by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
A Man of Many Firsts
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Private Showings at Bridgedale Academy
Visit and do some Classroom Observations
by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Parent Testimonial Nov 2nd 2020
One of the Best Decisions We Ever Made
By Dan Murashige, Bridgedale Academy Dad
Our son Joey is now in his second year at Bridgedale Academy. My wife and I believe our decision to enroll him has been one of the best decisions we ever made.
There are many reasons we believe this but I'll discuss just a few.
* Bridgedale's Response to COVID last spring
For one, when last year's shelter-in-place COVID lockdown happened, most schools, and therefore most parents, were woefully unprepared. Like everyone else, we were in a state of shock. Yet the Bridgedale team confronted the challenge aggressively with zero hesitation, transitioning overnight into full-time, 5-days-a-week Zoom classes.
And as a result Joey and his Bridgedale classmates didn't miss a beat. They stayed totally on track academically all the way through the end of the 2019-20 school year. It was truly amazing.
And to my knowledge, it was unmatched by any other schools, public or private, in Illinois.
* In-Person for the 2020-21 School Year
We are now ten weeks into the school year and Bridgedale is teaching in-person, with carefully-instituted, intelligent, comprehensive COVID safety protocols.
The fact is that the boys at Bridgedale Academy love going to school.
* Great Teaching Staff and Small Class Sizes
The Bridgedale faculty is truly professional and the small class sizes enable them to address and understand each student's personalities and needs.
As a parent you get feedback and insights on your son you would not normally receive.
* Classical Curriculum combined with Great Athletic Training
The experience and leadership of (Bridgedale Headmaster) Mike McPartlin and (Bridgedale Academic Dean) Christina Di Pauli give my wife and me complete confidence in the excellence of Joey's academic and athletic education.
Bridgedale's classical curriculum, with such an excellent teaching staff, combined with the athletic training from such outstanding coaches, make it a fantastic school and a perfect fit for our son Joey.
In my opinion it is a rare opportunity for young student hockey players.
Dan Murashige appears by permission. He is Vice-President for Products Development with Production Products, Inc., a company that has been providing labor saving machinery and innovative products to HVAC duct and sheet metal fabricators worldwide for over 25 years.
Dan's son Joey, an 8th grader at Bridgedale Academy, is a skilled, smooth-skating defenseman who plays with the Sabres organization.
At Bridgedale we are committed to the development of our young student-athletes. In this time of challenge and uncertainty due to COVID-19, we are proud to be offering our academics and on-ice and off-ice athletic instruction in person. We continue to help our student-athletes develop their physical and mental skills so they can perform at their best when it matters most, no matter the arena of life that challenges them.
If you would like to learn more about Bridgedale Academy, please click the button below so we can schedule a time to chat.
Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
2020-21: Bridgedale Offering High School
Bridgedale Joins w/ K12 Private Academy to offer high school grades!
By: Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Friday, July 3, 2020
Our Nation's Core Principles are Under Attack
by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
What does it mean to be a nation?
The word “nation” comes from the root word for “birth.”
Compare the words natal, nascent, native and nativity; all relate to things being born.
A nation, therefore, is something that has come into existence - A Nation is Born.
The United States of America is unique in all of human history.
It is unique for many reasons, one of which is that, like a human, it has a birth certificate.
Our nation’s birth certificate is the Declaration of Independence.
Our character as a nation, imprinted on us at our birth, is embodied in the core principles, in the self-evident truths, stated in the Declaration of Independence.
These core principles include:
that all men are created equal
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed
That whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these ends
it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
2019-20: A School Year for the Ages
Our Talented, Caring Teachers Crushed it!
By: Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Parents ecstatic with Bridgedale's distance learning.
The 2019-20 school year at Bridgedale Academy was truly one for the ages.
When it became clear in early March that the COVID-19 pandemic was about to have a profound impact on how we do things at Bridgedale Academy, we began making our preparations.
We pride ourselves on the "dynamic engagement" of our in-person classroom instruction. And with our boys-only environment, and small class-sizes, we especially take pride in how well ALL our boys do academically, and how virtually all of them come to LOVE LEARNING.
But a mandated school shutdown meant that we would lose that in-person instruction.
So what could we possibly do to maintain that same high level of engagement?
It turns out plenty.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Parent Testimonial April 21st 2020
Bridgedale's Transition to Online Distance Learning
By Tanya Stanish, Bridgedale Academy Mom
"They are fully engaged, as if still in school!"
I appreciate how Bridgedale has implemented virtual learning in a way that best mimics an actual classroom setting. The teachers are doing the teaching, the boys are interacting online and the school work is progressing.
For us parents who are now working from home, we do not feel the pressure of having to homeschool our children or worry about idle time.
They are fully engaged, as if still in school. I am so grateful for the way the Bridgedale teachers have pulled this together!
Tanya Stanish appears by permission. She is a partner with the law firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck. A highly experienced negotiator and formidable litigator, Tanya represents a wide variety of clients, from prominent executives, entrepreneurs, medical and legal professionals to professional athletes, spouses with trusts and stay-at-home spouses. Her work includes every aspect of complex and high net-worth family law such as executive compensation plans, trusts and business interests as well as high-conflict child custody and parenting issues. Trial experience includes success with complex divorces and paternity and domestic violence cases. Outside the courtroom, she has considerable proficiency with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements for wealthy individuals.
Tanya's son Jake is a 7th grader at Bridgedale Academy. Jake is a goaltender who played during the 2019-20 hockey season with the Stallions organization.He was selected to play with the AAA Chicago Mission organization for this spring, pending the COVID-19 shutdown.
At Bridgedale we are committed to the development of our young student-athletes. In this time of challenge and uncertainty due to COVID-19, we seamlessly moved our academics and off-ice athletic instruction online. We continue to help our student-athletes develop their physical and mental skills so they can perform at their best when it matters most, no matter the arena of life that challenges them.
If you would like to learn more about Bridgedale Academy, please click the button below so we can schedule a time to chat.
Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Parent Testimonial April 16th 2020
Bridgedale's Transition to Online Distance Learning
By Mark Borst, Bridgedale Academy Dad
"Has been amazing to watch."
Being able to pivot quickly can be the difference between successful businesses vs struggling businesses. Under normal situations, good forecasting and observation of any market can prepare leaders to be ahead of the curve and pivot early.
…We all know what has happened with this coronavirus is FAR from normal.
My son Brogan has been attending Bridgedale Academy since January of 2019. Operating a school is much like a business and being able to pivot is a necessary quality needed to thrive in our current situation.
The fact that the faculty was able to adapt and pivot to this new reality has been amazing to watch. Almost without missing a single beat, Mike, Christina, and their entire team transitioned into an online school. The boys are in class sessions from 8 to 1:30 every day just like their normal schedule with breaks and lunch intertwined. Once the school day is done, their off-ice sessions begin for a 45-60 min session. All of this has been happening on Zoom and other technologies.
This unfortunate situation has been tackled in the best way possible. This experience will make the school, the teachers, and the boys stronger in the future for any challenge that comes their way…
Bridgedale Strong!
Mark Borst appears by permission. An entrepreneur and a relentless innovator of the real estate industry, Mark is a collaborator of the “Value-Driven Approach to Sell Real Estate,” and host of Ask NWI. He is also a co-founder of Impact Club Tri Town, a community helping a community, and is Broker/Owner of Versatile Real Estate Solutions LLC.
Mark's son Brogan is a 7th grader who excels academically and athletically at Bridgedale Academy. Brogan played during the 2019-20 hockey season with the Chicago Hawks organization and his team won both the NIHL and state championships.
At Bridgedale we are committed to the development of our young student-athletes. In this time of challenge and uncertainty due to COVID-19, we seamlessly moved our academics and off-ice athletic instruction online. We continue to help our student-athletes develop their physical and mental skills so they can perform at their best when it matters most, no matter the arena of life that challenges them.
If you would like to learn more about Bridgedale Academy, please click the button below so we can schedule a time to chat.
Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
We Believe in Our Son Charlie
Our decision has been reaffirmed every day.
By: Dave Donoghue, Bridgedale Dad
(We asked Bridgedale dad Dave Donoghue about why he sent his son Charlie to Bridgedale Academy and about Charlie's experiences at Bridgedale. Here are Dave's responses to our questions.)
What motivated you to look at Bridgedale as an academic alternative for Charlie?
We first learned about Bridgedale when I saw a poster about Bridgedale at an ice rink before one of Charlie’s hockey games. My wife had been looking for a classical education. The idea of combining a classical education model, an all-boy environment and excellent hockey training was very appealing to us and to Charlie.
What factors went into your decision and was there any particular deciding factor?
We had some doubts coming into it. Would a hockey school be able to or interested in the sort of rigorous education we believe is critical for our children? Would the other families put education first and hockey second? Bridgedale dispelled those doubts. We quickly saw that the Bridgedale teachers and athletic instructors cared about educating and growing young men first from the top down.
Hockey is of course an important part of the education, but just like algebra and grammar, hockey is one more tool that develops thoughtful, intelligent young men who are leaders in the classroom, on the ice and in their communities. And in order to accomplish its mission Bridgedale has built an unparalleled team of teachers. To a person, the teachers have strong command of their subject and an excellent ability to handle middle school boys firmly, but with an impressive kindness and generosity.
Friday, April 10, 2020
We Believe in Our Son Aiden
At Bridgedale he's more confident and focused than ever.
By: Samantha Burns, Bridgedale Mom
Aiden had always done well at school.
Our journey at Bridgedale Academy happened quickly, but the course that lead us there started long before. Aiden has always been a joy: his beautiful smile and kind spirit make him so easy to love. He is helpful and smart; a great addition in any school. He asks for very little and gives 100% in return.
For years, our parent teacher conferences remained the same, "Your son is smart, sweet and doing his best."
This was wonderful . . .
Until Aiden hit fourth grade and things changed.
Parent teacher conferences remained the same, but Aiden was unhappy. His lack of interest in school was obvious, he never wanted to do homework, nor did he need too. He was withdrawn and miserable, frustrated with the classroom and the students that refused to follow the rules.
His teacher spent more time attempting to manage the classroom than teaching. State-mandated testing and large classrooms made it difficult to cover curriculum and Aiden was DONE. We struggled as a family, trying everything in our power to manage the stress and disappointment that came with what we knew needed to be done.
He needed a change. WE needed a change. Little did we know, the greater power would take over.
