SECTION 6 -COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT &SUPPORT, FOUNDING MEMBERS While Good Earth Charter School will be located in the Hatboro-Horsham School District, we believe that the school will serve a regional community of families encompassing the Delaware Valley region of Southeastern Pennsylvania, which is home to Bucks and Montgomery Counties, the towns of Doylestown and Norristown, as well as other numerous cities, counties, municipalities, townships and boroughs. With over six million residents (6,034,678, according to 2010 census data), the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia Area is the largest metro region in the state and sixth largest nationwide. 6A. Demonstrated, Sustainable Support by the Community The School will be actively engaged in creating and maintaining community partnerships with organizations, businesses, institutions, agencies, and service providers located in municipalities far and wide to encourage the very best in education for the benefit of all residents in Hatboro/Horsham as well as the many other school districts in the greater Philadelphia community. Students, teachers and community partners, including nonprofit and arts organizations, universities, local farmers and businesses, will work with our teachers and students on lesson blocks, environmentally oriented activities and other beneficial ventures that will form key elements of the educational curriculum. To date we have received very positive feedback from the regarding our goal of opening Good Earth Charter School. Overall, we have found significant community support for options in education. We have received positive feedback on our vision and mission from community members in the form of letters (emails), contributions, and offers of human resources and volunteering. We will continue community outreach as it is something that we take very seriously. Please see Appendix 1 for Letters of Community Support. The following individuals, organizations, businesses, and institutions, have expressed interest in forming supporting partnerships with GEC: Alliance for Public WaldorF Education Ananda Ma, Dresher -Yoga instructor and doula Bounce U, Horsham -Children's entertainment venue Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 75
Branded Productions, North Wales -commercial filmmakers Caroline Haas, Doylestown -Dressmaker Cheers 2 U Events, Warminster - on location hair and make-up Circle of Seasons Charter School, Fogelsville Cosmic Primate, Hatboro -Tattoo Shop Creative Kinder, North Wales -Child Development training, positive teaching strategies, etc., related to special development. Cyrius Consulting, Horsham - StafF team building, employee engagement, human resources, event planning. Elaine Powers, Feasterville-Trevose, Ava Anderson Non-Toxic Hale-Smith, Inc., Bensalem -Realtor (offering to donate computers and equipment) JefFrey Stacey of O'Donnell Associates, Philadelphia -Law firm specializing in charter school-related matters Jules Thin Crust, North Wales -Pizza Shop Laser Express GP, Willow Grove -Printer maintenance and retail Marko Mihajlovic, Bensalem -Massage Therapy mbody Health Chiropractic &Nutrition, Fort Washington Natural Awakenings BuxMont -Local holistic living magazine Pampered Chef, Bensalem -Kitchenware retailer Photography by Caitlin Domanico, North Wales -Family photography, specializing in outdoor settings and natural lighting Reed Silk Studio, Willow Grove -Handmade toy crafter and retailer The Reiki School &Clinic, Philadelphia Repice &Taylor, Philadelphia Charter school business management services Scatter Joy Center for the Arts, Horsham Shaina Harris-Mihajlovic, Bensalem -Dance &fitness instructor, holistic health and life coach Sweet Brews Design, Willow Grove -Graphic and website design Tony Roni's Pizza, Willow Grove -Pizza shop Yoga Friends, Glenside -Children's yoga classes and parties Additionally, GEC will make intentional efforts to have a positive impact on the Hatboro-Horsham School District and surrounding community. GEC students will organize and operate at least a fundraising event or service activity to benefit a community organization each year. Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 76
6B. Recruitment &Outreach Efforts During the charter application review process and after the charter approval, publicizing of GEC will be performed by various stakeholders Founding Members, interested parents, teacher applicants, future Board members, and volunteers. Activities include, but will not be limited to: Information posted on the school's website, school's social media pages, and other websites geared towards parents and/or education Designing and dissemination of fact sheets, brochures, working copies of curriculum Hosting of Informational Sessions for various stakeholder groups Advertising in local publications geared towards parents Work with existing community organizations in the Greater Philadelphia area to identify potential students One of our goals has been to make the information about Good Earth Charter School as accessible as possible to all areas of the community. To date, over 1,000 brochures have been distributed throughout the greater Philadelphia area at local businesses, libraries, churches, recreation centers, grocery stores, etc. Please see below for a listing of locations: Public Libraries (multiple locations) Trader Joe's Whole Foods Market McCafFrey's Party City Post Offices (multiple locations) Learning Express School of Rock, Newtown Ice cream shops (multiple locations) Starbucks (multiple locations) Shop n Bag Super Fresh Acme (multiple locations) Bounce U, Horsham Scatter Joy Center for the Arts Cosmic Primate Tattoo East and West Karate YMCAs (multiple locations) Churchville Nature Center Community Educational Center, Doylestown Organnons Natural Market Pennypack Farm We have held three public "Information Nights" to educate parents, teachers, and community members about our plans for the school. These meetings were advertised via Facebook, the GEC website and were well-attended (upwards of 50 families at Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 77
each event). The dates and locations of our meetings were as follows: Monday, June 22, 2015 at the Community Education Center in Doylestown; Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at the Community Education Center in Doylestown; and Monday, October 26, 2015 at the Horsham Public Library. GEC also hosted community outreach informational tables at local events and provided sponsorship of the Bucks County Food Truck Festival, Hatboro Car Show, 15t Annual Ambler Bike Race, Lil Angels Consignment (Bensalem), Healthy Living Festival (Southampton), Hatboro Halloween Stroll, and Mommy's Lil Black Book webpage. Information about the School was also featured in Natural Awakenings health living magazine. We maintain a Facebook group with almost 800 participants to engage parents and community supporters (51% of families who have pre-enrolled are part of our Facebook group). Ultimately, word of mouth is the best form of advertisement for a new charter school with 31 % of pre-enrollment families indicating that they heard about GEC this way. As interested parents speak with other interested parents, the word about the Charter School spreads through various communities and groups of parents and families. We have surveyed parents about the best means of outreach and will continue to follow best practices in future years. We maintain a database of prospective families, community groups, student services, and educational, faith-based, government, and ethnic organizations. They will be provided with printed material about the school, and will be invited to future information sessions. These sessions will be aggressively publicized via direct mail, social media, and at community events. In addition to these meetings, we will sponsor information tables at community events, make our web site and printed material -- such as informational flyers, brochures, and postcards -- readily available and easily accessible. 6C. Signed Pre-Enrollments from Parents From parents curious about innovative education in the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia Area to passionate believers in this type of educational approach, the support for Good Earth has been coming in on a regular basis in the form of emails, phone calls, and conversations in the community. Several local educators, including a few high-level public school administrators, have demonstrated their interest and support for the School by pre-enrolling their children. It is believed that preenrollment demonstrates the most solid display of support for this type of charter Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 78
school. By completing a "pre-enrollment" form online, a parent conveys legitimate interest in GEC by providing the school with the name and birthdate of each child he or she would consider formally enrolling in the Charter School. Submitted Pre- Enrollmentforms allow us to gauge the.overall interest in the School as well as providing us with a general idea as to how many children could potentially be eligible to enroll for each grade (K 3) in the first year of the School. GEC enjoys significant support from families in HHSD, Montgomery County, and the greater Philadelphia area. At the time of the submission of this charter application, the number of pre-enrollments totaled 530, with 227 being grade-eligible for 2016-2017: 103 Pre-Enrollments for Kindergarten (50 seats available) 62 Pre-Enrollments for 1st grade (50 seats available) 48 Pre-Enrollments for 2nd grade (25 seats available) 14 Pre-Enrollments for 3rd grade (25 seats available) 303 "Pre-K" age Pre-Enrollments, which represent families that will continue to engage with our school and enroll their children when they meet Kindergarten age requirements. While the CSL requires that preference be given to HHSD students, Pre-Enrollment forms come from 37 different school districts in South Eastern Pennsylvania: Abington Bensalem Boyertown Area Bristol Township Bryn Athyn Centennial Central Bucks Cheltenham Chichester Council Rock Hatboro-Horsham HaverFord Jenkintown Lower Moreland Morrisville Neshaminy New Hope-Solebury Norristown Area North Penn Palisades Pennridge Pennsbury Perkiomen Valley Phoenixville Area Philadelphia Pottstown Quakertown Radnor Township Ridley Souderton Area Springfield Spring-Ford Upper Dublin Upper Merion Area Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 79
Upper Moreland Upper Perkiomen Wissahickon What's more, individuals from New Jersey and Ohio have contacted GEC inquiring about its future while stating that they would have a serious interest in moving to Pennsylvania and/or the Delaware Valley if meant having the opportunity to attend/or be a part of awaldorf-methods charter school. Please see Appendix J to review the Pre-Enrollment information for GEC families. 6D. Core Founding Members Good Earth Charter School was initially founded by a group of passionate, motivated and enthusiastic parents and teachers. Founding members share the following: A desire to participate in a program that emphasizes a curriculum inspired by Waldorf education A commitment to a learning approach that is developmentally appropriate, designed to meet the changing needs of the growing child A belief in the importance of incorporating artistic and musical activities into all phases of learning A belief in the importance of parent commitment and involvement in their children's education A parental commitment to lifelong learning A desire for an educational community that actively supports partnership and continuity between family and school A belief in the importance of accepting diverse personal philosophical beliefs and values A belief that a child's needs can best be met through an alternative educational approach The attention/support given to the individual social or emotional needs of the students A desire for a small school A desire for an environmentally-conscious educational program The following people represent a group of individuals who comprise a "Core Founding Member Team" (CFM~. The CFMT is comprised primarily of parents who are passionate about Waldorf-Methods Education and have volunteered their time, Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 80
energy, knowledge and expertise towards establishing the school. CFMT members came together over the course of several months, beginning in April of 2015. The primary responsibilities of the CFMT center around research, marketing, fundraising, and outreach strategies. Each member of the CFMT has earned the designation of "Founding Member" as defined by PA Charter Law as making a "demonstrable contribution" towards the creation and founding of GEC. There are no additional plans at this time to further recruit additional CFMT members. Below are brief biographical summaries of CFMT Members: Phil Arnold -Phil is married to Rebecca Arnold and is the proud father of Maggie, age 10, Kyle, age 8, and Chase, age 5. He grew up on a small dafry farm in south central Pennsylvania, graduated from Rutgers University in 1986 with a degree in Psychology, and received his Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. He has been involved with charter school initiatives since 2007 and is the Founder and current Director of Circle of Seasons Charter School, the first WaldorF-Methods public school on the east coast. Elaine Powers -Elaine is married and astay-at-home mother to Savannah and Holly, 5 and 2 years old, respectively. Before becoming astay-at-home mother, she was a Relationship Specialist for Middle Market Commercial Regional Banking at Citizens Bank. During her 10 years there, she has participated in various volunteer opportunities sponsored by Citizens Bank, including: Philly Spring Clean Up, a 5K Race and Philabundance Food Bank. After the birth of her children, she became passionate about orthomolecular nutrition and health and about finding an educational environment that fosters creativity, hands-on learning and critical thinking in her community. Logan Randazzo -Logan lives in Lansdale, Pa with her husband, Brian, and two daughters, Briar, age 3, and Willow, age 1. Logan has a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from the University of Manitoba, as well as an Associates Degree in Health Sciences from Bucks County Community College. In addition to being a stay-at-home mom who is passionate about WaldorF education, Logan is a former professional Canadian figure skater who now instructs ice skating at many local rinks for children age 2-20. After the birth of her children, Logan has invested a lot of her time in learning about homeopathic remedies, attachment parenting, and creating a home environment that fosters creativity, health and happiness for her family. Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 81
Andrea McAfee -Andrea currently resides in Philadelphia with her husband, John, and her daughters, Avalynne, age 7, and Alana, age 3. She holds a BS in Business Administration and Management from Questrom School of Business at Boston University and a MPP in International Security and Economic Policy from the University of Maryland. She is a full-time political science professor and has held numerous non-profit leadership roles supporting troops, military families and veterans. She is also a small business owner. Kate Kolbe -Kate presently resides in Willow Grove, PA, with her husband, Sean, and their two daughters, Annelie, age 6, and Sadie, age 3. She is a graduate of Drexel University, holding a BS in Fashion Design. Kate owns a business, Reed Silk Studio, which sells her hand-dyed playsilks and her father's handmade wood toys. She also works part-time as a bookkeeper for an architecture firm in Old City, Philadelphia. Kate established and co-leads a local mastermind group for mothers who own small businesses. Sean Kolbe -Sean lives in Willow Grove with his wife, Kate, and their two daughters, Annelie, age b, and Sadie, age 3. Sean holds an AA in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Sean currently works full-time as a web designer for a communications firm; previously, he spent six years as a stay at home dad while also building his own graphic and web design business, Sweet Brews Design, which he continues to operate part-time. Demetria Damian - Demetria currently resides in Warminster, Pa with her husband, Lawrence, and her two children, Deano, age 5, and Sam, age 2. She is a partner at the web design company, FocusMX and spends a lot of her weekends outdoors, camping and fishing with her family. Kara Kray lives in South Philadelphia with her husband, a registered architect, and her seven year old son. She holds a Master of Science in Architectural History and Theory from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture from Penn State University. She is currently employed as a project manager at a small architecture firm in Jenkintown and is delighted to build with Legos whenever her son asks. Teena Murphy - A mother of three children, a 20 year old daughter (grandee Lee), an 18 year old daughter (Victoria Rose) and her miracle baby Ashton Chase who is 1 year old. Teena has been working part time for a family Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 82
business, New York Camera &Video, since April 1990 running their Internet sales division. Teena enjoys antiquing with her husband, weekends in the mountains, house design, real estate and hanging out in coffee shops. Charity Hendrickson -Charity presently resides in Wyncote with her husband Kris and daughter Willow age 11. She has been an early childhood teacher for the past 13 years. She holds a master's in special education and is currently working on her PA certification at SJU. Charity presently teaches at The Waldorf School of Philadelphia. Sonya Robinson -Sonya currently resides in Bensalem with her daughter, sonin-law and granddaughters, Lejna, age 4 1/2 and Luna, age 2 1/2. Presently and passionately, a PA licensed Realtor and a consultant for the Pampered Chef, she is active in the upbringing of her granddaughters. With an AS in Chemistry, she is currently a Supervisor of the Quality Control Lab at a chemical manufacturer by day. She also serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County. Angelica Valentin is the wife of Anibal, a United States Navy Corpsman, and the mother of four children, Adisyn 6 Sophia 5, Lucas 4 and Emmalyn 1. The family has recently relocated to Pennsylvania from Jacksonville, NC. Angelica is currently pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. While in NC, Angelica was an Assistant Coordinator for the Empty Bowls Project in Onslow County, which provided fundraising for the local Soup Kitchen. Angelica was a Founding Member for the Roots Parent Association in her children's Montessori School, Mercy's Garden. Angelica was involved in Stroller Warriors International Running Club, which provided many military families with Deployment support groups, Meal Trains for New Mothers, fundraisers for Wounded Warriors families and engaged the community in healthy lifestyle awareness through physical fitness. Kimberly Meloy- Wife of Greg, and mother to James, 3 years old, and Luna Brook, 6 months. Kimberly is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a BA in English Communications and worked as a Kindergarten Assistant at The WaldorF School of Philadelphia before becoming astay-at-home-mom. The Meloy family resides in Glenside and has great passion for music, good food, reverence and respect for nature, and loves spending time outdoors. Samantha Petry -Samantha presently resides in Feasterville, Pa with her Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 83
husband, Ray, their daughters, Fiona, age 3, and Winter, age 8 months, and their 3 dogs. She attended Penn State University and has a degree in Business Marketing and Management. Currently she is involved in the Wedding and Beauty Industries. Samantha is the Founder and Owner of Skin Deep Makeup Design as well as Head Makeup Artist for Cheers 2 U Events, servicing bridal parties throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties. She is also a stay at home mom to her 2 girls. Jennifer Miskiel -Jennifer resides in Penllyn, PA with her husband and two children. She is a stay at home mother to Kathryn, 6, and Eddie, 15 months. She is a graduate of Saint Joseph's University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Health Services. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. She was a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer at Riddle Memorial Hospital for four years until she embarked on a career change in 2008. Two years prior to the birth of her daughter, she travelled to New York City to train full time in the health supportive culinary arts at the Natural Gourmet Institute. Upon graduation she participated in a culinary apprenticeship in Berkeley, California with Three Stone Hearth, a traditional foods community supported kitchen. She is currently studying Aperture Homeopathy under the direction of Dhanistah Devi Dasi at the Dhanvantari College of Homeopathy in Australia. Naomi Mlynski -Naomi presently resides in Philadelphia, where she works in the field of early childhood education. She is a graduate of Drexel University's School of Education, and holds a Masters in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, with a Pennsylvania teaching license for grades PreK-4. Naomi currently works at the Children's Community School in West Philadelphia. Kara Secouler Kara lives in East Norriton, PA with her husband, David, and two daughters, Kaya (7), and Sierra (5). She earned a BA in anthropology from Ithaca College, with a focus on traditional medical practices and Native American culture. After having her babies, she became a birth and postpartum doula, serving the Philadelphia area for four years while obtaining a degree in nursing. Kara is currently pursing a master's degree in nurse-midwifery at Philadelphia University. She loves spending time outside with her family in the garden, tending to her flock of chickens, and cooking yummy food. David Secouler -David lives in East Norriton, Pennsylvania with his wife, Kara, and two daughters, Kaya (7), and Sierra (5). He completed his undergraduate Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 84
degree at Bloomsburg University and obtained his Juris Doctor degree at Widener University School of Law. David currently works for a company in center city Philadelphia doing electronic discovery for large litigation projects in addition to running his own general practice firm with a specialization in surrogacy/assisted reproduction law. When not spending time with his family David enjoys all things outdoors (hunting, camping, gardening, hiking) and also plays bass in a local Philadelphia band, "The Other Brothers". Ray Petty -Ray is husband to Samantha Petty and father to Fiona (3) and Winter (7 months). A graduate of the Art Instutute of Philadelphia with a Bachelors of Science in Media Arts and Animation. He is currently the co-owner of a custom tattoo shop and art studio located in Hatboro, PA. Jamie Wood -Jamie calls Doylestown home and lives there with her husband, Matthew, and two children, Vivian (5yrs) and Theo (3.5yrs). She relocated to the area from New York, after. attending Houghton College (BA, Sociology), for a job in child care. Before deciding to stay home with her children, Jamie worked full time for 10yrs and spent 5yrs volunteering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Bucks County (until her "little Sister" aged out) and 1yr with the Social Ministry office of St. Stanislaus Church, in Montgomery County. Alisha Glennon - Alisha is a volunteer birth doula, full time-fundraiser for a civil liberties organization, and co-founder of Our Baby Class, astart-up venture that trains parents to teach baby/new parent classes in their own homes. Its mission is to build confidence in parenting through a simple, intuitive, and practical approach. Alisha is a Philadelphia native who currently lives in the West Mt. Airy section of the city with her husband, Jeff, her daughter, Evie, age 3.5, and her sons August and Bowie, ages 2 and 4 months. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Dr. Kristopher Tapp Kris has served as a mathematics professor at several colleges and universities. He is the author of three mathematics textbooks and 21 research papers, mostly in the field of Differential Geometry. His research has been supported by multiple awards from the National Science Foundation. He served as the treasurer of Valley Friends Meeting from 2010-2013. Carrie Cole- Carrie is (primarily) a stay at home mother to her two children, Ella, age 6, and Lucia, age 3. She is expecting her third child in December. In addition to being a stay at home mom, Carrie works two days a week as a Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 85
licensed social worker at a hospital in Bucks County. Carrie received her degrees from Cabrini College and the University of Pennsylvania. Carrie, her husband, Dana, and her children reside in Doylestown, PA. Ashleigh Renard -Ashleigh is the Director of Synchronized Skating at Wissahickon Skating Club and a WaldorF homeschooling mom. She lives in Hilltown, PA with her husband and three boys, ages 2, 6, and 8. She graduated from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology. She is passionate about gardening, supporting local food producers, and building community. Rebekah Barnes Rebekah is a homeschooling mother of two and business owner of Rooted Rhythms, where she is a holistic family behavioral consultant. She supports families on their journey by shining light on the value of their needs and building them into a sacred rhythm. Rebekah and her husband Anthony live in Pennsylvania with their two children, Cole and Quinn. Megan Williams Megan is a homeschooling mama of three (ages 7, 4.5 and an infant) who lives in Doylestown, PA along with her husband. Her family enjoys keeping a flock of hens, a large garden, and bee hives. They also volunteer monthly for Meals on Wheels and Megan has been a leader of the CB Holistic Moms Network chapter for over five years. She enjoys knitting and food preservation along with various other homesteading activities, which her children regularly enjoy by her side. Her husband is an avid rock climber, an activity her children have taken up in recent years as well. 6E. Ongoing Parent Involvement Underlying the comprehensive, creative and arts-based nature of the GEC Waldorf- Methods educational program and Waldorf-inspired curriculum is the belief that children learn best in a safe environment and when supported by their families. The success of GEC is fundamentally connected to the support of its stakeholders and community. Subsequently, we intend to create an environment that encourages parents and community members to participate in the planning, start-up and ongoing life of Good Earth Charter School. As previously mentioned in Section 2E -Governance and Administrative Structure, strong parent involvement will be encouraged. As such, GEC hopes that at least 75% of parents will sign the parent volunteer form indicating a willingness to be called Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 86
upon to volunteer time and support GEC activities and projects. GEC will also set a goal of 80% of parents giving "highly satisfied" marks for all key areas in community satisfaction surveys. A significant body of research (Henderson & Berla, 1994; Olmstead &Rubin, 1983) indicates that when parents participate in their children's education, the result is an increase in student achievement and an improvement of student's attitudes. Increased attendance, fewer discipline problems and higher aspirations also accompany an increase in parent involvement. GEC intends to develop solid parent participation programs, through which a parent association will facilitate parental involvement in many aspects of the School, including: providing guidance regarding the life of the School from a parent perspective, serving as liaison between the Board of Trustees and the parent body, sharing responsibility for welcoming new GEC families, guiding parents through proper grievance resolution channels, and fostering leadership in the development of festivals, school-oriented meetings, and the ongoing enhancement of school grounds, gardens, facilities, materials, and other cultural resources of Good Earth Charter School. Parents of students at the school will be positively encouraged to participate in various aspects of the School's program and overall mission. This will benefit the student's entire family by giving parents a more active knowledge of the program and the school environment. What's more, it fosters an atmosphere of cooperation between the teachers, the parents, and the school. As previously indicated, there will be a variety of volunteer opportunities available to parents including, but not limited to: OfFice/Administrative Support Resource Coordination Field Trip Coordination School Maintenance Lunch-related Activities School Productions Coordination Board of Trustees Member Fundraising Festival-related Coordination Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 87
6F. Efforts to Maintain a Collaborative Relationship with Hatboro Horsham and Other School Districts In October 2015, Good Earth Charter School officially notified Hatboro-Horsham School District's Director of Business AfFairs, Mr. Robert A. Reichert, of its intent to submit a charter application to the Hatboro-Horsham School Board. A phone call was placed to Mr. Reichert's office to inquire about any additional paperwork that the district may need for the charter school to complete prior to application submittal. Mr. Reichert replied via email stating that no additional paperwork was required by the district. The school then replied with a cell contact should the district wish to connect at anytime. GEC will continue to work with the District to ensure that GEC is a public charter school in the truest sense of the word. The intent of GEC is to model a partnership approach that will set a new standard and win the trust and support of the communities it serves. With the potential for our students to come from districts throughout the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia Area and beyond, it will be critical that we establish a plan that would provide us with the most effective means of collaborating with our neighbors. Our plan will include: communication, interaction, and collaboration. Communication Plan We will establish a series of communications that will be transmitted to the appropriate school districts on a consistent basis. The transmission of these communications will be in electronic form. The communications will include materials that are traditionally sent to the parents of the students along with any additional information sent to community members or members of the Board. Information on special events or happenings within the normal school day will be communicated in summary form rather than individually. Interaction Plan We will establish a plan that will provide for a series of opportunities for interaction between the GEC community and members of area districts. This plan will identify specific programs and events held during the school year that could allow for interaction. On those that would be focused on students, these events could include field trips that involve specific grades from a number of schools; academic contests of competitions that could be moved from school to school each year; and the sponsorship of a collaborative project that would be coordinated by a group of students made-up of representatives from a number of schools including GEC. This spirit of interaction would be carried to the administrative level with initiatives that Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 88
could include the establishment of a series of lectures/workshops on appropriate topics that would be moved from school to school; funded academic projects that would involve the collaboration between teachers at other public schools and GEC; and the establishment of a summit-type meeting of administrators from all local school districts held at GEC and built around an appropriate, timely topic. Collaborative Plan -GEC would be extremely interested in creating and facilitating an ongoing "WaldorF-Methods-in-the-public-school-classroom" professional development program and make it available to all PA certified public school teachers. A professional development program of this type was created and implemented in Louisville, Kentucky, and over the last 20 years, public school teachers there have had the opportunity to learn various Waldorf-Methods teaching techniques and immediately apply them in their classrooms. Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 89
Good Earth Charter School Application ~ Page 90