What makes PNA different from other schools? We celebrate creativity, not just for students, but also for teachers. Teachers are granted creative autonomy in the classroom where activities and lessons are tailored to the students. For example, in third grade, students...

Reading is a skill, like playing the flute or swimming. When you want to learn a skill, you need to be doing the thing. Guthrie & Homesick (2014) found that reading volume predicted reading comprehension and that dramatic increases in reading volume are important...

Ward (2011) conducted a study on the impact of guest speakers in the classroom. She found that a guest speaker in a classroom will have greatest impact if the content is both age appropriate and content specific to what is being studied. In addition, she claimed that...

    According to National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, when parents are involved in their children's education, children succeed at higher rates. Students perform better and are more likely to graduate and continue onto college. At PNA,...

How did you learn about forces when you were in elementary school? At PNA, third grade students were expected to show what they know about forces and interaction by creating their own arcade game. Since PBL takes learning to a whole new level, students took their...

What does sustained inquiry mean? The dictionary defines "sustained" as continuing for an extended period of time and "inquiry" as an act of asking for information. Sustained Inquiry is an essential element of Project-Based Learning. How does that look like in the...

At PNA, we use Project Based Learning as a teaching method to help students learn better. A project motivates students to gain knowledge, retain content longer, and apply the skills to relevant real-world situation. The 21st century skills embedded in the process will...

​It's a new school year, a new class, a new teacher. Every year, your child will experience change. How does your child deal with change? Change happens and it is a part of life. It can be scary because you might not know what to expect. But, change, can be great too....

Pacific Northern Academy educates students to become independent thinkers of vision, courage, and integrity. We want to provide students a positive learning environment where they feel safe to take risks and take responsibility for their actions. In third grade,...