Summit Middle Charter School
| Summit Middle Charter School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
4655 Hanover Avenue Boulder, CO 80305 United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°58′56″N 105°14′28″W / 39.982085°N 105.241158°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public charter Middle School |
| Motto | home of the rolling backpack |
| Established | 1996 |
| School district | Boulder Valley School District |
| Principal | David Finell |
| Staff | 38[1] |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Enrollment | 307 (spring 2006)[1] |
| Color(s) | Purple and Silver |
| Mascot | Husky |
| Website | http://bcn.boulder.co.us/univ_school/summit/ |
Summit Middle Charter School is a charter school program serving sixth through eighth grade students in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1996, it was the first charter school in the Boulder Valley School District.
History
After being granted a school charter by the Boulder Valley School District, Summit Middle Charter School opened in the fall of 1996. The new school's classes took place in portable classrooms on the campus of Southern Hills Middle School. A few years later the school moved into Majestic Heights Elementary School, where it occupies its own hallway.
In 2001, the school's charter came up for renewal. After being tabled for a month by the school board the charter was renewed but did not include provisions for a long-term location for the school.[2]
A November 2006 bond issue for Boulder Valley school improvements provided Summit Middle Charter with $5.2 million. The expansion will extend the south end of the school into a large library, a computer lab, and a laboratory. Construction is slated to end at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year.[3]
Awards and honors
The middle school has been honored with numerous awards, including designation as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2003 and 2004[4] and consecutive John Irwin School of Excellence titles from 2003 through 2006[5].
Curriculum
Summit students take five core courses (English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language) and four elective courses every semester. Electives include art, music, science, liberal arts, and technology. All core classes meet every day along with two electives, for a total of seven periods. Students choose mixed-age classes according to interest, motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery.
Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular opportunities include music, drama, yearbook, Student Council, Chess Club[6], Math Olympiad, Math Counts, Quiz Bowl, National History Day, and Science Fair. Summit offers a full complement of interscholastic and intramural sports activities including soccer, flag football, wrestling, track and field, basketball, and volleyball.
Notable alumni
- Caitlin McCarthy, actress[7]
- Radhika Rawat, 2006 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge finalist[8], namesake for asteroid 22810 Rawat[9]
Notable faculty
- Haydee Phelps, 2007 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair Teacher of the Year[10] and namesake for asteroid 22874 Haydeephelps[9]
References
- ^ a b "Summit Middle Charter School School Accountability Report 2005-2006 School Year" (PDF). Colorado Department of Education. 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Bounds, Amy (2001-03-14). "Board Renews Summit's Charter". Daily Camera.
- ^ Bounds, Amy (2007-05-28). "School remodeling work heats up". Daily Camera. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ "Blue Ribbon Schools Program Schools Recognized 2003 Through 2006" (PDF). U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ "John Irwin Schools of Excellence" (PDF). Colorado Department of Education. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ "Colorado Scholastic Team Champions". Colorado State Chess Association. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ Glasgow, Greg (2006-12-03). "A star on the rise". Daily Camera. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ Bounds, Amy (2006-09-17). "Student's curiosity pays off". Daily Camera. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ a b "The Ceres Connection Winners 2006". Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- ^ "Colorado Science and Engineering Fair 2007". Colorado State Science Fair, Inc. 2007-04-20. Retrieved 2007-09-07.