Robert Treat Academy Charter School Inc

CHARTER SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN OFFERING AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL COMPLETED ITS TWENTY-FORTH YEAR OF OPERATION IN JUNE 2021. ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL HAS TWO CAMPUSES. THE STEPHEN N. ADUBATO CAMPUS IS LOCATED AT 443 CLIFTON AVE, NEWARK NJ AND HAS AN ENROLLMENT OF 456 STUDENTS. THE JACKIE ROBINSON CAMPUS IS LOCATED AT 180 WILLIAM STREET, NEWARK NJ AND HAS AN ENROLLMENT OF 228 STUDENTS. TOTAL ENROLLMENT IS 684 STUDENTS. BOTH ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL CAMPUSES OFFER AN ELEVEN-MONTH SCHOOL YEAR WITH A SEVEN HOUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAY AND AN EIGHT HOUR PROFESSIONAL DAY. EARLY CARE BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM AND AN EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY (UNTIL 5:30 PM) ACCOMMODATE WORKING PARENTS AND PROVIDE TIME FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. OUR REMEDIAL SERVICES IN ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH AS WELL AS REMEDIAL AND GUIDED READING, TUTORING AND HOMEWORK HELP, TAKE PLACE DURING THE EXTENDED DAY INSURING THAT STUDENTS DO NOT MISS CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION. THE EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM OFFERS EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING A ROBOTICS CLUB AND RECREATION (BOYS AND GIRLS' BASKETBALL, GOLF, SWIMMING, TENNIS), ARTS PROGRAMS (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUCTION, CHORUS, STEP DANCING, ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND CREATIVE WRITING) AS WELL AS ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS CHARACTER EDUCATION. PARENT PARTICIPATION CONTINUES TO BE A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR FOCUS AS WITNESSED BY THE HIGH LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE WE CONSISTENTLY RECORD AT MONTHLY PARENT MEETINGS. PARENTS SERVE ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION, AN AUTONOMOUS ORGANIZATION, SPONSORS A VARIETY OF EVENTS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS. PARENT REPRESENTATIVES ALSO VOLUNTEER IN OTHER AREAS (COACHING, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND CHAPERONING STUDENTS ON TRIPS, ATTENDING AND ASSISTING AT SCHOOL-WIDE EVENTS, PLAYS AND PERFORMANCES). IN THE NINE SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDING ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE (NJSLA FOR 4TH AND 8TH GRADES), SOCIAL STUDIES, TECHNOLOGY, WORLD LANGUAGE (SPANISH), VISUAL AND FINE ARTS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH, AND 21ST CENTURY LIFE & CAREERS OUR CURRICULA IS ALIGNED TO THE NJ STUDENT LEARNING STANDARDS. IN KEY SUBJECT AREAS, STAFF DEVELOPMENT REMAINS CRUCIAL TO MEETING THE ACADEMY'S OVERALL MISSION. OUR TRAINING SCHEDULE INCLUDED WORKSHOPS IN MATH, ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS, READING, SCIENCE, AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT. IN THE AREA OF TECHNOLOGY, STAFF DEVELOPMENT WAS OFFERED TO HELP TEACHERS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE USERS OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM. EFFORTS TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR THE NJSLA TEST REMAIN A MAIN AREA OF ATTENTION AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOREMOST ON OUR LIST OF GOALS. WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON LEARNING LOSS ACTIVITIES AND SATURDAY ACADEMY. THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF ED WAIVED TESTING FOR THE 2019-2020 AND 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR. OUR FOCUS THEN BECAME PUTTING INTO PLACE OUR REMOTE AND HYBRID LEARNING PROGRAMS. THE ACADEMY HAS BEEN ABLE TO REMAIN COMPLETELY OPEN THIS YEAR WITH A FEW SMALL OR TARGETED TRANSITIONS TO REMOTE INSTRUCTION. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PANDEMIC IS ONE WE CAN LEARN FROM. WE ARE NOW READY TO IMPLEMENT THE REMOTE OR HYBRID PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY IF THE NEED FOR EITHER SHOULD OCCUR AGAIN.AS THE EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE, ADMINISTRATORS, THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, AND SCHOOL PHYCOLOGIST WERE CONTINUOUSLY ON-CALL TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS. ALONG WITH INTERNAL SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS THE ACADEMY PROVIDED PARENTS WITH ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE SUPPORT RESOURCES. THIS CONTINUES AS STUDENT'S TRANSITION BACK TO "NORMAL AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH THIS TRANSITION.AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, PARENTS AND STAFF WERE SURVEYED REGARDING THEIR SATISFACTION LEVELS WITH THE REMOTE LEARNING PLAN. OVERWHELMINGLY, ALL ENTITIES WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE SWIFT IMPLEMENTATION AND EXECUTION OF THE PLAN.IN JUNE 2021, OUR SEVENTEENTH CLASS OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY. THOSE STUDENTS WERE PREPARED FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BY OUR HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO PLACE GRADUATES IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE SETTING FOR THEIR SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION. THOSE GRADUATES EARNED IN EXCESS OF $3.3 MILLION DOLLARS IN FINANCIAL AID AND MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD TO ATTEND SOME OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PRIVATE, INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN THE NATION. WHILE THAT MAY SEEM IMPRESSIVE THAT IS ACTUALLY FAR LESS THAN MOST YEARS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO RETURNING TO OUR NORMAL LEVELS IN THE COMING YEARS.WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD OUR TRADITIONAL GRADUATION CEREMONY. HOWEVER, ATTENDANCE WAS LIMITED.OUR FIRST GROUP OF ALUMNI TO COMPLETE COLLEGE GRADUATED IN 2013. WE HAVE MAINTAINED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THESE STUDENTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THEM. SEVERAL GRADUATES HAVE JOINED THE STAFF OF THE ACADEMY AS EITHER INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS/TEACHERS OR CLERKS AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT MANY OF OUR FORMER STUDENTS WILL RETURN TO NEWARK AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY.THE ACADEMY ALSO CONTINUED ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THESE GROUPS INCLUDED THE ACADEMY'S FOUNDING ORGANIZATION, THE NORTH WARD CENTER, JUST ONE SOCCER WHICH MADE SPORTS ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS THE JOHN HOPKINS CENTER FOR TALENTED YOUTH WHICH PROVIDED SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS AS WELL AS ONLINE COURSES FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS. THE ACADEMY ALSO MAINTAINED ITS MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEW JERSEY CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION AND THE NEW JERSEY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.THE MAJOR EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE MAINTAINING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND GROWTH OF OUR STUDENTS MEASURED BY THE NEW JERSEY STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT (NJSLA) TEST. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED THE NJSLA WAS NOT ADMINISTERED IN THE 2019-2020 OR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEARS.