Synergy's Founding Story

How Synergy Began

Synergy Magnet's history was born, quite literally speaking, when Dr. Donnelyn Khourie and her husband, Dr. Gerard Khourie, brought their eldest child Canaan into the world.

In 2002, when her son was 10 months old, Dr. Khourie had a revelation that she should be teaching her own children. Her desire was to be able to offer multiple teaching strategies to students who learned and retained information differently.

Dr. Khourie did not despise small beginnings - Saint James Kids Academy became an established daycare in 2003, servicing children 1-4 years of age. She quickly began to realize that even at a young age, children were diverse and learned at different rates and through a variety of learning styles. Her goal was to empower these children by enriching their learning with programs such as reading, sign language, music, and movement even at the preschool level. Centers and manipulative materials that catered to  tiered learning modalities were introduced to encourage "learning through play".

Ten years later, in 2013, the school earned State Accreditation and expanded to include all grades from VPK through 12th grade. 20 years later and the expansion continues into the arena with groundbreaking programs which offer standard, college preparatory, vocational/career, and trades diplomas and certifications. With a clear vision for the future, Synergy Magnet is a school that will continue to lead the way.