Patty Messer
Executive Director of the Grande Innovation Academy
Welcome to the Path to Potential online digital school. We strive to develop open-minded, principled, and inquisitive scholars who will have the tools to move into the Middle Years and beyond with ease.
Our culture is designed around a set of core values that puts a focus on teamwork and high achievement. We promote an environment of excellence where scholars will be able to challenge themselves and each other. We will infuse technology into all aspects of our program as we push students to academic achievement. In addition we will promote physical fitness, implement Spanish as a second language and the arts. As we strive for excellence together we will prepare our scholars to enter our increasingly global community. Thank you for joining us in our academic adventure.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Messer, Executive Director, The Grande Innovation Academy
A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one’s own path, not chasing after the dreams of others.
– Chin-Ning Chu –
Ashlee Miller
Director of Path to Potential
Hello! My name is Ashlee Miller, and I am the Director of Path to Potential. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Arizona State University. I was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, and I moved to Arizona in 2004. My husband and I have been married since 2007. We have three children: Lola, twelve, Henry, ten, and Peter, nine. We also have two rescue dogs named Ziggy and Zoe. As a family, we love to travel, go swimming, play games and go for bike rides. Our family also loves to watch college and professional sports.
In the Fall of 2018, I started my journey with Grande Innovation Academy as an 8th-grade substitute math teacher. From there accepted the role of being an ELA interventionist for the 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade scholars.
I enjoyed working with middle school students and helping them to better their love and understanding of literature. I also enjoy being in the classroom, supporting teachers in any capacity possible.
Patty Messer, the Executive Director of the Grande Innovation Academy, wanted to create an online school that offered the ability for online students to participate in in-person school activities, clubs, and sports. In the Fall of 2019, Patty asked if I would work on an amendment to create the Path to Potential online school option for the Grande Innovation Academy. I was extremely excited to embark on a new adventure and all it would entail. The Arizona State Charter Board approved us in July of 2020 to open Path to Potential in the fall of 2020.
We started our online school for K-8 in the August of 2020 with 200 scholars, and it has been a tremendous learning experience. My favorite part of being the Online Director is the conversations I have with parents, teachers, and students to help scholars be successful in a different learning environment. I genuinely care about every one of our online scholars, and I take a personal interest in their success.
As the scholar’s “guide on the side,” I have enjoyed helping families learn the technology needed to be successful with online learning. Whether it’s a phone call or a google meet, working with families to make online learning a more smooth experience is my great pleasure. I pride myself on returning emails promptly and thoroughly to ensure that parents and scholars have their questions answered.
I understand that the Coronavirus pandemic has left several families experiencing hardship. I have spent a lot of time talking with parents and guardians about ways their scholars can be productive and successful with their education.
It is imperative our Path to Potential families receive the necessary compassion and support during these difficult times. Having a connection with all of our online families and making sure scholars truly feel a part of a community is part of creating a thriving online learning environment.
Path to Potential is a unique online school because we genuinely care about our scholars’ social and emotional needs. For this reason, we encourage our scholars to build connections with their peers, whether it is through after-school clubs on campus, sports, or other extracurricular activities. It has been a great joy to see many Path to Potential online scholars come onto the Grande Innovation Academy campus to participate in sports. Feeling connected to the school and interacting face to face with other scholars is a large part of how to succeed with online learning.
I appreciate you choosing Path to Potential as your academic path for your scholar. I look forward to an outstanding academic year and talking to all our families, and helping in any way I can.
LET’S GET STARTED
Do you have questions about admission and enrollment? We’re here to help answer your questions. We take great pride in using our expertise to make sure your transition to digital online learning seamless. We look forward to hearing from you.