Declaration of Guiding Principles - Founded July 15th, 2006

Assumptions:

1. Children yearn for meaning and require a basis of solid contextual common knowledge for the development of mature literacy and critical thinking, for growth and communication in a diverse society.
2. The educational "playing field" between students of differing backgrounds should be leveled to provide all students a basis to the greatest degree practicable, upon which they can build further knowledge and to develop the skills necessary to communicate and succeed.
3. The skills of learning--reading, writing, speaking, calculating, and thinking -- are most meaningfully learned from the knowledge or content of the curriculum, modeling, coaching, and sensible practice.
4. To thrive in work, citizenship, and personal growth, children must be taught the values of a democratic society. These values include: Respect for others - their property and rights; Responsibility for actions, honesty, and social justice; Resourcefulness - being ready to learn, to serve, and to share.
5. Inclusiveness is fundamental in responding to the diverse needs of children and raising academic standards. All parents, regardless of economic status, should be free to choose this educational program for their children.
6. Teachers are professionals; which implies considerable autonomy, mastery and independence. Having accepted the academic and philosophic mission of a school, the teacher needs to be free to exercise informed judgment in order to fulfill the primary role as an educator.
7. The principle determinants of individual academic success are individual ability and effort. The policies of the School (grading, discipline, homework, pedagogy) must support the student's adoption of a personal quest for academic growth using the clearly marked path of expectations in knowledge, skill, and character. The guiding philosophy of Cascade Heights acknowledges that children can and should be held accountable for their own schoolwork and behavior with the support of teachers and parents and that all children are talented and gifted in their own ways.

The staff of Cascade Heights believe the following:

• All children can learn.
• All disciplines of study are regarded equitably, in philosophy, policy,and programming.
• The curriculum should be rigorous, standards based, and enhanced by arts and technology.
• Effective instruction incorporates a problem-solving, critical thinking, sensory immersion  approach to learning.
• All students should be actively engaged in the learning process.
• Varied teaching strategies should be utilized to accomodate learning styles.
• Assessments should be varied and include authentic, traditional and non- traditional.
• Individuality and creative talents of students and teachers are valued.
• Learning experiences develop a sense of civic responsibility.
• The faculty show a strong commitment to student success.
• The learning environment should be student centered.
• Relationships among students, teachers, parents, and community strengthen instruction and learning.
• The learning environment should be safe, nurturing and clean.

Purpose:               Comes out of core values and beliefs

 Needs to be compelling

 Needs to be flexible

 Not a description of what the organization does now

 Broad, fundamental, inspirational, and enduring

 Must grab the “soul” of each organizational member

 

The purpose of Cascade Heights Public Charter School is to prepare the whole child to become articulate, literate, and polite contributing members of a global society through rigorous, sensory immersion, content based instruction.

Mission:— a brief, clear, and compelling goal that serves to unify an organization’s efforts. An effective mission must stretch and challenge the organization, yet be achievable. It is tangible, value-driven, energizing, highly focused and moves the organization forward. It is crisp, clear, engaging — it reaches out and grabs people in the gut. People “get it” right away; it requires little or no explanation. A mission has a finish line for its achievement and is proactive. A mission should walk the boundary between the possible and impossible.

Current Mission:   The MISSION of Cascade Heights Public Charter School is to educate the whole child, giving children a solid academic foundation, teaching children to think, stretching them to grow, partnering with parents who share the same vision of educating children.

• Proposed New Mission:  The mission of Cascade Height Public Charter School is to prepare the whole child to become articulate, literate, and polite contributing members of a global society through rigorous, sensory immersion, content based instruction.

Shared Vision:

Curriculum: What we teach:

• Vertically aligned academics
• Riggs Language Arts program that is multi-sensory, simultaneous, explict, direct instruction
• Coherent  and comprehensive Core Knowledge sequence of specific knowledge that builds year by year
• Integration of the arts across the curriculum
• Standards based (state, national and international)
• Relevant, appropriate and meets the needs of our students
• Service learning through kindness to our earth, ourselves and each other

Instruction:  How we teach

• All students have access to instruction with technology
• Differentiated instruction to meet the needs of learners in all areas
• Rigorous
• Active engagement of all students
• Character education and leadership skills as an essential part of school culture
• Appropriate interdisciplinary instruction
• Current research based, data driven instructional strategies used to meet the needs of all learners

Assessment- How we evaluate learning

• Up to date technology based assessments
• Authentic assessment
• Standardized
• Traditional
• Performance based,i.e. Plays, performances, classroom theater, fine arts, publishing and oral presentations
• Variety of assessment instruments used, i.e. Rubrics, checklists, organizers, and self assessments.
• Multiple types of assessments used to guide curriculum, instruction and school programs
• Varied assessments to accommodate learning styles and abilities
• Process as well as product emphasized

Learning Environment- Environment Used for Learning

• Greenspace campus with wetland, forest, pond and garden space for all students to provide fresh air, room to run and play and creative, resourceful learning environment
• State of art technology in each classroom
• Energetic, learner centered environment
• Four day school week with optional electives on Friday
• Friday field trips tied to curriculum
• School supports and promotes teachers as learners

Shared visions emerge from personal visions.

This is how they derive their energy

and how they foster commitment . . .

If people don’t have their own vision,

all they can do is “sign up” for someone else’s.

The result is compliance, never commitment.

Senge, The Fifth Discipline

Cascade Heights Vision Narrative

Open the door to the vision of Cascade Heights Public Charter School and you will find students in a historic restored building that has adequate energy efficient space, is safe, nurturing, stimulating and enhanced by the arts.  The learning environment will be equipped with state-of-the-art safety features, up-to-date technology, including SMART Boards, SMART Tables and document cameras for all classrooms and work areas.  Sensory immersion, direct instruction and socratic discussions fill the classrooms with excited learning.  You may notice children moving from class to class, as if they are in high school or college with books under their arms.  Children are leveled in Math, choose either Chinese or Spanish for their foreign language,participate in daily physical education, bi-weekly music lessons and weekly art.  They move from class to class in an orderly fashion as scholars; quietly and effeciently focused on preparation for their next lessons.  Sensory immersion is a part of who we are and what we do that sets us apart from the rest.  Content knowledge is everywhere you go.  It is clear in each hallway what the children are learning in all subjects from Science, Math, History, Geography, Music, Art,Literature, Foreign Language and Physical Education.   Character Education here is not taught it is lived by everyone who enters our halls. It is an expectation that today decides tomorrow; that the choices made will come with consequences.   Walking down the halls you may see kindergarteners singing a song with motions about the seven continents; first graders mummyfying chickens as they study Ancient Egypt or second graders eating their lunch with chopsticks to immerse themselves in Chinese culture.  You will hear Shakespeare, music and serious discussions about the causes of the Civil War or the value of the First Amendment....from 4th graders.  You will see it, feel it, hear it everywhere.  Not teaching.  Learning.  When you visit Cascade Heights you will experience a unique energy that showcases our appreciation of history and diverse culture that is embraced in everything we learn.

The curriculum at Cascade Heights is comprehensive and sequential.  The academics are aligned vertically to ensure a rigorous and successful education journey for all children in our school. Our academic and related arts course offerings are relevant, cutting- edge and standards based.  Step inside a classroom and you will enjoy seeing students actively engaged in their learning, organized in pairs, small groups or whole class.  You will see movement of teachers and students, hear discussions, questions and sharing presentations.  Instruction will be differentiated to meet the learning and assessment needs of all our students, embracing their rich uniqueness. Students will demonstrate creative thinking and reasoning when solving problems and understand how to ask the right questions,and locate, as well as learn, new information.  Students will use historical biographies to bring subjects to life.  Here,  we do not read about Abraham Lincoln, we read what Abraham Lincoln really said.  We do not study about the pythagoreum theorem, we study Pythagoras and his contribution to the world of Math. Source documents and people who wrote them are appreciated from the beginning. Gregor Mendel is not just a name, he was the discoverer of the science of genetics.  Teachers use information of all kinds in seamless ways to teach the content,cultural literacy and make learning relevant to the students and their world.  All students will have access to technology and other educational resources to equip them for the future.

Small group teaming of students allows for increased communication with and among teachers.  Teachers have time to plan together and set goals focused on raising student achievement. Join a team meeting and you may hear a discussion revolving around interdisciplinary instruction as the teachers collaborate to make curricular connections, plan units of study, seek out common themes and look at student work.  Teacher leadership emerges as teams work together to integrate the arts, promote the integrity and character of each person, increase the use of technology, and continue their roles as learners as well as teachers.

A wide variety of assessments of student learning will be evident throughout the school including paper and pencil as well as those using technology.  On any given day, you might experience a variety of performance-based assessments, such as plays, painting, orchestra practice in the gazebo, book making, puppet shows or other types of presentations when you observe student learning at Cascade Heights.  Rubrics,checklists, graphic organizers, and self assessments will be pervasive, common place and reflect our commitment to multi-sensory learning, capitalizing on student learning strengths, but also working to strengthen their weaknesses. Look closer into the classrooms and you may see both student and teacher portfolios, walls proudly filled with student and teacher  "best work of the day", and evidence of both traditional and non-traditional assessments.  It will be evident to you that the process is emphasized as well as the product.

All students and teachers at Cascade Heights are challenged every day to understand and communicate through speaking, writing, reading and listening across the curriculum.  Continuously seeking improvement in the quality of the educational experience is the norm and not the exception from our students, teachers, administrators as we strive to ensure our students are prepared for their futures.  Welcome to Cascade Heights Public Charter School, where children soar!

Holly Denman

Founder and Director