Learning Environment
Cornerstone Prep believes that all
children can learn and be successful as long as they have access to an
achievement-oriented, structured, disciplined environment beginning in
kindergarten.
As noted by Dr. Lorraine Moore, former Principal of Frederick
Douglass Academy, a high performing charter school in New York City, the
structure and rituals (of schools) serve the essential purpose of enabling
students to “anticipate a routine within the charter school that is often
lacking their families and their communities”[1].
Therefore, Cornerstone Prep has a
structured, disciplined environment where teachers are effectively managing
classrooms. Students are expected to behave in accordance with Cornerstone
Prep’s discipline plan as outlined in the student handbook. Students who choose
to misbehave lose privileges such as recess time or other special activity
time. Parents of students who continue to misbehave receive a phone call from
the Principal and parents are required to attend a meeting with the Principal
and the student’s teacher to determine a plan of action.
If the student has a
medical disorder that requires special treatment, accommodations, or
individualized education plans, Cornerstone Prep will work with the parent to
find appropriate placement for the student. Cornerstone Prep is not equipped to
provide special needs students with the accommodations necessary for their
academic and social success.
[1] From Transforming Children’s Lives, a talk that
Dr. Monroe delivered at a Building Excellent Schools conference in Boston, MA,
2000.