Summit Middle Charter School
Encyclopedia
Summit Middle Charter School is a charter school
program serving sixth through eighth grade students in Boulder, Colorado
. Founded in 1996, it is the first charter school in the Boulder Valley School District
.
In 2001, the school's charter came up for renewal. After being tabled for a month by the school board the charter was renewed but did not include provisions for a long-term location for the school.
A November 2006 bond issue for Boulder Valley school improvements provided Summit Middle Charter with $5.2 million. The expansion extended the south end of the school into a large library, a computer lab, and a laboratory. In January 2010 the School completed building its new "green" gym at the North end of the original school. This welcome addition was funded entirely by private donations from Summit families, alumni, and members of the community. Having a separate gym rather than a multipurpose gym and cafeteria puts a fresh and healthy emphasis on athletics for the school, and allows it to host interscholastic basketball and volleyball games.
in 2003 and 2004 and consecutive John Irwin School of Excellence titles from 2003 through 2006.
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
program serving sixth through eighth grade students in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. Founded in 1996, it is the first charter school in the Boulder Valley School District
Boulder Valley School District
The Boulder Valley RE 2 School District is a school district in Colorado, headquartered in the BVSD Education Center in unincorporated Boulder County, near Boulder. The district serves Boulder, Gold Hill, Jamestown, Lafayette, Louisville, Nederland, Superior, and Ward...
.
History
After being granted a school charter by the Boulder Valley School District, Summit Middle Charter School opened in the fall of 1996. The new school's classes took place in portable classrooms on the campus of Southern Hills Middle School. A few years later the school moved into Majestic Heights Elementary School, where it occupied its own hallway.In 2001, the school's charter came up for renewal. After being tabled for a month by the school board the charter was renewed but did not include provisions for a long-term location for the school.
A November 2006 bond issue for Boulder Valley school improvements provided Summit Middle Charter with $5.2 million. The expansion extended the south end of the school into a large library, a computer lab, and a laboratory. In January 2010 the School completed building its new "green" gym at the North end of the original school. This welcome addition was funded entirely by private donations from Summit families, alumni, and members of the community. Having a separate gym rather than a multipurpose gym and cafeteria puts a fresh and healthy emphasis on athletics for the school, and allows it to host interscholastic basketball and volleyball games.
Awards and honors
The middle school has been honored with numerous awards, including designation as a National Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
in 2003 and 2004 and consecutive John Irwin School of Excellence titles from 2003 through 2006.
Curriculum
Summit students take five core courses (English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language) and four elective courses every semester. Electives include art, music, science, liberal arts, and technology or, possibly, study hall. All core classes meet every day along with two electives, for a total of seven periods. Students choose mixed-age classes according to interest, motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery.Extracurricular activities
Extracurricular opportunities include music, drama, yearbook, Student Council, Net-Zero Club, Chess Club, Math Olympiad, MATHCOUNTS, Quiz Bowl, National History Day, and Science Fair. Summit offers a full complement of interscholastic and intramural sports activities including soccer, flag football, wrestling, track and field, basketball, and volleyball.Notable alumni
- Caitlin McCarthyCaitlin McCarthyCaitlin McCarthy is an American actress and singer who in 2007 completed a 13-week, 51-episode run as Caroline Krieger, daughter of bio-terrorist Michael Krieger on the My Network TV telenovela Watch Over Me.-Personal life:...
, actress - Radhika Rawat, 2006 Discovery Channel Young Scientist ChallengeDiscovery Channel Young Scientist ChallengeThe Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge is an annual science and engineering research and exhibit competition for students in grade 5 through 8 and was created in 1999. It is sponsored primarily by Discovery Communications, Society for Science and the Public, and Elmer's Glue...
finalist, namesake for asteroid 22810 Rawat - Vivi Gregorich, two sport varsity athlete at Boulder High School
Notable faculty
- Haydee Ayi-Bonte, 2007 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair Teacher of the Year and namesake for asteroid 22874 Haydeephelps