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together. ?e seating area overflows into the lush courtyard dotted with tables and chairs.
students
can also eat in any of the academies? common areas, which have healthy vending machines and microwaves. each
academy
is filled with sunlight and movable furniture that inspires independence and discussion. principal sims comments on the design, ?everything is laid out beautifully for them to relax and enjoy high
school
.? ?ough the atmosphere does feel relaxing, great work will be done here as well. ?e
school
offers 17 different dual enrollment classes with direct support from lsu professors that will give
students
both lee magnet high and lsu credit. ?e three academies present a unique way of
school
ing as well. every freshman takes an introductory survey course on digital arts, bioscience, and engineering. in their sophomore year, they choose which
academy
they will pursue. each
academy
features a ?wow? space, a huge room with versatile functions: a 3-d printer in the engineering
academy
, a possible news studio in the digital arts
academy
, and a possible health professional training hub in the bioscience
academy
. ?e wow rooms will give
students
a place to show off their projects and work together to solve problems. ?e
school
vibrates with the brilliant discoveries that are to come. another remarkable aspect of the new
school
is the absence of lockers. every student has a laptop, and all textbooks are ebooks installed on their laptops. help desks are in each
academy
to meet the needs of the laptops. ?ese areas will double as technology support stations and
school
stores to be run by
students
from the customer service and young entrepreneur classes. opportunities to shine are everywhere on this breathtaking campus. ?ough the
students
don?t have textbooks, there are some books on campus! although the campus was not designed to house a library, the administration has used some space creatively and arranged a self-checkout library where the
students
will check out books at a kiosk with their ids. ?e library space is illuminated with light in every corner. a lecture room adjoins the library with sliding glass panels that double as dry erase boards. ?e campus is full of surprises like these, function disguised as decor. not only are lockers absent, but so are traditional teacher classrooms. classrooms and lecture spaces are glass paneled, to promote a learning environment of openness and accountability. because teachers share different classrooms for their courses, they have office hours in their communal offices called learning coach rooms. ?is setup mirrors a collegiate environment just like the layout of the campus. you may be wondering how all of this freedom will be managed. after all, there will still be teenagers here, right? each
academy
has a designated ?
academy
principal,? a teacher with administrative duties in that specific building. ?e
school
also has 155 cameras placed around the campus for monitoring behavior, but principal sims is expecting few disruptions in this multi-faceted learning environment. ?e
students
will be too busy learning and playing! lee magnet high offers basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball as well as over 30 clubs. sims describes their vision, ?we are creating a culture of strong academic programs but cultivating the social aspect of high
school
as well.? although the new lee magnet high
school
is a one of a kind in our city and parish, principal sims says her ?dream is for all
school
s to be like this.? ? sharon sims, associate and site principal august 2016 | brparents.com 47 august 2016 | brparents.com 47
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