Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School

Mission

The Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School serves all fourth and fifth graders in the Town of Barnstable with innovative learning and assessments. The mission of achieving excellence for all students is our goal. We have a major impact on students' academic, individual, social, and technological skills by creating a school environment, which provides a high quality curriculum, which teaches and demands excellence and prepares the students for successful learning at the Barnstable Intermediate School.

We will achieve this by:

a.       Preparing students to meet rigorous academic standards and assessing their progress.

b.      Helping students to achieve high standards of social and civic responsibility.

c.       Involving parents in their child's educational program.

d.      Engaging the community in lifelong learning and in the success of the school.

e.   Using technology to enhance our instruction, management, and communication.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

At the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School , we believe that all of our students can master elementary academics, though not in the same time, the same way, or at the same pace. We also believe that our school is a place that fosters cultural literacy, special talents, character development, and civic responsibility so that our graduates will become educated, well-rounded individuals and contributing members to our democratic society. With a partnership comprised of the students, parents, school, and community, we strive to construct a creative and exciting educational environment, which will prepare our students for lifelong learning.

GOALS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

1.      All students will master a common core curriculum needed to be successful in elementary school and beyond. Our students will have a standards-driven education, based on the Massachusetts State Frameworks, the Modern Red Schoolhouse design, and the Barnstable Public Schools Curriculum.

2.      All of our students will learn and attain high standards in academic subjects although they may vary in their learning style and the time they need to learn. With this in mind, we will institute a summer school program, which will result in the creation of a 12-month school for both those students who need to master basic competencies or desire enrichment.

3.      The progress of every student will be closely monitored using a technological database, Individual Learning Contracts, Stanford Achievement Testing, unit assessments, culminating activities, and MCAS Testing. 

4.      We will guide our students' moral character through the implementation of our Code of Conduct and a student ambassador program.

5.      We will create a professional resource center and have ongoing professional development within the Modern Red Schoolhouse design. Teachers will have freedom to exercise their professional judgment in how they organize instruction, so that they might best meet their students' needs.

6.      Parents and community members will be an integral part of our students' education. We will offer parent forums, parent information sessions on our curriculum, and expand Main Street Learning to recognize academic and social achievement.

7.      Our school will have fiscal autonomy, which will provide us the freedom, flexibility, and opportunity to significantly impact the education of our students.

8.      We will use advanced technology to enhance our teaching, communication, and assessment.

9.      We will maintain established lines of communication with our seven feeding elementary schools and our middle school in order to offer a better educational program for our students. A student report will be developed focusing on the student's strengths and weaknesses.

10.  We will provide a model to other public schools, proving that public education can ensure that children will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become educated, responsible, and productive citizens.

MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School is to create a school where all children can attain high academic standards and can reach their full potential. We exist in order to teach our students the academic, social, technological, and higher order thinking skills and strategies needed to be successful.

Our mission statement is simply written so that it can be easily understood and stated by our students, staff, and parents. It reinforces our goal of excellence in our school, in the home, and in our community.

The mission of the Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School is to:

1. Provide all students with academic knowledge and skills needed for future success, by using a rigorous curriculum and high standards.      

2. Guide students in their development of civic responsibility and moral character, so that they will be accountable, resourceful, and respectful citizens, and prepared to be productive members of our society.

3. Develop a partnership among students, teachers, the parents, and the community, giving all a clear indication of their role in the educational process. 

4. Commit to excellence: Okay is not good enough; good is not good enough; we strive for excellence. 

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

The Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School offers a rigorous academic program, which is standards driven and documents continuous student progress. Core subjects include English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science, while enrichment subjects include Music, Art, Technology, Physical Education, Health, and Foreign Language. Teachers use instructional methods and strategies that adapt to the individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles of the students. The approaches include:  high expectations of all students, teaching basic and critical thinking skills, a process and problem solving approach, which encourages active engaged learning, flexible grouping, careful monitoring of student progress, and high levels of parental and community involvement.

We utilize and incorporate the Barnstable Public Schools’ curriculum, the Massachusetts Department of Education Standards, and the Modern Red Schoolhouse to provide us with a model for a whole school design including curriculum and assessment, school organization, researched-based teaching practices, technology, a student Individual Learning Contract (ILC), and parent and community involvement.

VISION - A SCHOOL WITH TOMORROW INSIDE

The vision of our school is to provide an educational environment for a lifelong community of learners, designed to educate all people to reach their full potential and be able to master the skills, knowledge, and understandings needed to be successful in the 21st century.  Our school operates as the social, educational, and human resource center for the entire community.  It is designed to teach all the technological, social, and higher order thinking skills that will enable students to be productive individuals.

This is an environment where high expectations for all translates into a place where people learn to work together as critical thinkers and problem solvers, and where differences are respected and the community is enriched.

The Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School is a place designed to meet the assessed needs of the school community and is built on the premise of continuous improvement through a systematic approach. The curriculum is based on the demands of the 21st century.  Instruction is designed to meet the multiple learning styles of students, and mastery is based on authentic assessment.

Our school is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding place to be.  It is a place to not only create understanding but also to create the paradigms of the future.

Last updated January 14, 2010

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The Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School