A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDING SCHOOL LEADER
Dear New Harmony Family,
What a huge year for New Harmony! Looking back at our 7 years of being a public, open enrollment school in this city, I am overwhelmed with anticipation as our students enter a new building in new neighborhood, and a new era of New Harmony. From the Bayou to the Bywater, on behalf of the entire team of staff, teachers, alumni, community members, and supporters from around the globe, welcome to the New Harmony family! We are starting YEAR 8 of New Harmony changing the landscape of our greater New Orleans region! We have graduated FOUR classes of stellar students. Thank you for your patience, your trust, and your belief in us as we get to know each other, ourselves, and our community. We can’t wait to spend the year together.
Please make sure you review the Student Handbook for 25-26 thoroughly. In this handbook you’ll find resources and information to make your experience the best it can be. First you’ll find our vision and mission– the piece that binds us to our greater community and each other. Next you’ll find Board Member and Staff/Faculty information that will allow you to get in touch with teachers and helpful staff members. The calendar as we currently know it is published too, but always check newharmonyhigh.org for the latest version as calendars are subject to change. Academic policies will follow. You’ll find a matrix for our credit progression for students who enter as 9th graders with no high school credits. We recognize our students have individual needs, and will conference with families around individual graduation plans for transfer students, students with IEPs, and students enrolled in NOCCA. Our school policies section should clear up any other questions you may wonder about, especially dress code, attendance and technology use. Finally, we address behavior norms and discipline, including state law that keeps us in compliance as a Type 2 public charter school in Louisiana.
Communication is hugely important, and relationships with our families are a top priority. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns. Even though I officially have an office with a door again, that door is truly always open for conversation!
Looking forward to a beautiful year, Sunny
Our Vision
New Harmony High School empowers each student to actively direct their own learning. As our name suggests, students will work to find new harmonies in order to restore balance that has been lost in our coastal communities, finding new ways of sustaining ourselves in an uncertain future.
Learning at New Harmony happens through the lens of coastal restoration and preservation. Each student works on relevant, rigorous projects, and engages with the community through interest-based fellowships, working alongside mentors on real problems.
Students graduate as individuals who practice resilience and understand ecology – the interconnectedness of people, land, air, and water. They are prepared for college, career, and beyond, knowing they have already made a significant impact here in Louisiana.
Our Mission
New Harmony High School educates diverse problem solvers rooted in their communities and informed by a greater social and environmental context.
Our Values
We are connected to the environment and each other.
Our work is relevant and rigorous.
We value relationships.
We seek balance.
We prepare for the future.