Pioneer Academy of Science

The Pioneer Academy of Science is a private school located in Clifton, New Jersey, at 1253 Main Avenue. The school was formed in 1999. A second campus located in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey opened for the 2006-2007 school year. To distinguish the two schools, the southern school is called Pioneer Academy South and the older school is called Pioneer Academy North.

The Pioneer Academy curriculum focuses on studies of science, mathematics, and cultural studies of the Turkish culture and language.

History

In the late 1990s, Osman Öztoprak, Ismail Arican and Aziz Zafer Ergul started a school at the corner of Clifton Ave. and First St., at the site of a former mental hospital. Originally, the school was open to only middle school students, had expanded to 3rd graders by 2002. In 2005, they opened up the school to 2nd graders as well. In 2006, Pioneer Academy moved from its 366 Clifton Avenue location to another building at 1253 Main Avenue, on a site which was formerly St. Paul RC Church and Private School; the former building now houses the kindergarteners through third graders, while the newer building contains the elementary, middle, and high school students.

Events

Pioneer Academy avidly participates in the New Jersey Science Olympiad and, more recently, the Turkish Olympiad, a Turkish language and culture based program held in Istanbul, Turkey each year.

Sports

Pioneer Academy has established a soccer team in the 2007-2008 season. This consists of a U-14 and a U-17 team.

Academic achievements

*2007
**North Division First Place in New Jersey Science Olympiad
**Best Use of Transportation Modeling in New Jersey Future City Competition
*2006
**North Division First Place in New Jersey Science Olympiad
**Second Place in Elementary School Science Olympiad
**Second Place in New York Future City Competition
*2005
**North Division First Place in New Jersey Science Olympiad
**Third Place in New Jersey Future City Competition
**Fourth Place in Elementary School Science Olympiad
**Fifth Place in New Jersey State Science Olympiad
*2004
**State First Place in New Jersey Future City Competition
**North Division First Place in New Jersey Science Olympiad
**Second Place in Clifton City Youth Week Art Contest
**First Place in Clifton City Youth Week Poetry Contest
*2003
**Second Place in New Jersey Math League Competition

The school came in fifth place in the 2005 New Jersey Science Olympiad, earning one gold, four silver and three bronze medals in the competition's 23 events. The school's team of 17 middle school students finished ahead of 22 schools, all the more remarkable as the team represent half of all students in the school's grades 6-8. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDkmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2NjY1ODcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz Clifton academy takes 5th in N.J. Science Olympiad] , "Herald News", March 16, 2005.]

References

External links

* [http://www.pioneeracademy.org School Homepage]
* [http://www.passj.org/ Pioneer South School Homepage]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=A0106959&ID=A0106959 Data for the Pioneer Academy of Science] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=366+Clifton+Avenue,+Clifton,+NJ&ll=40.875233,-74.141235&spn=0.003676,0.010192&t=k&hl=en Google Maps Satellite View]
* [http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qtc6gw8tndj6&style=o&lvl=2&scene=2575707&sp=Point.qtc8yf8tnd7v_366%20Clifton%20Ave%2c%20Clifton%2c%20NJ%2007011-2600%2c%20United%20States___ Microsoft Virtual Earth View]