By our Smarty education friends at VERITAS Community School, a new charter school opening in Charlotte Fall 2015.
School choice is a relatively new phrase in the American vernacular. It used to be that parents either sent their children to the neighborhood school, or they sent their children to the local Catholic school. Today, there are magnet schools, neighborhood schools, charter schools, private schools, and co-operative schools to choose from. As parents, we want the best for our children, but wading through all the choices can be difficult.
There’s a new school opening up in Charlotte with a unique program: An elementary school where frequent movement and freshly prepared meals will fuel academic achievement, VERITAS Community School believes that inside every child there is a scholar and an athlete who learns best in a peaceful environment. One child might become an Einstein in a Chicago Bulls uniform and another might become a writer mom wearing yoga pants. Both are valuable members of a community.
Become has two basic meanings: 1. Begin to be. 2. look good on or suit someone. When children begin elementary school, they are just beginning to become, and the sky is the limit. They try on different versions of themselves to see what will stick. Baseball player or ballerina? Direction-follower or class clown? These are choices that impact their school day and their life; however, being a capable learner has an even bigger impact on a student’s life. Becoming a reader or a non-reader is not a choice, but oftentimes, it is disguised as one. You’ll hear teachers and parents say, “If he’d only sit still…,” or “If she’d only pay attention…” Too many children are struggling because there is a mismatch between their needs and the learning environment.
Perhaps a wiggly child simply needs a stand-up desk, a yoga ball for a chair, or a chance for a movement break in between math and science. Movement is one way our bodies process information. At VERITAS, students will move at least 90 minutes every day. They’ll not only feel good; they’ll be empowered to learn more effectively. Teachers will use the Core Knowledge Sequence to teach the four core subjects, and this content-rich, spiraling curriculum has been
At VERITAS, they will build a relationship with students and optimize their academic performance by being smart about assessments and professional development. They’ll study individual student performance and write and re-write lesson plans to meet students’ needs. There won’t be any surprises at the end of the year. If a child is struggling to solve problems involving equivalent fractions, they’ll offer strategies, tools, instruction, and practice that will help children discover why and how fractions are built, used, and computed.
VERITAS’ Executive Director will observe every teacher every week to inspire them to constantly hone their craft to meet their students’ needs and to challenge students to push a lesson outside the classroom walls. Each observation will pinpoint areas of growth and offer strategies to optimize the teachers’ instruction and relationship with students. This could include classroom management techniques, offering how to speed-up transitions between activities, or it could include how to increase the rigor in question and answer sessions. Teachers will be becoming better teachers with each lesson, optimizing the learning experience for students.
At VERITAS, with only 200 students the first year, every child will be engaged and inspired in this very special learning environment. Students will become strong readers and mathematicians who are curious problem-solvers and, at the same time, will be aware that their bodies need to move, that their bodies are best fueled by whole, mostly fresh food, and that conflict is a part of the learning process, helping helps us move from not knowing to knowing.
Open Enrollment continues until March 8th. You are invited to hear more about our unique mission and vision, walk the school, and ask questions at our upcoming Open House on March 3rd at 7PM at our school home, 4301 Shamrock Drive. Children are welcome!
For more information and to enroll your child today, visit www.VERITASCommunitySchool.com, email our Founder, Katy Ridnouer, at Contact@VERITASCommunitySchool.com, or call her directly at 980-333-1939.
