Open House: May 10, 2014

1. Open House: May 10, 2014

2. Agenda • Introductions • Board Members, Teachers, Staff • What is a charter school? • About Boulware Springs Charter School • Why was BSC founded? • BSC Vision and Mission • The Boulware Difference • Our teachers • Enrollment Requirements

3. Introductions

4. What is a Charter School? Charter schools are public, not-for-profit schools allowed the freedom to be more innovative, while also being: • tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll • non-sectarian, and not able discriminate on any basis • publicly funded by local, state and federal tax dollars based on enrollment • held accountable to state and federal academic standards 

5. About Boulware Springs Charter • 501(c)3 nonprofit organization • Will serve grades K-4 • 112 students for the first year, with plans to add 3 classes next year (a 5th grade and two primary classes) • Plans to expand to 288 (maximum) within 5 years

6. Why was BCS founded? • There was a need for a high performing elementary school in East Gainesville • There was a need for a school that provides extra instructional time in Alachua County. • There was a need for an innovative school that offered alternative educational options from traditional schools.

7. Boulware’sVision We believe: • an education is more than the teaching of the coresubjects • a school, well connected with the home and the community, is a place for students to grow academically, socially, emotionally and physically

8. Boulware’sMission BoulwareSprings Charter offers a rigorous and high quality education that focuses on “3 C’s”: • curriculum • character • cooperation The school's philosophy is that without these three components, students are unable to achieve their maximum learning potential.

9. The BoulwareDifference Boulware Springs Charter offers an innovative, research-based program that includes, but is not limited to: • An extended-year calendar • Extended instructional time • A rigorous curriculum • A strong arts, health, and foreign language program • Mandatory parental involvement • Character Education • Individualized Student Learning Profiles

10. Extended-year calendar • BoulwareSprings Charter School will operate under a 50/10 schedule: • 50-day terms with a 10day intersession after each of the first three terms and a 6 week summer break after the fourth term • Students will benefit from this calendar because this type of scheduling reduces learning loss during the summer vacation and provides multiple opportunities for tutoring, remediation, and enrichment throughout the school year

11. Academic Calendar for Year 1

12. Extended Instructional Time Research has shown that extended instructional time is a very effective method for raising student achievement.

13. Rigorous Curriculum • 1.5 hours daily for both math and reading instruction for all grades • 1 hour daily for both science and social studies instruction for all grades • Curriculum aligned with Common Corestandards • Ability grouping for math and reading and differentiated instructional strategies

14. Strong Arts, Health, and Foreign Language Program We offer: • Daily instruction in Spanish at all grade levels • Environment Protection classes and outdoor education • Art, Music, and PE classes that allow children to be creative and express themselves

15. Fridays • Instruction ends at noon • Family Friday Meetings • A small group of students will be paired with an adult mentor. Social/emotional support group and mentoring program. • School-wide activity • Includes character education components, student recognition, and activities such as movie/popcorn, kickball tournament, or plays/skits.

16. Parental Involvement Parents will be required to sign a contract with the school which obligates them to: • Donate 10 volunteer hours to BSC per academic year, 5 hours for each additional child • Attend a parent-teacher conference at least once per 10 week term • Pledge to ensure their child adheres to attendance and dress codes, as well as all other BSC rules and regulations

17. Character Education • Research has continually suggested that when schools help students gain a moral compass and form good habits, schools have greater academic achievements and a better school climate • 30 minutes of classroom time each day dedicated to character education • Character education reflected in disciplinary plan and reinforced with school-wide activities • Public speaking and presentations used to build self-esteem and character

18. Student Learning Profiles (SLP) • Student Learning Profiles will be created for each student and will set, track, and analyze student data and goals • Created upon enrollment and updated regularly. • Teachers and staff create goals based on 1) Standardized Tests 2) BSC initial/final assessments 3) social/developmental skills 4) portfolios 5) IEP/ELL/ESE data (if applicable)

19. About Our Teachers We believe that teachers are the most important aspect of a child’s education. • Selection: We had a rigorous selection process including an application, interview, presentation of over 50 candidates. • Our teachers: our 6 classroom teachers all have Masters degrees and most have additional Special Education, Reading, and/or ESOL endorsement.

20. Enrolling in Boulware Springs Charter School

21. Getting Accepted • Our first enrollment period was from Feb 15th- April 30th. We received over 190 applications for 112 spots. • We conducted a lottery and randomly selected 112 students. The remaining students were randomly placed on a wait list. • Those who have been accepted must turn in required documents by May 16th or they will lose their spot and students from the wait list will become eligible to enroll. • Those who are still interested in applying may still do so. They will be added to the wait list.

22. Enrollment Requirements • General Paperwork (due May 16th): • K, Charter school, home school, or out of county students: SS card, birth certificate, 2 proofs of residency, immunization records and physical • Coming from another Alachua County School: SS card, birth certificate • Optional, All students: an IEPs, report cards, test scores, or other relevant information you may have • ALL PARENTS/STUDENTS: must sign up for an appointment in June to sign parental involvement contract and have students tested for reading and math placement

23. General School Information • Uniforms • Polos, navy bottoms, close-toed shoes • Transportation • None provided • Lunch • Provided daily through School board for purchase or free/reduced pricing. Can also bring from home. • Drop-off/Pick-up • No earlier than 7:30, no later than 5:30 (for after school or tutoring)

24. Questions?