy holidays and happy new year to all the teachers out there. Teaching is the single most important job in society. 🤩📕📚

MLK said only light can drive out darkness. Educators are the lights - shining models of persistent positive energy for the children.

Becoming a great teacher is not about acquiring a set of techniques to be copied and repeated. It's about developing a deep understanding that can be applied in any instructional situation. Learn more: lnkd.in/ex_8mtwX

As Alfie Kohn says, if a child is off-task perhaps the problem is not the child but the task! Students are intrinsically motivated when we design learning experiences that are intriguing, challenging, and inherently valuable.

Restorative discipline requires students to take responsibility for their actions and repair the harm they've done. It is instructive, not just punitive.

Performance assessment requires students to produce the authentic work of the discipline. It measures the quality of student thinking and depth of understanding through open-ended questions and complex tasks.

Deep understanding requires that students apply knowledge in complex and unfamiliar contexts. As Ted Sizer says, “The real test for students is when they are presented with something unfamiliar and asked to use what they have learned.” Learn more: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning

Curriculum should be designed around big ideas and intriguing questions that spark students’ intellectual curiosity and cultivate higher order cognitive skills. Learn more about deeper learning at HVA: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

Mindfulness fosters inner peace and teaches students empathy, resilience, and emotional self-management. Learn more about deeper learning at HVA: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

What we believe about our students informs our teaching. As educators we practice culturally responsive education by offering all students equal access to a cognitively demanding curriculum and ambitious instruction. Learn more : harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

Teaching students to be independent thinkers, not passive followers, is essential for college readiness. Learn more about deeper learning at HVA: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

At HVA we foster student self-direction with structures that guide and empower students to take ownership of their learning. Learn more about deeper learning at HVA: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

Engagement is not about entertaining students but designing learning experiences that cultivate intrinsic motivation, metacognition and deep thinking. Learn more about deeper learning at HVA: harlemvillageacademies.org/deeperlearning/

Sly and Brian in the same week. May their memories be a blessing.

Congratulations class of 2025. 100% accepted to 4-year colleges including Yale University, Stanford University, and Barnard College! 100% completed all requirements for the International Baccalaureate.

Kids at HVA summer school deserve time for learning and lots of time for fun!

Aaaaaaand…we’re back!! First day of our annual Summer Institute and we’re energized for the 2025–26 school year.

We are thrilled to report that HVA is once again leading the state! HVA is at the very top of NYC schools with 94% proficiency in Math and 90% proficiency in ELA.