As we end 2022 during a festive holiday season, I want to wish all of our families and staff a happy New Year for 2023! We are slowly gaining momentum, post-COVID, towards a more "normal" school year. Both campuses have opened their doors once again to families to share student learning experiences by holding student exhibitions. We are thrilled to see so many families at these events! In addition, this fall our elementary campus Home & School Association held several fun family events and our IB campus Student Government sponsored a variety of after school student activities that have brought many students back to campus to enjoy time with friends. We are excited to continue to open our doors, to gather and celebrate our students throughout the remainder of the school year!

The educational journey for School Lane Charter School students begins in kindergarten and continues through IB graduation. Our K-12 educational program is a progression through skills in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, visual and performing arts, physical education & health, and technology & design that begins with initial knowledge. As our students progress, this knowledge grows into complex understanding, interdisciplinary problem solving, and sophisticated analysis. This path does not happen by chance. School Lane has a specific framework for teaching that supports each student’s greatest potential of academic achievement. This path allows us to begin preparing your child in Kindergarten for the world-renowned IB program that they will get to experience in their middle and high school years at School Lane. This program challenges students to excel not only in their studies but also in their personal growth and inspires a lifelong quest for learning hallmarked by enthusiasm and empathy.

School Lane’s educational framework is driven by a few critical and practical realities. In today’s fast paced technology driven world job expectations change quickly, requiring a need for individuals to be innovators, problem solvers, and self-directed learners. Moreover, these same individuals must be able to communicate clearly and work alongside a wide range people. Each of these tasks take skills beyond memorization of facts or following a pre-set formula.

At SLCS our students work on building the skills needed to be successful both personally and professionally through our inquiry-based teaching framework. School Lane believes that students learn best through inquiry-based instruction when they are given the opportunity to ask questions about curricular topics or phenomenon and explore the questions that interest them. This approach allows students to be the drivers of their own learning before being told what they need to know, while maintaining an environment where SLCS students can confidently explore topics in depth. In addition, School Lane’s inquiry-based instruction allows our students to concurrently develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills as they share their learning with their peers.

During my many years at SLCS as Principal and CEO, I have often said, “No one goes to work and is told to read textbooks or manuals and is then given a test to determine whether or not they will receive a raise.” In your professional and personal lives, how often are you required to solve problems or complete tasks that don’t come with directions? How often do you have to communicate clearly and work alongside a wide range people to bring about better outcomes? Your answer to both of those questions was probably daily which is why at School Lane we strive to prepare our students for the future by teaching skills and supporting learning that goes far beyond memorizing facts – skills that are the foundation of the inquiry-based learning environment and at the heart of the SLCS K-12 learning experience.