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If you ever find yourself walking past Explore Charter School on a weekday morning, you may hear 420 Kindergarten through 8th graders chant the following words:
We Are Explorers!
We Respect Ourselves!
We Respect Each Other!
We Always Work Hard!
We Will Try Our Best!
We Are So Special!
We Are So Special!
We Are Explorers!
Read
Explore’s Newsletter (pdf)
Explore Charter School’s mission - to provide its students with the academic skills and critical thinking abilities they need to succeed in a college preparatory high school – is based on the critical need in New York City, and in our country, for more outstanding public schools. At Explore, we believe and expect that 100% of our students, many of whom live below the poverty line, will achieve at high academic levels. Our school environment is characterized by: a safe and distinct culture; academic instruction that builds skills and fosters critical-thinking; ongoing opportunities for professional development; a partnership between the school and the home. We believe that we will achieve our mission because all of the members of the Explore community work together to achieve this common goal.
Explore opened its doors to 168 Kindergarten through third graders in August of 2002. Today, we serve 425 students in the Kindergarten through 8th grades. The 2007-2008 school year marks the first year that we will send a graduating 8th grade class on to high school.
Explorers are in school longer each day and each year, as compared to students attending traditional public schools. We are in session through late July; students are in school each day until 4 p.m. We are in school longer so that students don't lose valuable skills and knowledge over a long summer break. Explore's school year is split into five terms, each about 8 weeks long, and separated by a break.
Explore School Calendar
Explorers are held to high academic expectations. Classes are heterogeneously grouped; during math and literacy, instruction is targeted to meet the needs of individual students. Students have between 120 to 180 minutes of literacy each day and about 90 minutes of math each day. Anne's Book Corner helped to launch the Anne Ballen Gaynor school library & media center so that our students have the resources they need to be avid and enthusiastic readers. In addition, Explorers have additional opportunities through an enrichment program that consists of art, music, gym, Spanish and media arts.
In addition to academics, Explorers are held to high behavioral expectations. Students are expected to: come to school prepared to learn; try their hardest; treat others as they would like to be treated; respect their environment; and listen and follow directions. Our students wear a school uniform. A third grade Explorer explained the reason for the school uniform in these words, "We wear uniforms so that we can focus on what is in our heads and in our hearts."
Family members of Explorers and members of Explore's staff believe that on-going communication between the school and the home will help us to achieve our mission. Ten times a year, parents and guardians receive reports on their children's academic progress; two times a year teachers and parents meet for conferences. All teachers are provided with a cell phone and an e-mail account and are asked to respond to parental requests within 24 hours.
Constant learning is valued by Explore's staff and administration. Once a week, students are dismissed at 2:00 so that classroom teachers can meet to learn new instructional strategies, collaboratively examine student work, and reflect on their practice. Explore collaborates with the New York City Department of Education to provide staff members with opportunities to develop their skills in the areas of reading, writing and math instruction. Three full-time learning specialists, two intervention teachers and literacy and math curriculum support staff members are on site to provide teachers with regular support.
The Explore Charter School community is composed of students, parents and guardians, staff and Board members all committed to realizing our mission. We welcome you to our community and invite you to join us as we work towards our goal of providing our students with the academic skills and critical-thinking abilities they need to succeed in a college-preparatory high school.
Sincerely,
Morty Ballen
Director & Founder
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