This past year has been unlike any other we have experienced. The change we collectively shared due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been abrupt and life-altering. Students at Harding Fine Arts Academy (HFAA) were on Spring Break in mid-March when the pandemic hit and they did not return to the physical classroom for the remainder of the school year. The vast majority of their academic time this past fall was a mix of onsite and distance learning. We are so proud of the efforts of all HFAA students, their parents and our teachers, who have adapted their lives to make the educational experience as positive as possible.
As we embark on a new year, we are laying the groundwork for big plans both inside and outside our building. In mid-December, the HFAA School Board and HFAA Foundation Board held their first strategic planning session led by Rosalyn Wade, Program Director for Oklahoma A+ Schools and Dr. Robert Spinks, Professor of Sociology and Justice Studies – Nonprofit Leadership, Oklahoma City University, both volunteers and fierce advocates for Harding.
"This provides an exciting opportunity for the two boards with one interest - the HFAA School Board and the HFAA Foundation Board - to create a shared vision for what we want Harding Fine Arts Academy to be for the long term" said Jean Hendrickson, President of HFAA School Board.
These strategic planning sessions are designed to help us realign our focus and vision for the future, set new and ambitious goals, and determine uses for all the new spaces now available to us. With the building purchase from the previous year, Harding has never been poised in such a position for a meteoric rise – we want to be prepared and ready for the future.
"Especially when so much thinking right now is being driven by pandemic mentality, it's important that we not dwell in the present. It couldn't be a better time to think, plan, and behave creatively.” Hendrickson continued “We want to create a school with a future, for the future, with a room full of caring, innovative adults connecting with Harding students and propelling them towards their dreams."
It is our hope you will continue to support us on this journey and we wish you a happier new year!
