|
Greater Newark Charter School Mission
Greater Newark
Charter School (GNCS) will provide for our students and families a structured,
safe, learning environment where academic achievement is encouraged and
strengthened. GNCS seeks to work in partnership with families and communities to
assure all students are equipped with the essential skills and habits necessary
to acquire knowledge and understanding.
By inspiring a culture of
achievement, GNCS aims to instill in students the desire to question and seek
truth so students may become critical thinkers and life-long learners. Our
committed staff will maintain high expectations and standards, believing all
students will succeed.
|
 |
Student Life
All components of the GNCS program
weave together to create a "culture of achievement." Great expectations are held
for all students in area of academics and citizenship. GNCS students are
expected to be great achievers and great community members. At GNCS, we believe
we must all work together to achieve our dreams!
We expect GNCS graduates to exemplify
the GNCS 5 Pillars which are:
-
What is your dream? -
Students will demonstrate the motivation to learn by actively participating
in their learning process of exploring, interacting, and making sense of
their environment.
-
Think deeply - Students
will demonstrate critical thinking skills and habits of mind to develop
purposeful, reasoned, and goal-directed thinking in the development of being
a life-long learner.
-
Be kind - Students will
demonstrate life skills to promote self-responsibility, positive
relationships, and respect for others in order to develop into a responsible
citizen and human being.
-
Be organized - Students
will demonstrate study skills and organization to achieve high performance
in completing class objectives and expectations.
-
Be skillful (Mastery of
skills) - Students will demonstrate a solid foundation of basic skill
mastery.
** back to top**
Learning & Teaching at GNCS
The GNCS core curriculum is designed
to meet and exceed New Jersey State Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS).
The rigorous curriculum includes the following:
balanced Literacy Program –
integrated reading, writing, listening, and speaking instruction
daily independent reading
time
"real-life" math curriculum
with basic skill integration
extended literacy and math
instruction time
interactive, hands-on science
units
annual student exhibitions in
all four core classes
** back to top**
Assessment at GNCS
GNCS is committed to
data driven instruction. GNCS continually analyzes data about student
achievement from several sources. GNCS administers the TerraNova standardized
assessment and NJ 8th grade GEPA annually. These two assessments provide
important data about how GNCS students compare with other students in similar
communities and schools. Since these assessments are given only once a year
however, GNCS relays heavily on "low-stakes" benchmark assessments to get more
"real-time" data about student achievement against specific standards. GNCS
administer 4 benchmark assessments in literacy and math during each school year.
Teachers analyze the data from these assessments to track student progress
against specific standards. As a result, teachers are able to make necessary
adjustments during the school year to meet the needs of all students. Along with
these more traditional assessments, GNCS students are required to perform
end-of-year exhibitions in each of their four core classes. The exhibition
requires students to exhibit understanding about a concept from each subject
area they learned during the school year; thereby deepening their understanding
of the concept. The following comprise the GNCS assessment program.
|
8th grade GEPA
TerraNova standardized
assessment
4 "low-stakes" benchmark
assessments
4 annual student exhibitions
4 Report Cards
|
 |
** back to top**
Results
GNCS is committed to demonstrated
results and accountability. GNCS most recent results are include.
Staff
GNCS actively recruits highly
qualified, talented, and passionate teachers and administrators.
Teachers at GNCS are active members
of the school operation and culture; they are decision makers and leaders. GNCS
teachers are not simply required to engage in collegial work, but are provided
with the time and training necessary to work as teams to best serve every
student.
Social Work Program
In order to prepare
students to achieve their dreams, GNCS recognizes the importance of teaching
students good mental health. Today, students are overloaded with information and
exposed to many issues at a younger age than every before. The GNCS Social Work
Program teaches students to develop healthy attitudes and gain a better
understanding and acceptance of themselves, their emotions, behaviors and
learning styles in relationship to this complex world. Children who understand
their emotions are better able to control their behavior. Children who
understand themselves and their unique qualities develop and mature personally,
socially and emotionally. They are also capable of developing good coping
mechanisms and responsible problem solving skills.
The GNCS Social Work Program aims
to do the following:
eradicate hopelessness that
leads to destruction
teach students to correlate
school performance to future goals
provide individual, family
and group counseling
provide teachers and staff
with holistic, psychodynamic analysis of "at-risk" students
streamline child study team
services to best meet the needs of "at-risk" students
help students to develop
communication and social skills.
** back to top**
Special Needs & I.E.P.
GNCS is an inclusion
model school. This model involves the education of special needs students in
regular classroom settings while providing additional support for the teacher
and student. One component of this support is the operation of a skill center.
The skill center is a classroom where students receive increased levels of
individualized instruction in specific areas. Additional support is also
provided to the teacher by school administrators and other staff members
(pull-out teachers). The goal of the program is to allow the student(s) to work toward as many of the regular classroom
goals as possible, while adhering to the individualized educational plan
outlined in the special education placement process or any other individual
needs.
|
 |
|
|
Trips
GNCS students
participate in many exciting field trips each school year. Students in each
grade visit at least one college campus each year. By the time a student
graduates from GNCS, they will have visited at least four colleges and begun to
visualize where they will need to be after high school to continue working
toward their dreams. During each year, students in each grade also participate
in two field trips designed as an extension of their class studies. Lastly,
students are rewarded at the end of each school year with a special trip which
will include one of the following: one night away at camp, whale watching, Great
Adventure. Here are some of trips GNCS students regularly participate in:
|
|
Museum of Natural History
NJ Marine Sciences
Sterling Hill Mine
Newark Conservancy
Project USE – outdoor
education
Tehune’s Orchards
National Constitution Center
Prudential Outdoor Learning
Center
|
GNCS students visit the following
colleges:
Yale
Cheyney
Princeton
Rowan
Rutgers
Penn
|
** back to top**
Extended Day & Extended Year
GNCS operates Monday through Friday
from 8:00 am to 4:00pm. Students are dismissed at 2:30 each Wednesday for staff
members to attend weekly collaborative meetings. GNA operates through the month
of July. The extended-day and extended-year programs are integral components of
students learning experience. The summer session combines time for academics and
service learning. The summer session is mandatory for all GNCS students.
|
Technology
at GNCS
GNCS makes technology
available to all students. An integral part of this technology is our
wireless Internet access. All students have access to two mobile lab
units. Teachers in all content areas integrate technology into daily
instruction and assessment.
Student Code of Conduct
The GNCS Student Code
of Conduct policy ensures all students are able to use each day to prepare for
GREAT tomorrows! These procedures are devoted to foster fairness, equity, safety
and respect for all students. We want students to initiate problem clarification
and resolution, as well as accept responsibility for their own behavior. Our
Student Code of Conduct is designed to maximize instructional time in which
students are actively engaged in the learning community and working toward their
dreams!
|
 |
** back to top**
|
