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Where is North Routt Community Charter School?
North Routt Community Charter School is a small charter school tucked
away in the beautiful rural setting of North Routt County. Our building
is a Routt County historical site located twenty-five miles north
of Steamboat Springs in Clark, Colorado. The rugged beauty of the
Mount Zirkle Wilderness is a pictorial view from our playground
and we are minutes away from Steamboat Lake and historic Hahns Peak
village.
Why was the Charter School founded?
North Routt Community Charter School was founded by a group of parents
and community members, who were concerned about the long commute
to Steamboat by bus and had a strong sentiment that their children
would be best educated in a small community based school. Our school
is a Kindergarten – Eighth grade community school chartered
through Steamboat Springs School District and we are a public school
of choice within the district. North Routt has been in operation
since 2000.
How is your school funded?
Financially NRCCS receives 95% of the Per Pupil Funding from the
state. The remaining 5% goes to the Steamboat School District for
administrative costs along with $1000.00 per student for district
special education costs. We are a non-profit so we are eligible
to apply for grants and receive donations.
What is the current enrollment?
Our enrollment has increased every year from 23 students in 2004/2005
school year to our current enrollment of 66 students. Our campus
consists of a main building, "the barn" and yurt.
What is the Mission and Vision?
The mission of NRCCS is “to teach our children to spread their
wings and soar like eagles” North Routt is a place of learning,
inhabited by people who treasure our countryside and its historical
significance with a commitment to the children and the community
(both local and global). In this special setting we see each individual
achieving his/her potential in a positive, goal oriented, nurturing
and secure environment.
What is unique about NRCCS?
We offer a unique educational program that encapsulates the surrounding
area and its fascinating people. Our belief is that we need to reach
the heart, mind and spirit of the children we educate and tap into
their natural curiosity to drive instruction whenever possible.
For the past three years North Routt has partnered with Expeditionary
Learning Outward Bound and made the commitment to embark upon the
journey toward an exemplary Expeditionary Learning School by 2008.
We believe the design principals on which EL was conceived correlates
with the educational philosophy of NRCCS. Our goal is to provide
students with a strong academic foundation, strength of character,
creative ingenuity and self-reliance that will propel them forward
to succeed in any aspiration. Our classes are multi-age and our
daily schedule includes music, art, technology and physical education
along with our academic blocks.
How is Expeditionary Learning different
from other educational pedagogy?
In an Expeditionary Learning school, learning takes students beyond
a more traditional project based approach. Students are engaged
in learning expeditions, which are in-depth studies of rich and
compelling topics or themes such as water quality, the civil rights
movement and designed around guiding questions. Currently we are
in partnership with Hahn’s Peak Historical and Preservation
Society. We are cataloging historical sites in North Routt. Our
first expedition has been to locate all the historical school sites
in North Routt and discover why they are no longer in existence.
We will be working with the Historical Society for several years;
our next expedition will be to locate all the old mines that are
in the surrounding area.
Final statement:
If you have any questions or would like to come to our campus for
a visit, please call us at (970) 871-6062.
Colleen Poole, NRCCS Director
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