Education Notebook: Check out Montessori, APPLE
Parents interested in enrolling their children in Spokane Public Schools’ Montessori or APPLE (Alternative Parent Participation Learning Experience) programs will have an opportunity to attend an orientation meeting beginning next week. Parents are required to attend an orientation meeting for the program they would like their child to participate in.
According to a press release from Spokane Public Schools, students must live within its boundaries to be eligible.
The Montessori program observes and supports the natural development of children. The curriculum, designed to enhance the child’s learning and life experience beyond the conventional classroom, uses a unique set of procedures and materials.
The APPLE program was developed for families who would like to be more involved in their child’s education. Parents have a consistent presence in the classroom, providing children with an opportunity to build confidence with adults. The program includes multi-age groupings, which allows for more individuality and encourages cooperative learning between children of different ages.
Both programs are for first- through sixth-graders.
The Montessori meetings will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School, 3612 S. Grand Blvd., and on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Balboa Elementary School, 3010 W. Holyoke Ave.
The APPLE meetings will be Feb. 22 and March 3 at 7 p.m. in the first floor boardrooms of the Spokane Public Schools Administrative Center, 200 N. Bernard St.
For more information, call (509) 354-7365.
All Saints to host open house nights
Teachers and staff at All Saints Catholic School will offer parents an opportunity to learn about their school at open house and information nights Feb. 22 and Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Parents of preschoolers, ages 3 to 5, may tour the preschool, 1505 E. 34th Ave., on Feb. 22 and have their questions answered.
On Feb. 24, an information night in the school’s main building at 3510 E. 18th Ave., will highlight the curriculum for kindergarteners through fourth grade. An informational meeting and tour for parents of students in fifth through eighth grades will be held May 12.
Call (509) 534-1098, ext. 215 or visit www. allsaintsspokane.org for more information.
Kindergarten signup starts March 7
Parents in the Spokane Public Schools District can soon register their kindergarteners for the 2011-’12 school year.
Children age 5 on or before Aug. 31, will be eligible to register beginning March 7 and running through the rest of the current school year.
Families can register at their neighborhood elementary school between 8:15 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. A birth certificate or other verification of age and the child’s immunization records will be required for registration. New student registration will continue during the summer at the Spokane Public Schools Administrative Center, 200 N. Bernard St., weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For school boundaries and other information visit www.spokaneschools.org and click on “parents” or call (509) 354-5900.
Northwest Christian plans preview night
Northwest Christian Schools, 1412 W. Central Ave., will hold a Parent Preview Night for parents of children in preschool through sixth grade tonight at 6:30 p.m. Parents will have an opportunity to learn about Northwest Christian’s faculty; expansion of the fine arts, including choir, band, strings, theater and art; Advanced Placement courses; emphasis on mentoring and character development; competitive athletic programs; home-school programs; and Bible-integrated teaching.
For more information, call (509) 328-4400 or visit www.nwcs.org.
Act Six announces scholarship winners
The Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative recently announced 10 students from Spokane Public Schools were awarded full-tuition, full-need scholarships.
Students awarded scholarships to Whitworth University include Octavio Blanco, Thomas Glasser and Alexander Sipraseuth, all of Rogers High School; Kylee Campbell and Patricia Villareal, both of Lewis and Clark High School; Iris Chavez and Victoria Hern andez, both of Ferris High School; Jacob Dansereau, of Shadle Park High School; and Lifen Guo, of North Central High School. Deonna Smith, of Lewis and Clark, and Francisca Chau, of Gonzaga Preparatory School, were awarded scholarships to Gonzaga University.
The Spokane students are among 48 scholars receiving scholarships in the Pacific Northwest.
Act Six was launched in 2002 by the Northwest Leadership Foundation in Tacoma and seeks to develop urban and community leaders to make a change at their school and in their home communities.
For more information, visit www.actsix.org.