What an exciting adventure it is to be principal of Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology (FAST)!  In the past year, we have earned Magnet School of America and NASA Explorer School status – both distinctions given to only fifty schools in the nation. We were also named a California Distinguished School.  We have added two new buildings housing eight new classrooms, a large well equipped science lab, and a library/media center. We are delighted to have a staff who is well trained in education and the sciences and who continues to seek additional training.  CLU, a local university, has joined us as an affiliate.

Our school campus is a safe and happy place for students to learn.  New buildings, playgrounds and landscaping provide a wonderful environment in which students thrive.  Our older buildings have been completely renovated and modernized, complete with new plumbing, wiring, lighting, wall coverings, cabinetry, etc. Two complete computer labs are augmented with sixteen computers in the science lab and multiple computers in the classrooms.  Two new areas of playground equipment provide opportunities for children to develop additional skills and healthy lifestyles.

What does all of this mean for you and your child?  Is your child excited about the world around them, fascinated by rocks or bugs, enthralled by the night sky? Does your child ask how many, how far, how big questions?  Is your child fascinated with computers?  At Flory, they will have the opportunity to master the standards through exploration into the universe around them. Our children are provided with state and district curriculum and textbooks that are integrated into math, science, and technology.  For instance, your child might learn to multiply decimals by figuring out the weight of their textbooks on all planets.  A child may practice language arts skills by writing a story about a constellation that they have created.  That child then has the opportunity to poke holes in our planetarium to see what their creation would look like in the night sky.  Children’s poetry and projects are often displayed through self-created PowerPoint presentations.  Spread sheets are used to plot data from our International Weather Station.  Our low frequency radio station, KFLR, gives children the opportunity to be on the air with their news, projects, and writing.  We are also in the process of creating a closed circuit television station for our students.

Our affiliations with other agencies give your child unequaled opportunities. Our NASA Explorer School status gives our children the opportunity to meet and talk to an astronaut, play with a model of a Mars rover, and work with NASA/JPL scientists on campus.  We also have access to JPL facilities for experimentation that requires such elements as anti-gravity or the absence of magnetic fields.  We are working with this agency to create video conferencing capabilities that will allow us to speak directly to scientists or even the International Space Station.  CLU, through an Amgen grant, provides free training to our staff members in the area of science and math.  We are also fortunate to be one of their primary training schools for student teachers. We also are working with CLU to create electronic portfolios for all students to record and save some of their best work. Magnet School of America status came with a grant that provides a full time mathematics teacher and science teacher, as well as a computer tech.

In order to provide students with a well rounded curriculum, music and art is provided for all students during the regular school day.  Band is available after school for fifth graders.  PE and other fitness activities are ongoing.  Our extended day program, Success Express, under the direction of Cherie Webb, provides many wonderful opportunities before and after school.  Please check out the Success Express information on this website, or call the office for more information.

Our parent groups are very active at Flory Academy.  I can’t begin to imagine what Flory Academy would be without the support, help and wisdom gained through our relationships with our families. Seldom will you find a classroom without at least one parent volunteer working with students.  Our extremely active PTA provides assemblies, supplies, computers, and a myriad of other items that enhance the education program.  They also are responsible for a mother/son or father/daughter dance each year, a welcome picnic, jog-a-thon, and many, many more exciting adventures for families to get together and have fun while raising money for our school.  We are also delighted to have our very own booster club, the F.A.S.T Booster Club that continues to raise thousands of dollars to help support the many programs that we have implemented here at Flory. Our School Site Council and Strategic Planning Teams are additional ways to be closely involved in our school. Our students and school are so fortunate to have so much support from our school community!

We are delighted to be able to offer this choice to the children of Moorpark and surrounding areas. Entry is by application only, and students are chosen through a lottery system.  Students that are not immediately accepted for admission are put in a waiting pool and chosen at random when openings occur. For those of you who have children with us already, thank you for sharing your wonderful students with us.  For those who are considering applying for your child to attend Flory Academy, please feel free to call for more information or to set up a time to come for a visit.  Our entire staff and I are so very excited about the opportunities available to our students and their families at Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology.  We welcome you to join in the fun!