Q:What are Charter Schools?
A: Charter schools are public schools that are tuition-free and give parents and families a choice for education.
Q:Are Charter Schools private? Can they be?
A: No. All Wisconsin charter schools are and must be public schools. They are all tuition-free.
Q: Are Charter Schools expensive?
A: Since charter schools are public schools, the money that they receive comes from the same source of funding for all public education. The money is simply moved from one provider of public education (the district), to another (the charter school). Charter schools often bring new resources into a community’s public school system through foundation, state, and federal government grants.
Q: Who can attend charter schools?
A: Wisconsin’s charter schools are open to all children in the state. Some charter schools are at capacity and have waiting lists; in these situations, a lottery system is used to determine which students can attend.
Q: Why is Northland Pines starting charter schools?
A: The Northland Pines School District works very hard to have all students reach their maximum potential. To continue to obtain this goal the district explored educational improvement options for students. The idea of the charter schools was the result of committees examining how to best serve the needs of all students of the Northland Pines School District. There was a committee made up of educators and community members and they concluded project based charter schools would help more of our students reach their potential at the MS level. This led to the development of the SOAR Charter school, which opened in the fall of 2013 to 5th - 8th grade students. With the success of SOAR the committee morphed into a planning committee to begin an elementary charter school and another committee to expand SOAR to the High School. NPSD received a planning grant in the summer of 2014 to help develop a Montessori charter school for students 4k-4th grade which opened in the fall of 2015.
Q: What students are eligible to attend the Charter Schools?
Current Northland Pines area students, open-enrolled individuals, and home-schooled students are eligible to attend.
Q: What ages is the Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center open to?
A: The Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center currently serves students 4k through 4th grade in a multi-age setting.
Q: Why are 5th through 12th grade students not included?
A: Northland Pines already has the SOAR Charter Middle School for grades 5-8 and the SOAR Charter High School Charter for grades 8-12.
Q: What is the schedule for 4k students?
A: 4K students are in a multiage room with Kindergarten students. The Kindergarten students attend NPMLC five full days a week but the 4K students attend Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The 4K students have the option of staying full days or half days. If the 4K students stays full days there is the option of bussing home but if the family chooses half days parents will need to provide the means of transportation.
Q: Do charter schools provide a benefit to students who do not attend them?
A: Charter schools bring forward-thinking curriculums to our state’s children and are “innovation labs” within existing school district budgets.
Q: What is the focus of the Montessori Learning Center?
A: The Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center (NPMLC) is developed around the Montessori educational philosophy that was originated by Dr. Montessori. “The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world. It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.(http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori).”
Q: How will success be measured at the Montessori Learning Center?
A: Students at the Montessori Learning Center are assessed through standard based grades based upon a curriculum connected with the state, local and national standards. They will take the same district and state assessments that the NPSD students take to track students’ progress. They have the same report cards as the other elementary schools because students learn the same concepts, just in a different manner.
Q: How many students will be accepted?
A: The Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center accepts 12 students per grade level.
Q: What will happen if more students than the number allotted seats apply?
A: According to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), if more students than the NPMLC can enroll, a lottery will take place to determine who will be accepted. We will open enrollment in December of 2016 for the 2017-18 school year. Students within and outside of the district will have equal opportunity to be enrolled in NPMLC. If more students apply than we can enroll a waiting list will be developed.
Q: Who are the teachers at the Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center?
A: Mrs. Foster is the teacher in the Children's House. Mrs. Hoffman is the teacher in Elementary 1 and Mrs. Rickman is the teacher in Elementary 2. We also have a paraprofessional, Mrs. Lorgus, who helps out in all three "houses."
Q: What does a typical day look like for a Montessori Learning Center student?
A: Students at the Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center will follow a similar school calendar as the NPSD. The school times are a little different to insure that all students in the district can be bussed to St. Germain in time. The school day at NPMLC officially begin at 8:45 and end at 2:50 and students k-5th grade attend five days a week. 4k students attend Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The 4K students have the option of staying full days or half days. If the 4K student stays full days there is the option of bussing home but if the family chooses half days, parents will need to provide the means of transportation.
Q: Where is the Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center located?
A: The Northland Pines Montessori Learning Center is located in a wing at St. Germain Elementary School which allows them to share the library, kitchen, playground and other resources with St. Germain Elementary School.
Q: How do students get to and from the School?
A: Northland Pines Area Students will be provided transportation. There is a bus from Land O’ Lakes/Eagle River to St. Germain. St. Germain students will be bussed to the school. 4k students will have the same option of transportation but if parents choose to send their 4k child for half days the parents will need to pick the child up at 12:30.
Q: How can I learn more about the NPMLC?
A: You can also contact the Principal of the Montessori Learning Center. His name is Tony Duffek. He can be reached via email, tduffek@npsd.k12.wi.us, or you can call him at 715.542.3632.
Q: How and when can I apply for my child to attend the NPMLC?
A: We are already at capacity for the 2017-18 school year. The Northland Pines School District will begin accepting applications in January 2017 for the 2018-19 school year. If more students apply than we have seats for we will have a lottery. There is also an established waiting list.
Q: Do already enrolled Montessori students stay in the Montessori Learning Center?
A: Yes, students that are already enrolled in the Montessori Learning Center keep their seat from year to year. A current NPMLC student can leave and go to another school if his/her family chooses to do so.
Q: Can students participate in St. Germain clubs, sports and extracurricular activities?
A: Students are able to participate in all St. Germain clubs, sports and extracurricular activities.
Q: What’s unique about Montessori? Is it a “good fit” for my child?
A: The unique features include:
- multi-age classrooms and flexible grouping
- personalized learning that accommodates variations in learning abilities, styles, and interests
- research skills applied to practical problem solving needed for lifelong success in the 21st century
- state-of-the-art technologies that accommodate and accelerate learning, and allow access to regional and global networks
- integrated learning that connects subject areas like the sciences, math, literacy and the fine arts
- partnerships with resources, agencies and businesses in the larger community
- teaching a love for learning and lifelong learning.
