Charter school to open September 4

The Sisters Charter Academy of Fine Arts will open its doors on September 4.

Parents learned that news at an open house orientation meeting on Saturday morning, August 18.

The arts-centered charter school is a free, public school that will operate as an arm of Sisters School District. According to school administrator/teacher Bill Lewis, the school is still accepting student applications, as it can house a maximum of 40 students for the 2007-08 school year.

As of Saturday, 32 students had registered.

The school's project director Michele Williams told The Nugget that parents wanted to know if the school has been approved by the city.

"Yes, we were," Williams said, noting that people also asked if the school had received state approval. "Yes, we did. We received state approval, funding and approval from our sponsoring district," said Williams.

Those were critical questions, because the timing was nip-and-tuck. The school did not receive the city's stamp until two days before Saturday's open house on Thursday, August 16. Members of the Sisters Planning Commission approved a change of use request for the building the school will occupy at 450 E. Cascade Ave. Previously the building was used as both an office and a retail space.

The request to change the use of the building to a school was not contested by residents living nearby the facility.

Seven kindergartners, nine first graders and three second graders will be in Antonietta Del Guidice's combination K-2 class (see related article, page 15). Lewis will teach the 3-6 mix with four third graders, five fourth graders, three fifth graders and one sixth grader.

Even though grade levels will be combined, class sizes will be smaller than at the elementary and middle schools. Smaller class sizes prompted Tanya Mason to move her first and fourth grade daughters from the elementary school to the charter school. Mason anticipates her girls will receive more one-on-one attention.

"I felt like they were possibly falling through the cracks ... mathematically or with reading (at the elementary school)," she said.

"I like the idea of the creative-based curriculum instead of the structure of the public school," said Amy Pickett, whose son Jesse will attend kindergarten at the charter school. "I felt public school was too harsh for my other son. It really impacted the way he felt about himself. Here there won't be a right and a wrong way to do things. It's more creative and full."

Williams told The Nugget that other parents have been attracted to the school because of its group learning environment.

"They really like the idea of learning through the lens of art," she said.

The school offers parents "...a unique opportunity to have their children at a little more diversified curriculum, because we're going to integrate each area with arts: the visual arts to reinforce what they're doing; or a piece of music to reinforce what they've studied; or a piece of drama; or even dance. We're trying to get the full person rather than a part education...," Lewis said.

Not all students are transferring to the charter school from within the Sisters School District.

"I know we have two that are coming from Culver, two from (Sisters Christian Academy), maybe a couple from homeschool and all new kindergartners. I don't know if they count as district. Probably 50 percent are from out of district," said Williams.

With the opening of the school, everyday operations will be in the hands of Lewis. As the school's volunteer project director, Williams will continue to help get the school off the ground and remain financially viable.

"I will oversee to make sure that the appropriate money is coming in, see what their needs are and maybe put them out to the community if there is a need that is not being met," she said.

The school is hoping to attract parent and adult volunteers with special expertise.

"It could be math. It could be English. We're not just looking for expertise in music or visual arts or drama," Lewis said. "We do have to be cognizant of the fact that we don't want somebody to walk off the street and say. 'I'm going to give you this information.' We have to have a criminal background check on any volunteers so there is no problem," he said.

Anyone wishing to volunteer at the charter school school may contact Lewis at 549-8120.