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The Ethical Community Charter School

Written by Vanessa Morales

The Ethical Community Charter School

If you’re looking for a school that treats character building just as important as it does learning the academics then The Ethical Community Charter School might be for you! It is a safe and caring community where ethics, service, and social justice are the principles that inform every aspect of school life. Here teachers lead and collaborate with students in a culture of rigorous academics and mutual respect.

They open for children in Kindergarten to the eighth grade. The curriculum for each grade group is made up of focusing on and mixing three different elements. In the curriculum, the staff incorporates responsive learning, a multidisciplinary core curriculum, and project-based learning. This style of teaching can accomplish many goals academically at the same time. For example, while students are being taught about information in one subject that is simultaneously using and strengthening their writing skills. This is one of the main goals at the Ethical Community Center School.

At The Ethical Community Charter School in Jersey City, they also feel strongly about child health. Because of this, the school has rid of all of its vending machines. They use the lunch program as an opportunity to teach and educate the students about healthy eating habits.

TECCS has also created a character support program called C.A.R.E.S: Contribute to the community, act assertively, respect yourself and others, exhibit self-control, and show compassion. This program supports the core ethics component of a TECCS education. C.A.R.E.S. empowers the learner to identify social and/or academic misjudgments and provides them with resources to rectify those social and/or academic acts.

Curriculum

Art & Music:

All students take music and art at least once a week. In music, all middle school students choose to participate in either band or chorus and see their skills develop throughout each year, as they work towards two concerts per year.

Maths:

The Mathematics curriculum at The Ethical Community Charter School encourages students to analyze, plan, solve, and reflect. Students explore mathematics through independent investigations, reflective problem-solving, group discussion, as well as mathematical writing. Their math program integrates the use of manipulatives, technology, and project-based learning. This allows all types of academic learners to fully explore and grasp mathematical concepts.

Science:

All students have a natural desire to investigate and question the world around them. Their students learn and behave like scientists and engineers when asking questions about our universe. The classes focus on hands-on, inquiry-based, and problem-based experiences. Their goal is to have students ask questions that matter to them and to give them the tools to answer them.

Their curriculum spirals in an effort to give our students a more sophisticated understanding of each concept over many years and allows for the integration of science with other subject areas. As the students gain more scientific knowledge, they may then focus on the complex ethical dilemmas presented by human interaction with the natural world.

Social Studies:

At TECCS, Social Studies plays a major role in the development of civic-minded students and serves as the backbone of many of our PBL units. Students learn about cultures from around the world and throughout history. They are taught about cooperation and conflict among groups of people as a result of migration, differing belief systems, and competition for natural resources. This leads to conversations about respect toward people of all backgrounds and allows for ethical debates.

Technology:

The TECCS technology curriculum provides students with an opportunity to construct and interpret data and to present ideas and research on a variety of platforms through the use of technology. Students also learn to navigate the online world by making smart choices about information presented on the Internet and by becoming ethically responsible digital citizens. Students learn how to use technology to research, create, and/or modify information. They also as well as coding skills through applications such as Scratch and Osmo.

The TECCS curriculum is aligned to the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards in Education Technology. Starting in Kindergarten, students receive 45 minutes of technology class each week. Teachers also have access to Apple TV, MacBooks for small groups, several carts with class sets of computers, and iPads to support in-class assignments and assessments. Additionally, every homeroom has a Smart Board.

You can find more information about the admission process here. 

Updated June 28th, 2o22
Related Blogs: Golden Door Charter School, The Learning Community Charter School, Charter schools in Jersey City

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Vanessa Morales

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