Massanutten Military Academy is excited to welcome Kim Elshafie as the new Head of School, effective September 1, 2018. Elshafie has served as the Academic Dean for over five years where
she has made unprecedented contributions through the instillation of STEM programs and promoting experiential learning, the process of learning through reflection of experiences. Prior to becoming Academic Dean, Elshafie served for three years as the English department chair, curriculum coordinator and on-site faculty trainer for new programs. There is not an aspect of MMA’s academic program of which she has not been involved.
During Elshafie’s leadership as Dean, MMA implemented STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for all cadets to ensure cadets were prepared for future education and careers. MMA is proud to boast we are entering our 5th year as a STEM school with STEM tracks in Biomedical, Computer Science and Engineering. Elshafie’s foresight in understanding today’s youth and importance placed on technology has caused traditional methods of teaching and learning to be challenged. Elshafie is a pioneer in the industry and bringing new teaching methods to our school.
Furthermore, Elshafie has recognized the need for schools to adapt to the ever-changing needs of students. Because of her efforts to energize our academic program and focus on experiential learning, MMA is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Once accredited, all junior and senior cadets will participate in the Career-related Program (CP). Cadets in the CP program “engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable and lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural engagement.” The status as an IB World School gains the academy access to a global collaboration with more than 4,000 schools worldwide who all share the same philosophy – a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education that is paramount for our cadets. Furthermore, this global recognition can lead to competitive offers for MMA’s cadets to seek higher education, apprenticeships or even more lucrative job offers.
To ensure our cadets are provided with experiential learning in each class, Elshafie has compiled a faculty of charismatic teachers who bring their diverse backgrounds and experiences with them. We are also working with experts in the field of experiential learning to ensure that our teachers are equipped with the most recent and innovative teaching techniques available.
As Head of School, Massunutten Military Academy hopes to give Elshafie the platform to continue her pursuit of bringing the most rigorous and high-quality education to our cadets. Ensuring each cadet receives an education built on collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation is at the heart of MMA’s mission.