My EA Story: Otis Family

Emerald Academy parent, Jasmine Otis and scholars Ja’Kaveon and Jay’kion.

The Otis family has been a part of Emerald Academy family since Ja’Kaveon, who is now a sixth grader, began as a kindergartener. Once Jasmine Otis saw how well the school served her eldest son, it became the obvious choice for her younger son, Jay’kion, who is currently in fifth grade.

She first considered Emerald Academy when relocating to Knoxville. She found the school online and was interested because of the great reviews she was seeing and hearing. Safety was a priority, and she was “looking for a school that didn’t have issues with bullying.” She heard good things about the culture at Emerald Academy from other parents and now says she is, “Emerald for life!”

Since becoming part of the Emerald Academy family in 2017, they have seen the school grow and change, and Jasmine especially appreciates the open communication between the administration and families. She sees firsthand that the teachers care about scholars, making time after class to tutor scholars or meet with parents. “There is a lot of parent communication with the teachers. Even if I have an issue and the teacher can’t necessarily help, the school leadership is always available to speak with me.”

Additionally, Jasmine believes the school does a great job giving scholars a vision for their future, one that is challenging, yet hopeful. Emerald Academy instills in scholars from the very beginning that college is a viable option by naming classrooms after colleges and emphasizing that education does not stop after high school.

The attention to details, like classroom names, does not stop there. Another example is Emerald Academy’s use of the term “scholars” for all students. This is important to Jasmine because she believes the term teaches her boys to respect one another while inspiring them to achieve.

Inspiring scholars to achieve – that is the driving force behind so much of the school’s programming like quarterly Unity Halls and incentive programs. Both Otis boys and their mom like the incentives. Jasmine believes they are helpful to the children, giving every scholar motivation to come to school and push themselves to improve.

Both boys believe more students should come to Emerald Academy. Jay’kion listed things he likes about Emerald as good reasons to come: “I like my teachers ... and I like math because there is just one answer!” Ja’Kaveon encouraged anyone who might be nervous about trying Emerald Academy with these wise words, “There are cool teachers here. Just take a beat and walk yourself in.”