APEX Honors Program: Tower Hill Launches Partnership with EastSide Charter School

Tower Hill School launched a partnership with EastSide Charter School this past spring—the APEX Honors Program—where selected honors students in Grades 6 through 8 will be exposed to the independent school system once a month. The program seeks to prepare students for the rigorous expectations that independent schools require, and therefore ensure their success if they eventually apply for high school.

 

“This program will have many benefits,” Associate Director of Admission, Director of Alumni Relations and APEX coordinator Matthew Twyman III ’88 said. “The students will be able to see what it’s really like to be at an independent school, see what the workload looks like and establish relationships. And the faculty will get a chance to learn about the kids as well.”

 

The partnership officially launched in May.

 

“I think this program is very important,” Twyman said. “Having been a student of color who came from inner city Wilmington, and the great experience I had at an independent school, any opportunity we have to have some synergy between our schools will benefit all in the long run.”

 

Working alongside Twyman is Aaron Bass, CEO and principal of EastSide, and Becky Hamilton, the director of APEX.

 

“Two main goals for the program include providing students with advanced academic abilities a place where they can be challenged to their full potential, and also preparing them both socially and emotionally to matriculate at challenging high schools, including independent schools such as Tower Hill,” Hamilton said.

 

Kamaria Simms ’22, a sophomore at Tower Hill and alumna of EastSide, also spoke at the event, where she encouraged members of the current APEX class to pursue their dreams despite being in an environment that might be challenging and different from what they are used to.

 

 

Wilmington Friends School, Tatnall School and Sanford School will also participate in the initiative. 

The 19 APEX students will each be paired with a current independent school student and, once a month starting this fall, will shadow that student to see what is to be expected of them in an independent school atmosphere. 

 

“In the first year, students from APEX will be working on advanced curriculum at EastSide,” Hamilton said. “In addition to the traditional classes of English, math, science and social studies, they will also be taking an introduction to world languages course.” 

 

Other aspects of APEX will include the IMPACT lecture series and an independent research period every week during which students will work with science mentors to investigate problems they find interesting.

 

Each student will also select one of the independent schools where they will shadow for the school year. These experiences will involve attending classes with a grade-level peer, participating in school events and reflecting on the experience back at EastSide. 

 

“I’m excited to be a part of this new effort,” Twyman said. “I credit [Bass] with the vision, and I credit Tower Hill with being one of the first to say, ‘Let’s make this work.’ I’m excited for all students to be able to experience this unique and reciprocal opportunity.”