CEO Welcome

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The 2025-26 school year marks some very important and exciting milestones for Making Waves Academy (MWA).  Some of the milestones include:

  • Our 19th year as a school
  • Year 1 of our new, 5-year charter term (until June 2030)
  • Engaging in the WASC accreditation renewal and self-study process (formal visit in April of 2026) 
  • Welcoming our 30th Wave (incoming 5th grade class) to MWA

We have a few areas of focus for next year that continue some work that has already begun, as well as some new things.  We will continue to prioritize safety on campus and also seek to deepen connection within the community.  A new exciting pivot we are making is looking at ways to expose our Wave-Makers to college and career experiences sooner.  Teaching durable skills (critical thinking, communication, and collaboration) will be something we have a more direct focus on in the coming years.  These skills are sometimes referred to as “soft skills” or “21st century skills”.  Durable skills are seen as foundational, transferable skills that can be utilized across different academic subjects and career pathways.

A small team of staff members will be leading efforts to engage with MWA community members on the “portrait of an MWA graduate”.  What do we want our Wave-Makers to know, have experience with, or be able to do by the time they graduate?  We will pilot some programs next year to begin to “test and learn” ideas for ways we can provide Wave-Makers with earlier experiences, more experiences, and deeper experiences in their time here with us.  We have added a new position to the College and Career Counseling office to lead and facilitate work in this area - the Associate Director of Career Development.  This position will work with Making Waves Education Foundation (MWEF) staff, companies, organizations, and service providers to build out more opportunities for learning about careers as well as learning the durable skills mentioned above.

We maintain our high expectations for learning and behavior.  We continue to have a uniform dress code, expect students and staff to be inclusive in their language and behavior, maintain high daily attendance (95% or above), and give their best effort consistently.  

Looking forward to a great year for 2025-26!

Sincerely,

Alton B. Nelson, Jr., Ed.M.
Making Waves Academy CEO