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’ Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts (ORAA) held an arts festival and ribbon cutting for its new site, reported Principal Brynne Dukes. They day showcased student visual arts and drumming, she said, and families also enjoyed karaoke, games, an opportunity raffle, and tours of the site.
Journey teacher Scott White will discuss “Hiroshima and the Birth of the Perilous Present: How the Atomic Bombing Set the Stakes for Modern Global Threats” at the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association (PCB-AHA) on July 31. Scott has been working on his Master’s degree in history and will discuss the purpose and outcome of his research.
Students at Springs’ Cherry Valley Student Center participated in the Cherry Festival Parade in Beaumont, reported Principal Tammy Slaten. The theme of the day was “Sweet Traditions, Strong Community”; schools, businesses and civic organizations participated.
Springs’ Magnolia Student Center has new turf, reported Principal Jessica Carlton. It will improve recess and lunchtime, she believes, and provide a more positive experience for family events and sports activities. She said, “We look forward to having the kids back to enjoy it.”
Cayden Jacques, a 4th-grade student with Connections Academy at Springs, is an accomplished young actor. The 10-year-old began acting five years ago. Some of his recent acting jobs include a role on Surprise & Seek on Amazon Kids, Abbott Elementary on ABC, and the recent Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns for Nordstrom Rack.
Lucas Galvez was the first-place winner in Springs’ Virtual Village inaugural virtual science fair. Students designed science projects that were aligned with science standards and employed the inquiry-based scientific method. Projects were math-focused, integrating concepts such as data analysis, measurement, and statistical reasoning to strengthen their skills for standardized math tests.
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.