What is different about Catalyst Charter School? Why support the school at the BUSD board public hearing next week Thursday, March 11th at 7:30pm? What makes Catalyst Charter School unique is its k-16 model emphasizing a classical curriculum pared with a strategy to cultivate the 40 external and internal positive factors of its scholar’s. Our commitment to small class size is another key component to our uniqueness. As well as introduction to Spanish langauge beginning in first grade.
Catalyst Charter School will support each scholar in building their external assets through five initiatives:
After School Enrichment: Provision of activities, programs, clubs, fine arts, and sports after school hours on the school campus and through community partnerships will ensure constructive use of scholar’s time. These activities will also provide a safe place for students to grow and develop.
Service Learning: Scholars will be empowered to serve others through grade level appropriate service opportunities with the local community and organizations. The school will also serve the community through a community garden growing fresh produce to provide scholars and neighbors with healthy local food.
Parental Volunteer Hours: Parental involvement in the school and the education of each scholar is crucial to their achievement. Parents and/or guardians of all scholars will be required to volunteer a set number of hours each academic semester.
Mentoring: A mentoring program will be built offering every scholar a mentor in a supportive adult role model. The school’s location next to a retirement community provides access to many adult role models. Also a school culture of welcoming relationships will be built through peer mentoring in teacher facilitated inter-grade “family” groups to which all scholars will belong.
Family Center: Catalyst Charter School will have a Family Center on site to offer development opportunities and resources for scholars, families and community members. All scholars’ parents/guardians will participate in family building workshops. Relationships will be fostered and enriched through the Center with school staff, teachers, parents, scholars, partner organizations, and neighbors. Professional counseling will be available in the Family Center as a resource to grow positive school and family culture.
Catalyst Charter School will support each scholar in building their internal assets through four integrated components:
Commitment to Learning: The classical educational model engages scholars in learning how to think, not just what to think. This language-focused instruction in the early educational stage teaches a habit of thought requiring each scholar’s mind to actively work and grow. Reading will be a key component to academic learning and will be instilled as a leisure pleasure for each scholar. Catalyst Charter School teachers will have flexibility to teach in a small classroom setting and present all subjects in creative, innovative, and experiential ways to foster scholars’ lifelong commitment to learning. The school’s structure of accountability ensures quality and conveys the expectation that learning requires dedication.
Virtues: Catalyst Charter School’s classical curriculum is grounded in virtues and reflects a commitment to instilling positive values and morals in each scholar. These values include caring, equality and social justice, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and self-regulation. Aristotle defined virtue “as the ability to act in accordance to what one knows to be right.” Having a moral foundation will enable scholars to understand their habits, make healthy choices, and be participative community members.
Scenario Planning: Growth in social competencies is crucial for scholars to become responsible citizens. Interpersonal skills, respectful behavior and appropriate decision-making skills will be developed through scholar’s participation in scenario planning. This planning will ask: Who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there? This dialogue from an early age will inspire students to vision their achievement and become socially competent.
Gifted Identity: Each scholar at Catalyst Charter School will be recognized as gifted. The school culture will instill a sense of purpose in each scholar and a growing sense of curiosity about the world. Each scholar will be recognized as a valuable asset to the school and the community.
