Academics
Literacy Program
Our mission is to provide children with highly effective literacy teaching from staff members dedicated to ensuring children have opportunities to continue building literate lives.
The Literacy Department is committed to designing curriculum that is rigorous and engaging. Our belief is that children will read with volume and stamina when given the chance to choose high-level literature and make decisions about what they want to read and write. Our team values the development of teachers. We offer responsive professional development for teachers that engages them in the process of reflection and decision-making that fosters effective lessons for the benefit of our students.
We are in a partnership with theTeachers College Reading and Writing Project, Columbia University, where our teachers receive the highest quality professional development. We work side by side with project staff developers and leaders to bring standard setting curriculum to the students at Westminster.
Math Program
We at Westminster Community Charter School believe that all students must achieve mastery of the basic essential math skills in order to develop the critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities necessary to be responsible citizens. Math is a very important element of everyday life and children should be able to see it as such. Through instruction based on "real world" math connections students will recognize the value and relevance of math.
We believe that facts, computations and memorization of rules are elements of a solid math foundation but should not dominate math education. Rather, understanding, problem solving, and communication should be the focus of math instruction. Students should be able to justify their reasoning by explaining and modeling their work in multiple representations. Math is an active learning process. Students need hands-on activities as well as skill practices. ("I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand")
We believe in the continual assessment of instructional materials and strategies necessary to maintain sequential, effective and up-to-date math instruction that is well aligned to the NYS and Common Core Learning Standards. Student assessment is a critical component of math instruction as it will gauge how much students already know, how much they need to know, and what they have learned.
It is our belief, and expectation, that all students of Westminster Community Charter School will become competent and confident in their mathematic ability as they develop and investigate solutions to everyday problems. It is our mission to promote mathematically proficient students and to prepare them for successful high school, college, and career experiences.
Science
Children are natural scientists. Westminster Community Charter School recognizes the need for a diverse approach to Science instruction. Students are expected to be actively engaged (both hands and mind) in the discovery process. In a small group setting, scientific experiences are centered on developing positive attitudes about Science while learning new concepts. Through the use of carefully planned projects and investigations, students are required to utilize Bloom's Taxonomy and higher level thinking skills while they are cooperatively creating models, conducting experiments, analyzing data and disseminating results. Science can and should be a window to help students understand the world they live in.
Furthermore, students enrich their science curriculum with reading and writing methods. Through the utilization of well-stocked classroom libraries and the Library MediaCenter, students are able to gain access to volumes of material that enhance the various units of study. In addition to the vast print resources that are available to all students, written communication about Science is a key ingredient to success. Observation logs, journals, experiment notes, interviews with participants and experts, student think-aloud responses, as well as student classwork document the connectedness of ELA with Science.
We believe, and expect, that students who have learned to think critically can have numerous benefits on society as a whole. As Science for All Americans points out, a good Science education helps students "...to develop the understandings and habits of mind they need to become compassionate human beings able to think for themselves and to face life head on. It should equip them also to participate thoughtfully with fellow citizens in building and protecting a society that is open, decent and vital."
