Black River Public School
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| "Preparing students for college and life." | |
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| Established | July 1996 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public, Charter |
| Principal | David Angerer |
| Students | 660 |
| Mascot Colors |
Rats Green and Black |
| Location | 491 Columbia Avenue Holland, MI 49423 |
| Information | (616) 355-0055 |
| Website | www.blackriverpublicschool.org |
Black River Public School is a college preparatory charter school located in Holland, Michigan with a young history. In the community, it is known for its small class sizes, its emphasis on experiential education and independent thinking. The school currently encompasses grades 1st through 12th.
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[edit] History
Black River Public School was founded on July, 1996 after receiving a charter from Grand Valley State University. Its operations initially took place in the Federal School building on 8th street and during its four years there, added 14 portables due to the limited area of the building. The Board of Trustees decided a relocation was necessary and began to search for a new complex. Ultimately, BASF Corporation generously donated a 50,000 square foot facility, originally occupied by the Holland Furnace Company, to the school in 2000.
For the 2001 school year, Black River added a Montessori elementary program.
In May of 2003, Black River was accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE) and in 2004, was accredited by the North Central Association Commission of Accreditation and School Improvement.
[edit] Background
Black River Public School, also known as Black River or BRPS, currently resides in 491 Columbia Avenue with 660 students from grades 1-12. All the students attend class in the historic BASF building. The head of school is Mr. David Angerer who followed the original head of school, Mr. K. Don "Jake" Jacobusse. As a result of its limited student population, Black River aims to serve the students more efficiently through smaller class sizes, typically less than 20 students. Additionally, parents of Black River students and alumni, play an active role in the school's direction. In fact, the majority of the Board of Trustees are parents. A couple of parents are also teachers. The Parent Organization was promptly created for parents and other volunteers to address concerns from other parents and improve the quality of the school.
In the summer of 2003, Black River added two new 8 and 6 room modular buildings just outside the main building to accommodate more elementary students.
Each grade level has a relatively small number of students. The 2005 graduating class contained 32 students.
[edit] Academics
Black River Public School has been the home for many gifted students. A May, 2005, list published by the Washington Post [1] ranked the school #104 nationally and #2 in the state of Michigan on a challenge index measuring advanced coursework. In May, 2006, Newsweek ranked the school #55 nationally on its listing of the nation's top schools.[2]
The Montessori program for elementary students has been successful since its inclusion into Black River [3]. Black River initially only served grades 4 and 5, but expanded to include all standard elementary levels because of the aforementioned success.
Black River offers 18 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, boasting a participation rate that ranks in the top 1% in North America. Approximately 50% of the students who take an AP course achieve a score necessary to receive college credit, compared to the Michigan average of 11%. The high school gives higher numerical grades for these AP courses. These grades are based on a 5 point grade system, as opposed to the standard 4 point system [4].
Three years of foreign language is required for high school students. Furthermore, students must be 3rd-year proficient in the Spanish language.
Seniors must complete a Senior Project in order to graduate. The Senior Project must be approved by their advisor before starting it.
In 2003, Head of School David Angerer was chosen as Charter Administrator of the Year by charter school leaders in Michigan and was the third charter school to receive the Michigan Association of Public School Academies' Summit Award for innovation in learning [5].
[edit] Community service
Black River puts a strong emphasis on helping the community by advising students to help around the community. A student is required to complete a certain amount of community service hours, depending on the grade level. The high school requirement is 60 hours. Students have volunteered for various organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, the Red Cross, the Humane Society, and the local hospital.
[edit] Project Term
As part of their hands-on approach to learning, Black River offers a Project Term. Essentially, Black River sets aside a month for Project Term at the end of the school year, after examinations are complete, usually in May. Teachers are involved in one or more projects in which they put the students' knowledge and imagination to practice, expand their creativity and provide a rich and lasting experience. Students sign up in advance for a combination of one, two, or four week courses for the month-long period. Every year, new projects are decided upon, while some popular ones remain available. Examples of these projects include field trips to various places around the world, hiking and cycling trips, and rock climbing. Not all involve going somewhere. Other projects include a mathematical analysis of poker, classic cinema, learning to play the guitar and community service projects in the local area. It is up to the student, with advice from parents and fellow peers, to choose their projects in which they are most interested in. Grades for Project Term courses are assessed with a grade of Honors, Pass or Fail. These grades are not computed into the student's grade point average (GPA).
In addition, a student is free to pursue an independent study project. The request must be approved by the school and requires a supervisor to oversee the activity.
[edit] Athletics
Black River is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and is a Class 'D' program. Additionally, they are a member of the Alliance League. The school's nickname is the Rats and their colors are black and green. Black River's athletic programs include, but are not limited to, soccer, basketball, baseball, cross-country, and volleyball. As of the 2005-2006 school year, there is no football team. It's not uncommon for a full-time teacher to coach a school sport. The campus includes a soccer field directly behind the building. Since Black River does not have a gymnasium, the basketball and volleyball team must practice at a local gymnasium. The school has recently started a public funding campaign to raise money to build a building housing a gymnasium, a lunch area and additional classrooms. Because Black River is a charter school, it is not able to issue property taxes.
[edit] Music
Black River boasts an impressive music program. Graduates are required to have taken two years of music or art, and so approximately two-thirds of students are enrolled in the music program, which features bands, jazz bands, orchestras, a chamber orchestra, and choirs. Recently the top band was divided into Concert and Symphonic bands and the top orchestra was divided into Concert and Advanced. Both the band and orchestra have earned top marks from the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA). The new building will also include additional rehearsal and practice space for the music program.
