Principal: Anne Koop
Grades: K-6
School History
The community of Barnard moved all of its students in December of 1991 into a newly renovated elementary school serving students in a kindergarten through sixth grade program. In 2003, the Barnard Central School kindergarten implemented a four full-day (80%) kindergarten program. The Barnard community is particularly proud and supportive of the Barnard Central School (BCS) faculty and contributing professionals and programs, the Barnard Central School physical plant, and the immediate surrounding recreational facilities and nature trail. In the fall of 2005, the Town of Barnard designated BCS as the emergency shelter for disaster relief. By the end of 2005, a generator will be in place.
School Philosophy
Barnard Central School is a network of students, teachers, parents, school board members, and community members. We strive to offer an optimal education to students of all ability levels in an environment that allows each child to develop his/her academic potential. We promote children's positive self-images, develop pride and support for the family, school, and community, and develop respect for the democratic process. Barnard Central School's goal is to provide the foundation for students to become lifelong learners.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Barnard Central School is to create a safe and supportive environment where all children are expected to:
- achieve their fullest potential,
- communicate effectively,
- reason critically,
- think creatively,
- work cooperatively,
- value differences in others, and
- become positive, contributing and informed global citizens.
School Motto
"A Community of Partners for Learning"
Annual Goals
1. The Barnard faculty and contributing professionals (specialists)will continue to explore and field-test the WCSU developed curricula.
2. The Barnard faculty and contributing professionals (specialists)will continue to participate in the WCSU initiative toward enhancing their professional teaching practices by focusing on one of the four domains described in the book Enhancing Professional Practice, A Framework for Teaching by Charlotte Danielson to use as a self-assessment tool.
3. The Barnard faculty and contributing professionals (specialists) will focus upon implementing Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, creating units and assessments which reflect the newly developed grade level expectations across content areas.
4. The Barnard faculty and contributing professionals (specialists) will continue to be productive participating members on various assigned WCSU initiatives that enhance the professional development of the teaching profession and the learning opportunities of our students.
5. The Barnard faculty and contributing professionals (specialists) will continue to develop their understanding and use of the content areas of math and science. One specific area is scientific inquiry; the scientific method for creating investigations, collecting, recording, and interpreting data as stated in the Vermont Framework 7.1 of the standards. The other specific areas are math concepts and problem solving.
Program/Structure
Classrooms and grade levels follow each other and are self-contained for the most part. BCS has the flexibility of combined grades depending upon the distribution of the student population in any given year. BCS is fortunate to have the services of classroom para professionals who can provide individual and small group instruction when needed.Students in grades 4-6 have the opportunity to be on the Student Activity Council (SAC). To facilitate good communication between school, parents, and community members, a weekly newsletter, The Barnard Buzz, is published.
Curriculum Highlights
All students at BCS are offered an opportunity to participate in programs such as physical education, music, art, band, guidance, introductory French and the Competition Spelling Team. Each classroom is equipped with several computers and our certified librarian/media technician provides classroom instruction on using the library for research and leisure enjoyment. In 2002, BCS built a computer lab with 16 Imac and Emac computers. Class sizes at BCS are large enough to provide social diversity and, at the same time, small enough to easily transport the students to areas of cultural interest or perhaps take a spontaneous hike on the school's nature trail or over to Silver Lake for lunch. Our faculty is the strongest component of BCS's curriculum. At staff meetings, various curricula, teaching methods, and teaching strategies are examined to promote consistency throughout the grade levels.
Community Outreach Initiatives
Barnard Central School has an active and supportive group called the Barnard Educational Endeavor Society (BEES). This group, through fund raising activities, supports many programs for Barnard's school children during the entire year. All fundraising activities are centered on community involvement of all ages. Parents and community members volunteer a great deal of time and effort to provide after-school experiences for students in Girl's Club, chess club, skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, soccer, and baseball.
The Barnard Educational Fund Committee, a domestic non-profit organization, provides generous financial support which sponsors many extra cultural and educational opportunities for the Barnard children. Their support enables BCS to have educational adventures and experiences in the fine arts areas as well as in the academic content areas.
Long-Term Goals
1.To maintain the existing high quality of staff and programs for the students at BCS.
2.To explore alternative sources of revenue to support our school that will lessen the financial burden of our local taxpayers.
3.To explore new approaches to marketing the community and school system in Barnard that will attract new residents and new students.
