I was doing some housekeeping in preparation to working on a minor revision to the charter approved by the Board in April 2009, when I found this photo of the charter printed in preparation for our March 2008 visit to the Commission.
Showing posts with label charter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charter. Show all posts
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Charter Document
I was doing some housekeeping in preparation to working on a minor revision to the charter approved by the Board in April 2009, when I found this photo of the charter printed in preparation for our March 2008 visit to the Commission.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Celebrating the Summer 08 Expedition
Our two-week summer camp ended with a celebration on Aug 2 out on the PCEI campus. It was not really an "Expedition" in the full ELS sense, more a 'taste of an expedition.' Like an expedition each camp day was structured like an ELS school day and the children were engaged in an integrated curriculum related to sustainable agriculture, learning a range of things, from growing "FAST plants" to doing some work in the community gardens. The celebration Morris country harvest dancing.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
The Celebration was also a chance to mark the approval of the Charter and a shift to the next phase of the task -- opening a school.
Dancers take a bow.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Charter Award Potluck and Celebration, Aug 2
Come celebrate finally getting the Palouse Prairie charter approved and the completion of our summer camp adventure on sustainable agriculture. Kids have been planting and monitoring fast plants from seed-to-seed and working in the Community Garden and learning some dancing (busy two weeks)
Please invite a guest who might want to learn more about Palouse Prairie School
Children's program
A short program capping the 2-week summer experience will happen about 5:15.
Potluck about 6PM
- Grilled salmon (thanks to a Palouse Prairie donor).
- There are several vegetarian salads on the way, you are invited to bring more delicious items to share.
- Ice water will be provided.
- Plates, cups and silverware will come from the "Plate Project," so hopefully we will be light on waste.
Questions, email Nils Peterson
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Palouse Prairie Plans
Originally published in the August 2008 Moscow Food COOP news
Twelve months and counting until Palouse Prairie opens an Expeditionary Learning charter school at the Now & Then Antiques location on Palouse River Drive in Moscow. With the help of many supporters, the Charter was approved June 26. If you want to catch up on the news, try http://WhyPalousePrairie.blogspot.com
Here’s a timeline. We are working on a conditional use permit (CUP) now. This fall will be designing the school facility, and planning food and transportation. Children will apply to attend in winter. Hiring of teachers will happen in the spring and remodeling and landscaping work will begin June 09.
We are ready for volunteers! Getting a CUP involves designing a landscape buffer between the building and the street. Natural Abode donated "Greening School Grounds" and Amy Grey (Backyard Harvest) pointed us to the Edible Schoolyard work by Alice Waters. Help with landscape design, or other CUP work is welcome.
We are also looking for a volunteer to write 300 words each month to keep friends of the school updated. Venues will include the DNews letters and the CO-OP news. We also need a Calendar-minder to think of, and maintain, the list all the events on the Moscow civic calendar (e.g., Ren Fair, Rendezvous) where Palouse Prairie should be involved. In addition to warm fuzzies and learning more about EL, volunteers will have a hand in deciding the 1001 things needed to open a school.
In September there will be several events for parents to learn more about EL, including a workshop and a trip to see an EL school in Spokane Valley. Watch our website for the most up to date information.
For volunteer opportunities and news, if you have an idea of something you want to contribute and to get on the email list, contact Nils Peteson, nilspete@gmail.com
Twelve months and counting until Palouse Prairie opens an Expeditionary Learning charter school at the Now & Then Antiques location on Palouse River Drive in Moscow. With the help of many supporters, the Charter was approved June 26. If you want to catch up on the news, try http://WhyPalousePrairie.blogspot.com
Here’s a timeline. We are working on a conditional use permit (CUP) now. This fall will be designing the school facility, and planning food and transportation. Children will apply to attend in winter. Hiring of teachers will happen in the spring and remodeling and landscaping work will begin June 09.
We are ready for volunteers! Getting a CUP involves designing a landscape buffer between the building and the street. Natural Abode donated "Greening School Grounds" and Amy Grey (Backyard Harvest) pointed us to the Edible Schoolyard work by Alice Waters. Help with landscape design, or other CUP work is welcome.
We are also looking for a volunteer to write 300 words each month to keep friends of the school updated. Venues will include the DNews letters and the CO-OP news. We also need a Calendar-minder to think of, and maintain, the list all the events on the Moscow civic calendar (e.g., Ren Fair, Rendezvous) where Palouse Prairie should be involved. In addition to warm fuzzies and learning more about EL, volunteers will have a hand in deciding the 1001 things needed to open a school.
In September there will be several events for parents to learn more about EL, including a workshop and a trip to see an EL school in Spokane Valley. Watch our website for the most up to date information.
For volunteer opportunities and news, if you have an idea of something you want to contribute and to get on the email list, contact Nils Peteson, nilspete@gmail.com
Friday, June 27, 2008
Palouse Prairie granted charter
Proposed school plans to locate on Palouse River Drive, open to students in fall 2009
By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
June 27, 2008
Palouse Prairie Charter School officials cleared a major hurdle Thursday in their attempt to open a school in Moscow, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse its earlier denial of the group's charter petition.
School officials hope to locate the four-classroom facility at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop - and have the school open for students in August 2009.
Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said the school expects to enroll 75 students in grades K-6 for its inaugural year. School officials plan to eventually educate seventh- and eighth-graders as well.
The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.
The state denied the school's first attempts at securing a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.
Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said school officials addressed those concerns at an appeals hearing in late May and at Thursday's meeting. The new location they proposed on Palouse River Drive alleviated location concerns and they secured two grants that addressed budgetary issues.
"This gave us a more comfortable feeling that they had the resources and the facilities to make a go at it," Goesling said.
Peterson is pleased to see the proposed school is now making headway.
"It's been three-and-a-half years getting this far and we are excited to finally get out of the starting gates," Peterson said. "This was not a one-person show, this was a team effort."
The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Peterson is confident the city will approve a permit.
"I think we can make a convincing case and I think the location we found is not going to be problematic to its neighbors," Peterson said.
Moscow School District Superintendent Candis Donicht is on vacation and was not available for comment.
More information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School can be found at PalousePrairieSchool.org.
Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.
Denial Overturned - Charter Awarded
In a historic move, the Idaho Public Charter Commission just voted to reverse its decision of March 6 and to approved the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning's Charter petition, to open in August 2009. The decision was based on new materials developed since the March denial and submitted first to an Appeals officer and then refined and submitted to the Commission today.
The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive. Commissioners expressed concerns over remodeling costs and the budget and urged attention to resolution of those issues as well as beginning planning for pupil to-school transportation to the site.
I want to express tremendous thanks to Palouse Prairie's supporters for getting us this far. Its been a long road, and now the work really begins.
Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.
Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school.
Families interested in learning more about Palouse Prairie are invited to consider enrolling children in a summer expedition this July 21-Aug 1. More information and enrollment is available at the website: PalousePrairieSchool.org
The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive. Commissioners expressed concerns over remodeling costs and the budget and urged attention to resolution of those issues as well as beginning planning for pupil to-school transportation to the site.
I want to express tremendous thanks to Palouse Prairie's supporters for getting us this far. Its been a long road, and now the work really begins.
Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.
Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school.
Families interested in learning more about Palouse Prairie are invited to consider enrolling children in a summer expedition this July 21-Aug 1. More information and enrollment is available at the website: PalousePrairieSchool.org
Friday, June 20, 2008
Palouse Prairie Awarded Charter
Unpublished article written for Moscow Food COOP news
Written by Nils Peterson, Board Chair
In a historic move, the Idaho Public Charter Commission just voted to reverse its decision of March 6 and to approved the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning's Charter petition, to open in August 2009. The decision was based on new materials developed since the March denial and submitted first to an Appeals officer and then refined and submitted to the Commission today. The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive.
This news item exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. # 5 Success and Failure says: "All students need to be successful if they are to build the confidence and capacity to take risks and meet increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important for students to learn from their failures, to persevere when things are hard, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities.” The March denial and appeal process was an occasion for the Palouse Prairie Board to learn from perseverance. Additional work to discover and research the Now & Then facility and access to additional grant funds turned the corner.
Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.
Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com
Written by Nils Peterson, Board Chair
In a historic move, the Idaho Public Charter Commission just voted to reverse its decision of March 6 and to approved the Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning's Charter petition, to open in August 2009. The decision was based on new materials developed since the March denial and submitted first to an Appeals officer and then refined and submitted to the Commission today. The location that Palouse Prairie proposed as its first choice facility is currently Now & Then Antiques at 321 East Palouse River Drive.
This news item exemplifies one of the ten design principles of an expeditionary school. # 5 Success and Failure says: "All students need to be successful if they are to build the confidence and capacity to take risks and meet increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important for students to learn from their failures, to persevere when things are hard, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities.” The March denial and appeal process was an occasion for the Palouse Prairie Board to learn from perseverance. Additional work to discover and research the Now & Then facility and access to additional grant funds turned the corner.
Expeditionary Learning emphasizes teamwork as part of its learning strategy and the greatest successes of Palouse Prairie to date have come from teamwork, among the Board and between the Board and parents and supporters. The next phase, from Charter to Opening in 2009 will require more learning teams, and the Board welcomes contact from supporters with offers of collaboration and other resources.
Next steps include clarifying remaining remodeling issues and then moving forward with a contract to lease and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Moscow to operate a school. The PalousePrairieSchool.org web site has opportunities to volunteer, links to EL resources and more information about the school. Contact nilspete@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Palouse Prairie denied charter
Be sure to read the last 2 paragraphs of this article -- the glass is more than half full!
By Hadley Rush, Daily News staff writer
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM
Palouse Prairie Charter School officials still hope to open their doors in fall 2009 despite having their charter application denied last week in Boise.
The Idaho Public Charter School Commission turned down the proposed Moscow charter school's application Thursday. It was the second time Palouse Prairie officials had applied for a charter from the commission.
Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said the proposed school will receive official notification by the end of the week, declining its application.
He said there were two major areas of concern - the school's budget and the lack of a suitable facility.
"When they made the first application, we (also) mentioned those concerns," Goesling said.
Idaho Charter Schools Program Manager Tamara Baysinger said the commission was pleased with Palouse Prairie's educational program, but there wasn't sufficient evidence that the school would succeed financially.
"The commission acknowledged that the petitioners did a lot of work," Baysinger said. "Unfortunately, there still wasn't an adequate facility."
Baysinger said although it's possible the school still could open in 2009, that is unlikely.
The petitioners would either have to go through the appeals process or start over with a new charter petition, which could take eight months to a year, she said.
Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, had previously identified two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.
Silos officials had offered to build a facility for the school, Peterson said.
Peterson said a charter school commissioner had recommended Palouse Prairie "find an angel to help with the facility issue."
"We thought we had found an angel in the offer from The Silos to build us a facility, but commissioners expressed concerns that the facility was small and would ... be outgrown," he said.
Peterson said the use committee for Heart of the Arts, Inc., which manages the 1912 Center, has "provided Palouse Prairie a draft of its application questions for tenants."
"I'm really pleased," he said. "This gets us closer to having the conversation with HAI about leasing space."
Heart of the Arts Executive Director Jenny Sheneman has said it's probably not feasible to have a charter school in the 1912 Center due to space constraints.
Sheneman also has said there would be problems with parking spaces, as well as occupancy regulations.
"It's a community center and we don't necessarily want to occupy it with a school," Sheneman said.
Sheneman said Palouse Prairie's projected opening date also would take the 1912 Center out of the running. The first floor of the center likely won't be ready for occupancy until 2010.
"The timetable is just ridiculous," she said.
Peterson wrote in a Monday e-mail to the Daily News that despite "uncertainties at present," he still thinks the 1912 Center is an appealing option.
"We will work with (the center) to see if those (uncertainties) can be nailed down," he wrote.
Peterson wrote that the board also will continue to look for more location options.
"We are continuing to work with a Realtor looking for other solutions," he wrote. "It looks like a buyers' market right now. I welcome anyone with a creative idea."
Peterson indicated that the State Department of Education awarded a $20,000 Vision grant to Palouse Prairie officials. The money will be used for staff support, board training, curriculum design and planning for the Palouse Prairie summer expedition.
Peterson said the summer expedition program is scheduled for the last two weeks in July.
Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.
By Hadley Rush, Daily News staff writer
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM
Palouse Prairie Charter School officials still hope to open their doors in fall 2009 despite having their charter application denied last week in Boise.
The Idaho Public Charter School Commission turned down the proposed Moscow charter school's application Thursday. It was the second time Palouse Prairie officials had applied for a charter from the commission.
Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said the proposed school will receive official notification by the end of the week, declining its application.
He said there were two major areas of concern - the school's budget and the lack of a suitable facility.
"When they made the first application, we (also) mentioned those concerns," Goesling said.
Idaho Charter Schools Program Manager Tamara Baysinger said the commission was pleased with Palouse Prairie's educational program, but there wasn't sufficient evidence that the school would succeed financially.
"The commission acknowledged that the petitioners did a lot of work," Baysinger said. "Unfortunately, there still wasn't an adequate facility."
Baysinger said although it's possible the school still could open in 2009, that is unlikely.
The petitioners would either have to go through the appeals process or start over with a new charter petition, which could take eight months to a year, she said.
Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, had previously identified two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.
Silos officials had offered to build a facility for the school, Peterson said.
Peterson said a charter school commissioner had recommended Palouse Prairie "find an angel to help with the facility issue."
"We thought we had found an angel in the offer from The Silos to build us a facility, but commissioners expressed concerns that the facility was small and would ... be outgrown," he said.
Peterson said the use committee for Heart of the Arts, Inc., which manages the 1912 Center, has "provided Palouse Prairie a draft of its application questions for tenants."
"I'm really pleased," he said. "This gets us closer to having the conversation with HAI about leasing space."
Heart of the Arts Executive Director Jenny Sheneman has said it's probably not feasible to have a charter school in the 1912 Center due to space constraints.
Sheneman also has said there would be problems with parking spaces, as well as occupancy regulations.
"It's a community center and we don't necessarily want to occupy it with a school," Sheneman said.
Sheneman said Palouse Prairie's projected opening date also would take the 1912 Center out of the running. The first floor of the center likely won't be ready for occupancy until 2010.
"The timetable is just ridiculous," she said.
Peterson wrote in a Monday e-mail to the Daily News that despite "uncertainties at present," he still thinks the 1912 Center is an appealing option.
"We will work with (the center) to see if those (uncertainties) can be nailed down," he wrote.
Peterson wrote that the board also will continue to look for more location options.
"We are continuing to work with a Realtor looking for other solutions," he wrote. "It looks like a buyers' market right now. I welcome anyone with a creative idea."
Peterson indicated that the State Department of Education awarded a $20,000 Vision grant to Palouse Prairie officials. The money will be used for staff support, board training, curriculum design and planning for the Palouse Prairie summer expedition.
Peterson said the summer expedition program is scheduled for the last two weeks in July.
Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.
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