About
About
The mission of The Island Academy of Hilton Head is to provide preschool through 12th grade students with a collaborative, challenging, and creative learning environment empowering them to be contributing citizens.
We seek to ensure that all students participate in their own education. We provide a unique learning opportunity by partnering with our community, focusing on mastery over grades, and teaching children how to become curious lifelong thinkers and doers who explore and create in and beyond the classroom.
At the Island Academy, students:
are known and respected as unique individuals.
personalize their education with individualized learning plans.
engage in small-group, collaborative learning supported by master teachers.
enjoy individualized support and guidance made possible by the 8:1 student-teacher ratio.
learn through a rigorous, integrated, project-driven curriculum, designed to support creativity, innovation, mastery, and life-long love of learning.
regularly and purposefully explore, interact, and engage with their community and natural world.
Classes meet Monday through Thursday from 8:45 am until 3:30 pm and Friday 8:45am until 1:30pm.
NEW ENGLAND BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECT BASED LEARNING
Boston Massachusetts USA
GEORGE LUCAS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION: EDUTOPIA
San Rafael California USA
BIG PICTURE SCHOOLS FOCUSES ON HOW TO LEARN
Providence Rhode Island USA
A PLACE OF OPTIMISM DESIGNED TO EXCITE AND ENGAGE
Dandenong North, Victoria AUS
Calendar
Calendar
School Calendar for 2023-2024
We are excited about this extraordinary year so far and to come! Stay updated with events this school year. If you cannot find for what you are looking, contact us! We love hearing from you.
Our Team
Our Team
Our Team
Mary Ann Cyr, Head of School, Middle and Upper School Teacher
Mary Ann is one of the founders of The Island Academy. She has her B.A. in Economics and Russian History from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.A. in Education and History from Tufts University, and a C.A.G.S. in Computers in Education from Bridgewater State College. In addition, she held Principal’s and Superintendent’s licenses from Massachusetts.
Mary Ann has taught at all levels including college, worked as a computer software trainer, and owned a private school for ten years in the Boston area.
In addition, she authored a monthly column called Women’s Work in the Business Journal of Southeastern Massachusetts, hosted a weekly television program by the same name, invented and developed the board game, olelo, and has served on numerous philanthropic boards.
She and her husband, Gerry, are parents to three sons, Adam, Nathaniel, and Gabe, and grandparents to Jack and Benjamin.
Alicia Brown, Primary Teacher
Ms. Alicia graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education.
Prior to the Island Academy she was a public school teacher in both South Carolina and Pennsylvania. She also has experience as the director of a daycare.
Ms. Alicia loves anything active: paddle boarding, kayaking, ice skating, and hiking to name a few. But, her happy place is definitely in the middle of a crowd at a concert or at the beach throwing a lacrosse ball around with her three children!
Tiffany Fish, Director of Operations and Programs/Summer Camp Director
Tiffany Fish joined our team May of 2021 and serves as our Summer Camp Director and Director of Operations and Programs. Tiffany attended Indiana Wesleyan University and graduated with a B.S. in International and Community Development.
Prior to her position at The Island Academy of Hilton Head, Tiffany served as the Summer Camp Manager and Career Pathways Coordinator at Open Doors Academy in Cleveland, OH where she taught social emotional learning strategies, community service, core competencies to adulthood, and college and career readiness to students in kindergarten through seniors in high school. Additionally, in that role, she was able to work with and collaborate with multiple youth development and workforce development partners in Cleveland. Tiffany's heart is for nonprofit leadership, education, and youth development.
Outside of work Tiffany enjoys photography, going to sporting events, playing volleyball, and spending time with her husband, Ryan, and their German Shepherd, Sandy.
Deiha Torin, Preschool Program Director/Lead Teacher
Deiha Torin moved to Hilton Head Island with her family in 1996 from Pennsylvania. Deiha has her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and holds a South Carolina teaching certificate. With nearly 30 years of teaching experience with children ages 3-5, Deiha most recently served as the Director and lead teacher at Island Lutheran PreSchool for twenty years.
Deiha’s passion for the wonder and magic of early childhood honors the child’s right to play, to be collaborators in learning, and to dream. She honors the journey for children as investigators, life changers, and advocators. She nurtures children to build their own ideas, an art that requires incredible intentionality and heart.
In her spare time, Deiha has led several Girl Scout troops on HHI ranging in age from 5-18 years old. She enjoys cooking, working in her yard, traveling with friends and family.
Kendall LaMantia, Preschool Program Assistant Teacher
Kendall LaMantia graduated from High Point University in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Prior to joining The Island Academy she was a floating teacher at First Presbyterian Day School and she worked as a Paintbox Activities Attendant at Montage Palmetto Bluff! Kendall is passionate about working with children and helping them achieve their goals.
In her free time, she loves crafting! Kendall believes creativity and imagination have no limits. When she’s not crafting you can find her behind a camera lens, as she is the owner of Kendall LaMantia Photography. She also loves coffee, the color pink, babysitting and spending time with family and friends.
Troi Hopkins, Jr. High Teacher
Troi Hopkins attended University of Alabama, and Middle Tennessee State University with a B.S. degree in Recording Industry Management as she is from Nashville.
Her Master's degree is in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix. She has more than 30 years in education. Troi was the Project Manager for the first chartered elementary school in the state of New Hampshire and a Program Director of the Gifted and Talented program for the largest school district in that state. She has taught Kinders through 8th grade in many public and private schools. She loves teaching and advocating for kids.
Troi owns a successful tutoring business in HHI and is a local artist with items featured in stores on and off the island. She also works at Sea Pines Resort in the Racquet Club but she doesn’t play tennis! She has twin 18 year olds, one at College of Charleston and a Jr. Golfer who's tournament hungry. Troi’s husband and her love living here, enjoy the beaches and as a local Google guide, they truly enjoy trying new places to eat and go!
Louanne Barrett, Art Teacher
Believing she was created to be creative, Louanne Barrett has been an artist, designer, and teacher of visual arts the majority of her life. She enjoyed twenty years on the west coast as an Interior Designer, visualizing and creating home and work environments where people could thrive. As a professional member of the ISID, Louanne owned and operated Interior Domain for seventeen years. Her work was published in several prominent magazines.
Even though her business grew, her passion for teaching was still important to her. She taught design and drafting classes at the college level in San Diego. In 2002 she sold her business and moved to Hilton Head where she returned to teaching visual arts while raising her son on this beautiful island.
Louanne was honored to exhibit twenty-five of her paintings, representing the beauty, grace and strength of Low Country trees, in the Art League of Hilton Head Gallery at Shelter Cove in 2015. Additionally, She is honored that her recent works, inspired by the amazing Low Country scenery and wildlife, have been selected for a featured artist exhibit for Fall of 2024. You can see Miss B’s art here: labarrettartist.com