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.
Springs Homeschool student John Mora, who will be entering 4th grade in the fall, is a grand prize winner in the America 250 Field Trip Contest. Contest organizers stated that his “Shoot for the Stars!” entry “showcased a remarkable appreciation for our nation’s journey and future, standing out among thousands of participants nationwide.”
Springs’ ELOP Summer Camp has begun, reported Jamie Collins, personalized academic coach, with students engaging in Olympic sports and athletic games, STEM challenges, and art projects. The activities are helping students build new skills, foster creativity, and strengthen teamwork, she believes.
Springs’ Virtual Village (Montessori Voyage/Virtual Academy) ended its school year with a celebration at the Los Alamos Hills Sports Complex, reported Program Facilitator LisaFahrenkamp. The day included face painting, bounce houses, balloon art, laser tag, and field games. A highlight of the day included the promotion of students in Kindergarten, 6th, and 8th grade.
The Temecula Student Center held a Summer Enrichment Program for students, reported Melissa Targos, program facilitator. The program provided a “fun, safe, and engaging environment where students could continue learning while enjoying their summer break,” she said.
Springs Homeschool (with Empire Springs) held an end-of-the-school-year awards party, which drew 55 participants from the San Bernardino Mountains region, shared Nadia Phillips, Homeschool education specialist. The event included a slideshow review of the year, recognition of student achievement, and awarding of certificates of completion and promotion.
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.