A painted mural of a happy Goldendoodle named Harper, nestled by a Summit Academy family tree, adorns a main wall at Summit Academy Akron Elementary School. It helps tell the school’s legacy story, one that reflects strong multigenerational ties and staff confidence. Consider this: Nearly 12 percent of the school’s students are the children, nieces or nephews of former students. Another 5 percent are the children, nieces or nephews of staff members. For Principal Dawn Presley, now in her 25th year at the school, the numbers shed light on the close connections the school has forged throughout the years.
“Many who have graduated still keep in contact through phone calls to the school, emails or social media,” says Presley, adding, “I think staff are proud to work here and know we will tailor students’ education to their needs.”
Alumna Merisa Johnson, whose daughters attend Summit Academy – one at Akron Elementary and the other at Akron Secondary – says she enjoys watching her children thrive under the guidance of some of the same teachers she had as a student. She mentions Summit Academy Therapeutic Martial Arts Coordinator Shihan Chuck Rickard, for example, who taught her in elementary school.
“I loved that he tried to relate to us and gave us good advice. He has helped my youngest daughter with her tournaments,” she says. Johnson adds that the school’s therapeutic martial arts curriculum, now taught by Sensei James Gydosh, a former student with a child currently enrolled at the school, helped her improve her focus and develop mind-body coordination.
Nurturing staff members like Gydosh and Rickard have been a cornerstone of the school, compelling alumni to ensure their children benefit from educational experiences similar to their own.
As a Summit Academy student from grades 3-6, Johnson says her teachers, including Presley, who was the school’s IEP coordinator at the time, helped her grow academically in ways she had never before experienced.
“I could finally understand how I learned versus how other schools wanted me to learn what they were teaching,” she says. “Summit Academy worked with me a lot. I liked that I had two teachers so I could get one-on-one help.”
Cassie Sutta, whose five children attend Summit Academy Akron Elementary School, shares similar sentiments.
“The curriculum is so amazing,” says Sutta, who attended Summit Academies in Toledo and Youngstown for brief periods as a child. She praises the school’s small classes, taught by both a general and special education teacher or aide.
“Four sets of eyes are on all the children. On top of that happening, specials teachers are helping out in various classrooms and different administrative staff are checking in on students. There is a lot of support for teachers. Kids don’t directly see it, but they are feeling that,” Sutta says.
Sutta, who works in food service at the school, says Akron Elementary’s culture of mutual support helps prevent teacher burnout. She says the staff’s teamwork approach allows them to guide students with understanding so they can successfully navigate behavioral and academic challenges.
As a child growing up in foster care, shifting from family to family and school to school, Sutta says she brought trauma, learning setbacks and behavior issues to school. She says her Summit Academy teachers had the patience, experience and compassion to help her socially, emotionally and academically.
“They didn’t come to me the same way other schools did,” she says. “They stopped, slowed down, asked me questions. They had to keep me safe and there were a lot of times they let me lead toward what I was ready for and that changed everything.”
Sutta’s game-changing experiences at Summit Academy led her to enroll her children at the school.
“I think it was the best decision I could have made for my children, not just academically but behaviorally and socially,” she says. “Even if I didn’t work here, I would know they were being taken care of.”
Sutta explains that one of her children faces behavior challenges, which have significantly tempered since he began attending Summit Academy Akron Elementary School. She says staff have attended to her child’s needs through conversations and even a plush support animal.
“Just their patience and having the willingness needed to work with him rather than pushing him to the side have proved to work in the long-term. It’s very impressive,” Sutta says.
Another of Sutta’s children has delayed speech. Two classroom teachers and the school’s IEP coordinator have worked collaboratively to ensure her child is understood through tools such as visual cue cards.
“Everybody is trying to find out what works best for kids. Every kid has a different way staff interacts with them when they are having a hard time,” she explains.
In the same vein, Johnson says her youngest daughter, Ariel, who is academically gifted, receives enrichment through the school’s reading curriculum and book club. “They have continued to support her,” Johnson says.
Ariel enjoys reading because “It helps me learn,” she says. The fourth grader also serves as a peer mentor at school, providing a classmate with social skills support.
Johnson has recommended Summit Academy Akron Elementary to many of her friends, including those whose children have ADHD or other learning challenges. “’You’ll thank me later,’ I tell them. The staff have the patience and time to work with kids versus ‘I don’t have time,’” she says.
As a small community school that specializes in serving students with ADHD or autism, Akron Elementary advocates for K-5 students with special needs and their families, Presley says.
“It’s a very close community where families feel heard and are part of the team in educating their children,” she describes. “I love seeing the growth of students while they are here, to hear about how they are doing after graduation and getting to see the wonderful things they are accomplishing. I also love getting to have their children as students. It shows that what we do here is meaningful and stays with students long after they leave. Otherwise, they wouldn’t trust us with their children.”
Johnson says having her children enrolled at Summit Academy gives her feelings of assurance and gratitude. “It makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing as a mom. Summit Academy is a huge blessing,” she says.
Presley says she is proud of her school and preserving its legacy of fostering trust that spans generations. “I hope that we can serve many more students in the future” she says.