Sept. 20, 2024 Robert Frost Charter School Invites Public to Grand Re-opening.
February 3, 2014 | Discover the Benefits of Learning through Montessori and Collaborative Projects (cont.)
Terranova will share an overview of the Montessori educational experience addressing what Montessori-based education is and how it differs from other educational approaches. He will discuss the various benefits of this approach for elementary aged children, as well as junior high aged students. These benefits include fostering a love of learning and helping students develop confidence, problem-solving and organizational skills needed to succeed in the 21st Century. Terranova will also address some of the programming initiatives specific to the local RFCS, specifically the emphasis placed on Project Based Learning and how this enhances the educational experience for students.
Enrollment at the RFCS for 2014/2015 school year is open, and this initial enrollment period will end on February 28. For more details on information sessions, open houses, curriculum and general RFCS information head to the school’s web-site, http://www.robertfrostcharterschool.org. The RFCS is a free, public charter school for children entering kindergarten through grades six for the 2014-2015 school year. To enroll, children must be five years old by September 30, 2014 and reside in New Hampshire. Applications and more specific details on the application process can be obtained from the charter school’s website.
December 9, 2013 | RFCS Explorers took first place in the project category for their Pet Bubble invention at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Tournament (cont.)
The event, a qualifying tournament for further competition culminating with the World Festival in April, had 20 teams which consisted of three to 10 kids, with ages usually from nine to 14. There were few teams with competitors as young as the RFCS group, with one eight-year old and two 10-year olds. According to Robert Zakon, one of the team’s coaches, “Most teams had approximately five to 10 kids, with many on the upper age range. Our young kids bested many more experienced teams. Their overall tournament score was just shy of what was needed to proceed onto the state finals.”
The FIRST program was founded by New Hampshire’s Dean Kamen in 1989, and the first FLL was held in 1998. Each year has a different theme; this year it was Nature’s Fury. The project consists of researching an aspect of the year’s theme and coming up with an invention which is then presented to the judges. There are several components to the annual competition. One is the robot game where three matches are held against other teams; the highest team score is included in the calculation for overall tournament score. In addition to the robot game, competitors are also judged on project presentation, robot design presentation and the FLL Core Values. Some of these Core Values include finding solutions with guidance from coaches and mentors, working as a team, learning together and honoring the spirit of friendly competition.
Aside from Zakon, George Galev was also a team coach, and Will Broussard from the Mount Washington Observatory assisted the students early in the season as a topic expert for the project piece. Coach Zakon states, “I’m very proud of what the Explorers team was able to accomplish. Their performance was even more impressive given that they got a late start in the season, and were such a young rookie team.”
The RFCS students have been able to participate in the Explorers Club due to funding assistance from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. The organization donated a $500 Pre-University grant for the 2012-2013. They did so again for the current school year.
November 14, 2013 | Ellen Ohlenbusch of RFCS was honored with a Spirit of New Hampshire Award (cont.)
which opened its doors to New Hampshire students in 2012. The criteria for this award include such things as the amount of time given to an organization in a volunteer capacity, as well as how large a role the individual had in the organization. The volunteer’s impact was another factor.
According the RFCS Head of School Jennifer Karnopp, Ohlenbusch is extremely dedicated. She explains, “Ellen saw a need in our community for educational options for all families, regardless of income, and worked to write the charter and launch the only elementary public charter school north of Concord. She took time away from her career and has devoted the past three years in a volunteer capacity to this project. Now, she serves as School Board Chair and puts in an average of 20-30 hours of volunteer time per week managing the oversight of our school. She also serves as a mentor to our staff and to parents looking to fulfill leadership roles within our parent volunteer community.”
Karnopp goes on to explain that the work Ohlenbusch has put in has created economic growth in our region, making it a more attractive area for employers and creating 12 new jobs. In terms of impacting area children, Karnopp states, “Ellen’s work has built a solid foundation for our new school, which has directly benefited over 75 families in and around the Mount Washington Valley.”
When speaking with RFCS board members and families, it is mentioned that Ohlenbusch is extremely dedicated. She manages the Federal Grant that provided funding to start up the school, she volunteers as the business manager for the school, volunteers in the classroom, and she heads to the slopes with the kids on ski day. One RFCS parent explains, “She also volunteers with the Arts In Motion a local theater company, and at the Memorial Hospital. She’s impressive… I need some of her energy!”
The 2013 Spirit of NH Award Ceremony was held on November 14, 2013 from 6:45 to 8:30 PM. Doors at the Capitol Center for the Arts opened at 5:00 PM for a reception with other award winners. Governor Hassan kicked off the evening speaking specifically of the great work that is being done in the Mount Washington Valley and the North Country. Family and friends attended the 2013 Spirit of NH Award Ceremony to honor the recipients.
November 5, 2013 | Robert Frost Charter School’s Head of School Wins National Award (cont.)
The book examines educational shifts from an historic perspective; these shifts occur everywhere and in every industry. For instance, transportation is an example. Years ago, the common mode of transportation was the horse and buggy. The railroad came next, then the car, and then planes.
Karnopp and Raglieuth explore the current system of education, which was designed for the industrial age, focusing on the needs it met when it was developed. Things such as obedience, punctuality, stamina and standardization were the main focus. In their book, they examine today’s system of education. Society is in the midst of the information age, with an emphasis on creativity, initiative and self-direction, collaboration and customization. There has been a paradigm shift leading to a conflict between the needs of the current society and the educational system. The book goes on to look at what key elements are critical in supporting the needs of the information age. Strategies for the development of things such as district-wide changes, charter schools and government supported change are discussed.
RFCS School Board Chair, Ellen Ohlenbusch, feels that the school community is extremely fortunate to have a talented and well-rounded staff working with the students, parents and community. She goes on to explain, “We strongly believe that their accomplishments, both in our school, as well as out of our school, enhance our students’ overall experience. It contributes to the success of our school!”
The book can be found locally at White Birch Books or on-line at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Karnopp will be holding a book signing at White Birch Books in January.
December 9, 2013 | RFCS Explorers took first place in the project category for their Pet Bubble invention at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Tournament (cont.)
The event, a qualifying tournament for further competition culminating with the World Festival in April, had 20 teams which consisted of three to 10 kids, with ages usually from nine to 14. There were few teams with competitors as young as the RFCS group, with one eight-year old and two 10-year olds. According to Robert Zakon, one of the team’s coaches, “Most teams had approximately five to 10 kids, with many on the upper age range. Our young kids bested many more experienced teams. Their overall tournament score was just shy of what was needed to proceed onto the state finals.”
The FIRST program was founded by New Hampshire’s Dean Kamen in 1989, and the first FLL was held in 1998. Each year has a different theme; this year it was Nature’s Fury. The project consists of researching an aspect of the year’s theme and coming up with an invention which is then presented to the judges. There are several components to the annual competition. One is the robot game where three matches are held against other teams; the highest team score is included in the calculation for overall tournament score. In addition to the robot game, competitors are also judged on project presentation, robot design presentation and the FLL Core Values. Some of these Core Values include finding solutions with guidance from coaches and mentors, working as a team, learning together and honoring the spirit of friendly competition.
Aside from Zakon, George Galev was also a team coach, and Will Broussard from the Mount Washington Observatory assisted the students early in the season as a topic expert for the project piece. Coach Zakon states, “I’m very proud of what the Explorers team was able to accomplish. Their performance was even more impressive given that they got a late start in the season, and were such a young rookie team.”
The RFCS students have been able to participate in the Explorers Club due to funding assistance from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. The organization donated a $500 Pre-University grant for the 2012-2013. They did so again for the current school year.
Dec. 21, 2023 Robert Frost Suffers Major Loss From Recent Flooding.
Conway, NH
The Robert Frost Public Charter School suffered devastating losses due to the flooding on December 18th.
The level of the nearby river rose to over 17 feet during the height of the rainstorm. Historic levels, we are told. Our school, not typically in a flood zone, experienced a surge of over three feet of water throughout our entire lower lever.
The flood water destroyed the entire contents of two classrooms, including furniture, learning material, area rugs, laptops, student work, art supplies, etc. The water also destroyed items outside of the classrooms, including both furnaces, a refrigerator, bookcases, additional learning materials, games, puzzles, etc.
"We are heart broken," said board chair Juliet D 'Avila, "we have lost so much of our Montessori curriculum for the younger students."
Although we have the appropriate insurance coverage for our school, we, like so many, are not covered for the type of natural disaster that devastated our community. Also, as a public charter school in the state of NH, we do not receive tuition dollars and we are not eligible to receive funding through town tax dollars. As such, we must budget utilizing the per pupil dollars that the state provides. Unfortunately, that does not leave anything extra to replace this level of loss.
We are reaching out to our local community, the charter school community, and other resources to help fill some of our immediate needs. Those needs include area rugs, bookcases, paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, copy paper, etc.), markers, colored pencils, laptops, Chromebooks, building material for new partition walls, etc.
Already, some local businesses and organizations have reached out to ask if they can help. For instance, our local Super Shoes donated new Crocs to every student to replace the shoes the students keep at the school for indoor use. The students were so excited to receive their new shoes to replace the ones lost to the flood waters. A big thank you to Super Shoes, and to Lisa and Nancy who delivered the shoes to students today!
We would also like to thank all our dedicated staff members, RWN Property Management, the Conway Historical Society, T&D Excavating, Pope Security, and everyone else that helped us with the initial clean-up, water removal, and safety assessment. It is an ongoing effort, and it will take time to get back to normal, but with the help of so many we know we will get through this loss.
If anyone is able to help out, please contact the school directly at 603-356-6332 or email the head of school, Janine McLauchlan, at jmclauchlan@robertfrostcharterschool.org.