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Zach Colick
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Posted: Tue Jun 16th, 2009 09:19 pm |
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Editor's note: The following story appears in the June 17 Scottsdale Independent. Post comments by hitting reply in the upper right-hand corner. Comments will be posted in an upcoming issue of the Scottsdale Independent.
Foothills plans new elementary campus
June 22 meeting offers forum for involved parents
By Zach Colick
Independent Newspapers
Foothills Academy College Preparatory administrators plan to open an elementary school campus this fall to give parents another choice when it comes to educating their children.
Currently, Foothills Academy College Preparatory serves 250 students in grades 6-12, with no more than 24 students per grade.
The excelling-labeled charter school, now in its 17th year of existence and seventh at its current campus location, hopes to land grades K-5 this fall and lease out a facility in the Tatum Ranch area, said Dr. Donald Senneville, Foothills Academy’s director.
Dr. Senneville explained Foothills Academy College Preparatory administrators are in the process of lease negotiations to house the future elementary school campus in the northeast Phoenix area.
The school has already gone through the necessary accreditation process.
“By July 1, we hope to know whether this is a possibility,” said Dr. Senneville, noting Foothills Academy has all its ducks in a row; now it’s waiting to see if it can lease the facility in the Tatum Ranch area.
In the interim, Foothills Academy, 7191 East Ashler Hills Drive, will hold an informational meeting 6 p.m. Monday, June 22 regarding the fall opening of its elementary school preparatory campus.
The meeting is a follow-up to a May 21 meeting where additional details of the future campus were presented.
Foothills Academy Elementary Preparatory would be tuition-free and offer students in grades K-5 small classes, multi-age/flexible groupings, authentic learning and assessments, and experience-based, hands-on learning. Instructors Dr. Jane White, NBCT, and Jennifer White, a certified early childhood specialist, will both be on hand to answer questions.
Childcare will be available for parents attending the meeting. For further information, call Dr. Jane White at 480-694-7979.
Joan Puddy, Foothills Academy’s associate director, said interest among parents has been strong as 50 parents attended an informational meeting last month to explore a new elementary school concept.
She noted many teachers from nearby Cave Creek Unified School District have shown interest in teaching at the newly proposed campus, with others on a short list to teach there.
“This definitely seems like the right thing to do, given the fact that many parents have shown an interest and that there is a need for charter elementary school campus in this area,” Ms. Puddy said.
“What’s driving many parents away are the big class sizes at Cave Creek Unified School District schools. They want their students in a smaller classroom environment like this.”
Foothills Academy Elementary Preparatory campus — administrators have identified 75 to 100 potential students for fall enrollment from nearby school districts — would be located three to four miles away from the current campus, allowing parents to easily drop off and pick up their kids.
The two schools start and end at different times throughout the day.
The school also plans to have “multi-age flex classes,” meaning third and fourth graders could be in the same classroom if they are at the same learning and comprehension level.
Students also must wear a school uniform — a white or red shirt with the school’s logo, as well as black or khaki pants or shorts; girls can wear skirts. They can wear a spirit T-shirt on Fridays in lieu of the uniform.
Dr. Senneville said plans are to maintain small class sizes, with no more than 24 students per grade, as well as arts and music classes at the future Foothills Academy Elementary Preparatory.
Typically, he said these elective classes are cut in charter and in other traditional schools for a heavier focus on a core curriculum.
“We feel strongly in having arts and music classes for a well-rounded student,” he said.
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