2/25 Open House- New Charter School- Creative Minds International Public Charter School

[Anonymous]

Creative Minds International Public Charter School (www.creativemindspcs.org) is a new elementary school opening to the public in September 2012 for PK3 through 2nd grade (and we are adding a grade every year up to middle school).

CMI-PCS will be located in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, at 16th St. & Park (we are moving into the space currently occupied by Capital City Upper School- 3224 16th Street NW). There will be 30 spaces for 3 year olds, 30 spaces for 4 year olds, plus one class (limited to 15 students) each for K-2.

We will be holding open houses in the upcoming weeks:

Open House dates (held at the school location currently occupied by Cap City):
Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 11-12
Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11-12
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Some highlights about what the school features that is so unique:

1) Commitment to small classrooms--no class larger than 15 children
2) International Primary Curriculum--we will be the first and only public school offering this curriculum in DC. Families who want the IPC would have to go to private schools in our city. It's a superior curriculum that is project and very hands on to engage students’ love of learning. The IPC has the arts incorporated into every subject of the curriculum.
3) In addition to IPC, we will offer traditional arts education, including a full-time music and movement program that children will attend up to once per day.
4) Extended day enrichment courses will include language programs (options include Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic). Pick up is at 5:30pm (and the school day can begin as early as 8:15am for breakfast drop off).
5) The Creative Minds International PCS program incorporates Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s developmental approach to education in order to support individual learning styles that are explained by differences in the ways children process information.

To learn more about the program, check out our website at: www.creativemindspcs.org

We are very pleased to have this smaller school option with such a heavy emphasis on creativity and social/emotional-development. If you want more information or have questions, please let me know. Or please join us for an open house visit!

Open House dates (held at the school location currently occupied by Cap City):
Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 11-12
Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11-12
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Creative Minds International Public Charter School (www.creativemindspcs.org) is a new elementary school opening to the public in September 2012 for PK3 through 2nd grade (and we are adding a grade every year up to middle school).

CMI-PCS will be located in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, at 16th St. & Park (we are moving into the space currently occupied by Capital City Upper School- 3224 16th Street NW). There will be 30 spaces for 3 year olds, 30 spaces for 4 year olds, plus one class (limited to 15 students) each for K-2.

We will be holding open houses in the upcoming weeks:

Open House dates (held at the school location currently occupied by Cap City):
Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 11-12
Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11-12
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Some highlights about what the school features that is so unique:

1) Commitment to small classrooms--no class larger than 15 children
2) International Primary Curriculum--we will be the first and only public school offering this curriculum in DC. Families who want the IPC would have to go to private schools in our city. It's a superior curriculum that is project and very hands on to engage students’ love of learning. The IPC has the arts incorporated into every subject of the curriculum.
3) In addition to IPC, we will offer traditional arts education, including a full-time music and movement program that children will attend up to once per day.
4) Extended day enrichment courses will include language programs (options include Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic). Pick up is at 5:30pm (and the school day can begin as early as 8:15am for breakfast drop off).
5) The Creative Minds International PCS program incorporates Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s developmental approach to education in order to support individual learning styles that are explained by differences in the ways children process information.

To learn more about the program, check out our website at: www.creativemindspcs.org

We are very pleased to have this smaller school option with such a heavy emphasis on creativity and social/emotional-development. If you want more information or have questions, please let me know. Or please join us for an open house visit!

Open House dates (held at the school location currently occupied by Cap City):
Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 11-12
Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 11-12
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

I thought the point of this school was to create a good alternative for students with Special Needs. Other than a nod to Dr. Stanley Greenspan, I don't see anything fleshing out that plan. Are they actively recruiting students with special needs or was that just a convenient way to get the charter approved?

[Anonymous]

No charter school can offer preferential admission criteria. I am assuming they are approaching this like Bridges where they will have a full continuum of services, but all students will be fully integrated. Their description says "heavy emphasis on... social/emotional development". That indicates the type of kid that Greenspan worked with a lot: kids with behavioral and social needs. Stanley Greenspan's work included a wide range of behavioral atypicalities but I don't think anyone is thinking that his dead spirit will be channeling into the school.

[Anonymous]

This isn't a special needs school - but the school has been designed from the ground up to integrate all children regardless of ability, a healthy alternative to what has been such a problem for DCPS in the past. Creative Minds will nurture all of the children, and they all have different learning skills - this is not just an issue for children who fall under the umbrella of "special needs" students. The key to this school is that ALL of the teachers will be trained to work with ALL of the children. As any parent understands, children learn at different paces and have different skills, Creative Minds has a curriculum to accommodate that.
I am not an employee of the school, I am a parent of child who i'm hoping to get into Creative Minds. They are truly planning a school that is geared towards inspiring kids and working each child to their potential - and that is why this school in so inspiring.

[Anonymous]

This school sounds awesome!

[Anonymous]

Any further feedback from these open houses? If their capacity for web design is any indicator it will be the best PCS in DC.

[Anonymous]

Cutest kid pics of any DCPCS. And they haven't even opened yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cutest kid pics of any DCPCS. And they haven't even opened yet.

Those are stock photos.

[Anonymous]

Their website shows a 2 hour window to pick up enrollment forms. What's up with that? How are working families ever supposed to make that work? Are they trying to have only upper class families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Their website shows a 2 hour window to pick up enrollment forms. What's up with that? How are working families ever supposed to make that work? Are they trying to have only upper class families?

In our acceptance letter they said they would mail out the enrollment package ... so you don't have to pick it up during the 2 hr window they mention. This is just an option if you want to meet the staff or have questions. I guess holding such a session 5.30-7.30pm on a Tuesday wont suit everyone but I wouldn't assume it is designed to exclude working families.

[Anonymous]

We got our enrollment packet in the mail and they are also having a drop off /answer session on May 14. and you can simply mail it back in if you can't make it. I'm sure there will be other times to meet the staff as well.