Pillow Academy will kick off the 2021-2022 school year with a slew of new features.
“We have a lot of great things that are starting at Pillow this year,” said Barrett Donahoe, the head of school.
This includes a one-to-one technology program, which allows students from sixth grade through 12th grade to have their own Google Chromebooks for school lessons, thanks to a private donation. Additionally, students in fourth and fifth grades will have Chromebooks to use in the classrooms.
Pillow will also implement a new academic program, Personalized Achievement in the Classroom Environment (PACE), which will focus on students with learning differences to make sure they are having success in the classroom.
The middle school, which serves students from sixth grade through eighth grade, has been revamped to include courses in the fine arts, leadership, finances and the Bible.
“They’ll have an opportunity to broaden their horizons beyond their core subjects,” Donahoe said.
The school will also begin a media arts program for students, “which is going to help enhance our livestream program that we use through our booster club,” the head of school said.
In addition to athletic events, awards ceremonies and other school functions will be livestreamed to provide opportunities for students who are interested in filming.
The first day of class is Friday, which will be a half-day, and there are just shy of 800 students enrolled for the new school year. Regular classes begin Monday.
“I feel like our staff is really excited about all the new things coming up,” Donahoe said. “It’s just an exciting time at Pillow Academy.”
Last school year, Pillow operated with in-person classes while implementing various safety checks, such as students and staff wearing masks, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Donahoe said Tuesday that masks will be optional for all students, staff and faculty.
Regarding the possibility of masks being required, he said, “at this point we are still waiting to see if any type of mandates come down from the local and state governments.”
He added that the school will continue to monitor the COVID situation as the first full week of classes approaches.
- Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
