Berkshire Arts & Tech Charter School Opens Monday| 10:56AM / Sunday, August 21, 2011 | |
ADAMS, Mass. — Students at Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School will be the first heading back to school this year with classes beginning Monday at 8 a.m.
The school is welcoming the largest student body in its eight-year history, as 291 students from North Berkshire and Pittsfield are enrolled this year in Grades 6 through 12.
"The start of the school year is always exciting," said Julia Bowen, the school's executive director. "We work all summer honing curriculum, improving infrastructure, and developing our faculty in the hopes that each school year is better than the last. The first day of the year means we're able to see our practices at work and determine the best ways to go forward."
The charter school is also implementing several changes and curriculum updates for the 2011-2012 school year. An expanded Spanish and physics curricula will be offered to high school students and seniors will now have an extra hour in their day to provide a more rigorous school experience.
Student support services also will be expanded to utilize some of the new space made open by the closure of Dr. Charles Nemser's dental practice and the relocation of an occupational and physical therapy satellite office operated by North Adams Regional Hospital in the One Commercial St. building.
Not only do students return to the charter school a little earlier than their district peers (most schools start next week), but new teachers arrive three weeks early and returning teachers are asked to arrive two weeks early for professional development and team collaboration time.
"We go over the latest and most current teaching practices, get everyone on the same page with our new initiatives and work to get everyone excited for a new year," said Principal Ben Klompus. "It's basically, let's do better what we've already started."
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