Nature-based charter school in Mont. Co (MD)

[knitter]

Hi--

I'm working with a group of parents in Montgomery County to establish a new charter school in the county school system. The school would serve elementary aged children in grades K-4 to begin, and move up to K-8 within a few years. We plan to use the Enviroment as an Integrating Context (EIC) curriculum, with a majority of learning using the natural environment and surrounding community of the school.

You can learn more about the school at senecacreekcharterschool.org. There was also a recent article about us in the Gazette.

I wanted to post here because we're trying to spread the word around the county, and I thought the school might be of interest to MDC parents!

Feel free to post any questions here; I'll check back, or you can get in touch with us through the website.

Thanks!

ETA: we recently decided to include “charter” in the title of the school to more accurately reflect the type of school and the content of the curriculum. Our web address has changed (although typing in the old address will still take you to the correct site), so I changed the link above.

[emilyb24]

Hi there,

This sounds wonderful, exactly what my husband and I would want for our boys, though both are far from school age (one is 22months and another due in October). I'm guessing this is only open to Mont. Co residents? We are currently in Howard County.

Thanks!
Emily

[knitter]

Yes, since it would be a part of the Montgomery County school system, you would have to reside in montgomery county. I know there are other charter schools around the state (including some with an environmental focus; if you look on our website there are links); but I'm not sure if there are any in Howard County.

[koofie]

We're also in HoCo as as far as I know there are no charter schools in Howard county (correct me if I'm wrong). I wish there had been something like this when I grew up in Montgomery county! Do you know if it has been posted to the Woodmoor Moms listserv in Four Corners? I seem to remember a posting abotu a charter school a few months ago. I still belong from when I lived there! I could post if you'd like.

I''m curious about charter schools in HoCo, so I may start a new thread!

[knitter]

Koofie--No, I don't think it's been posted to that forum. Two other schools recently applied for charter status in montgomery county, so it may have been one of those two that posted there.

If you're willing to post a link to our website there, that would be great! Thank you so much. So far the response has been positive; we are just trying to spread the word as much as possible.

[mizzoh]

very happy to see this

[koofie]

Originally Posted by knitter

Koofie--No, I don't think it's been posted to that forum. Two other schools recently applied for charter status in montgomery county, so it may have been one of those two that posted there.

If you're willing to post a link to our website there, that would be great! Thank you so much. So far the response has been positive; we are just trying to spread the word as much as possible.

I reposted much of what you stated in your first post. The neighborhood down county, but I asked that they pass it along to anyone who they think might be interested. good luck! I wish we were in the area; I'd be interested for DD1 if we were in MoCo!

[knitter]

Thanks again koofie! And, to anyone who may be interested--please sign our guest book (on the website at www.senecacreeknatureschool.org and you'll receive updates on our progress about once a month.

Also, for any parents who might be interested in enrolling their children, you can sign up here. This does NOT commit you in any way; it just helps us when we submit our application to give an idea of the number of parents who would be interested in sending their children to the school.