1. Middleburg Charter School Application To the Loudoun County School Board 8/13/13

2. Susana Calley Teri Domanski Susan McGroddy David Quanbeck Janelle Stewart Application Committee Workgroup Participants Martha Cotter Priscilla Godfrey Colleen Basinger Kim Basinger Craig Mueller Sheri Conrad Cynthia Flynn Melissa Gregory Alice Porter Bruce and Edith Smart Ann MacLeod Kathy Jo Shea Brent and Debbie Styler Jeff Baldwin Mary Stine

3. 1. You don’t need to – keep the status quo 2. Ensure an enduring, successful community school in Middleburg 3. Offer MCS as an option for any Loudoun child who may benefit from the small school environment and its unique program Why should the school board consider this proposal:

4. 4. Serve as a model that can be replicated by other small schools in Western Loudoun County 5. Provide an opportunity to explore innovative instructional programs and technologies for possible adoption by the Loudoun County schools 6. What an impact you could have on the future……. Why should the school board consider this proposal:

5. Desired School Environment Full-Day Kindergarten Current School Environment Half-Day Kindergarten Remarks/ Rationale - Early childhood learning critical - Community need for full-day KG - Fund with community support Middleburg Charter School

6. Desired School Environment Multi-age classes (e.g. K- 2, 3-5) Current School Environment Grades Combined as needed by enrollment (e.g. Gr 1-2, Gr 3-4 combined) Remarks/ Rationale - Mentoring & leadership opportunities - Younger children motivated by peers - Encourages empathy and respect across age groups - Continuity in student/teacher relationship year-to-year - Allows efficient staffing for small enrollment and scaling up to larger enrollment - Allows dedicated discipline rooms: e. g. Science, Art and Music, not just single-grade rooms Middleburg Charter School

7. Desired School Environment Specialized Math/Science, Language Arts, Art & Music Teachers Current School Environment General education elementary teachers teach all core subjects for one to two grade levels Remarks/ Rationale - Senior and/or highly qualified teachers specialize in their chosen area and teach multiple age - Ensure superior teaching of the critical math and reading skills - Facilitates staffing multi-age grades - Serve as mentors to junior teachers/ teacher assistants - Supports innovative math instruction Middleburg Charter School

8. Desired School Environment Interdisciplinary aka Integrated Thematic Instruction (ITI) Curriculum Current School Environment Curriculum lessons, workbook and supplementary material topics vary widely Remarks/ Rationale - Lesson plans designed around unifying core topic, theme, or project studied for weeks or months - Subjects and skills learned in context of core topic - Facilitates integrating culture and history of the local community - Integrates Art, PE/health, Music now taught in isolation - Research supports learning in concrete context Middleburg Charter School

9. Desired School Environment Longer school day/integrated after care Current School Environment Seven-hour day with no after care on-site Remarks/ Rationale - Integrate Loudoun Parks and Rec programs - Support community need for care outside normal school hours - Facilitates after school volunteer tutoring, clubs and sports Middleburg Charter School

10. Desired School Environment Modified year-round quarter-based calendar Current School Environment Nine month calendar Remarks/ Rationale - Avoid erosion of progress over long summer break - Inter-sessions for remediation, short courses, camps (art, music, PE) Middleburg Charter School

11. We realize how high the stakes are – Middleburg is committed to keeping our school……. So we asked ourselves… What if …………. Our mentor is: Mrs. Miriam Hughey-Guy Barcroft Elementary School past principal

12. School Model  Barcroft Elementary, Arlington Public Schools  Interdisciplinary Thematic approach through their Leonardo daVinci Project  SOL aligned curriculum written by staff using the principles of Understanding By Design  Year round calendar  Challenging demographic profile What benefit have the students at Barcroft experienced with this program?

14.  Principal search/hire by March 2014  Staff hiring spring 2014  Enrollment April 2014  Curriculum/professional development summer 2014  Classes begin Aug 4, 2014 Timeline