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BArT Welcomes First Incoming Senior ClassBy Jen Thomas - August 25, 2007
ADAMS - With just one weekend separating summer vacation from another school year, students at the Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School will have a lot to look forward to.
"There's a lot of new stuff going on," said Executive Director Julia Bowen on Friday. "We're still a pretty new school so we're constantly growing."
BArT finished new student orientation this week and returning students will begin classes on Monday.
Started in 2004 with just a sixth and a ninth grade, the charter school will welcome its first-ever 12th grade class this year. The students who attended ninth grade in the school's pilot year are now completing their final year of high school, a bittersweet experience for the teachers and faculty at BArT.
"It's unbelievable to see how they've changed as students. Graduation is definitely going to be a tearjerker for us," said Bowen, who has watched her students grow into adulthood. "We've already seen a taste of their budding maturity."
According to Bowen, the nine students enrolled in the senior class will participate in "an entirely new 12th-grade program that is different than those in other area schools."
The program features normal high school curriculum classes in the morning and internships and college courses at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts or Berkshire Community College in the afternoons. As a college preparatory school, BArT also sets aside time for students to complete college applications and study for the SATs. Additionally, seniors are required to complete a senior project.
"The idea is that a lot of learning in college revolves just around being a student in a college atmosphere. We're ensuring that, when our students go into college, they're prepared," Bowen said.
With approximately 260 students set to attend the sixth through 12th grades at BArT, the enrollment is constantly growing, but the number of students cannot exceed 308 students, or 44 in each grade.
This year, the charter school welcomed approximately 45 new students and 10 new teachers.
"More people are becoming aware that we're a free public school and our programs are really growing," said Bowen. "We've discovered that as much as we do to get the word out, most students come because they've heard about us from friends or from parents of students."
Bowen said the curriculum at BArT is similar in many ways to traditional public education and adheres to the same state standards but differs in its application. Instead of regular exams, students are expected to complete a portfolio showcasing what they have learned and classes are more interactive.
"Also, arts and technology are very pervasive. They use art to learn in math and music to learn in science," she said. "It's more engaging for kids. They're more interested in all aspects of school when they don't have to sit and listen and prepare for tests."
Also new this year is a fully-functional music laboratory, with new desktop computers. Funded by a loan received in 2006 for renovations to the building and equipment, the computers will give the students an opportunity to further pursue their passion for creating music.
Bowen couldn't name more specific changes but she said most of the work at BArT was part of the school's continuing expansion.
"We're in the middle of huge growth and we're always working," she said.
Jen Thomas can be reached at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at (413) 663-3384, Ext. 23. |
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