The mission of each Springs Charter School is to empower students by fostering their innate curiosity, engaging their parents, and promoting optimum learning by collaboratively developing a personalized learning program for each student.
The Rancho Cucamonga Learning Center students in the Adventures in Chemistry class borrowed high school molecular modeling kits and built molecule and compound models, reported Lori Loucks, Homeschool director. They had an introduction as to how atoms make up elements, how elements make compounds and how elements bond with other elements.
Springs Homeschool has completed the first of three six-week TK Hub sessions at the Enterprise, Hemet and Pathfinder Learning Centers. The hands on-classes utilize the Starfall Pre-K curriculum which integrates essential early literacy and math skills, science, health, creative arts, social studies, physical movement and social-emotional development, all under a framework of guided instruction and imaginative play.
Grace Dwinnell of Springs Journey Homeschool High School was honored as a Murrieta Chamber Commerce Senior of the Month. She has been a Springs student since Kindergarten, and has maintained a 3.98 GPA.
Juniors Brian Shaffer and Connor Miller, both Aviation 3 students at Springs’ Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy (FAPA), are preparing for their future careers in aviation. FAPA provides four full courses for aspiring aviators to learn the concepts, science, history, and regulations needed to be successful pilots or drone operators.
Students at Citrus Springs Charter School in Santa Ana celebrated their first trimester academic assembly, reported Principal Priscilla Doorbar. Students K-8 were recognized by their teachers and granted awards including most improved in academics and behavior, math, reading, writing and science. Parents were part of the celebration.
Sisters Olivia and Grace Clements of Chula Vista are the December Student Artists of the Month. Olivia is in the 5th grade and Grace the 1st grade at Springs’ Otay Ranch Academy of the Arts (ORAA). Their artwork is entitled “The Final Foodtier.” The sisters explained, “We wanted to build the solar system and then thought it would be fun to do it with food. We spent a lot of time finding different food items that would be the right shape and colors.”
Charter schools are independent public schools with rigorous curriculum programs and unique educational approaches. In exchange for operational freedom and flexibility, charter schools are subject to higher levels of accountability than traditional public schools. Charter schools, which are tuition-free and open to all students, offer quality and choice in the public education system.
The charter establishing each such school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. In California, charters are granted for five years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school’s contract. Charter schools are accountable to their authorizer, and to the students and families they serve, to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract.
Like traditional public schools, charters receive state funding based on a formula for each child enrolled in the school. Many charters also do additional fundraising to obtain grants and donations to pay for programs that are not fully funded by state or school district formulas. When lawmakers passed the Charter Schools Act of 1992, California became the second state in the country (after Minnesota) to enact charter school legislation. The intent was to allow groups of educators, community members, parents, or others to create an alternative type of public school.