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Volume 72, Issue 78,
Thursday, Janaury 25, 2007
News School celebrates milestone UH Charter School has taken 'hands-on' approach to teaching young students for 10 years by KIM THAI
The University of Houston Charter School will celebrate 10 years of what Principal Carolyn Black calls "potent learning" by holding an open-house gala, which will include class reunions, a pedagogical workshop and a silent auction on Friday. An endowment will be introduced to begin the "next step of growth for the school" to raise funds for improving the playground and interior facilities and to finance video conferences with other educators, Black said. "Now that we have established ourselves, it's important to move to the next level -- doing our part and sharing what we have learned and what we have accomplished," Black said. UHCS, a kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school located in the Melcher Gymnasium, is different from other public schools because of its implementation of a constructivist teaching approach, which fosters a healthy community to heighten children's interest, Black said. UHCS' passing rate for the TAKS test was 91 percent in the 2005-06 academic school year. The average for the state is 67 percent, according to the Texas Education Agency's annual report. Rozina Karimi Bebawi, who has taught at UHCS for more than six years, said the school focuses more on learning than statistics or grades. "The kids have more of a say in the lesson plans than anyone, Bebawi said. "We try to make sure that we do what the kids want to do and encourage that curiosity. "This is their community. They set their own rules. The objective is for children to become autonomous learners. My second objective is that they feel empowered and valued in class." UHCS alumnus Andres Morell-Pacheco, 12, said the school "shaped his perspective" of the learning process and helped him see education as a positive influence. "I have a different opinion about the work I get, a more optimistic opinion," Andres said. "It was a really good learning environment. The teachers were always there when you needed them and would explain everything well. I think (UHCS) gave me social skills. They encourage being yourself, and I think that helped me gain a lot of my new friends." Susan Pacheco, Andres' mother, volunteered to be the gala chairperson because she saw what the "supportive atmosphere" and "comprehensive education" did for her two children. "The impact on my kids has been dramatic," Pacheco said. "I think the foundation laid during the elementary school years may be critical for their approach to education for the rest their lives. You meet with the teachers (regularly) to discuss basic subjects but also moral development and social skills -- that's part of the whole evaluation. They don't focus on only the grades. They do the whole child; it's a holistic approach to education." Mario Ramirez currently has a daughter in the fifth grade at UHCS and two children who are alumni, and he attributes improvements in his children's confidence to curriculum and teacher involvement. "They have a lead teacher and an assistant. There aren't many classroom settings where there are two teachers. It's hands-on," Ramirez said. "(I'm) thankful that (my) children are in that setting. It's become an asset to the child, and it makes the child shine, and they're willing to go forward." The school begins every academic year at full enrollment with 138 students in six classrooms. New kindergarten students are selected from a lottery in early May. The school is public, and there is no fee to attend. All the teachers and administrators at the school are University employees. The birthday celebration will be held at 5 p.m. Friday in the Athletic/Alumni Center. For more information or to R.S.V.P., call (713) 743-9111. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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