Arcadia Charter School (often referred to as ARTech Charter School) is a project-based 6–12

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

located in

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W. N ...

, United States. The school has previously been known as South-Eastern Minnesota School of Arts and Technology prior to 2003, and Northfield School of Arts and Technology from 2003 to 2012.

History

A community group that included Jim Blaha, Winona Estes, Maryrose Gondeck, Keith Johnson, Leisa Irwin, Paula Manor, Anne Mikkelson and Griff Wigley founded Northfield School of Arts and Technology in 2001, with the purpose of creating a project-based learning environment similar to New Country School in

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * H ...

. In July 2012 ARTech Charter School changed its name to Arcadia Charter School to emphasize its focus on all project learning not just project learning in the arts and sciences. During 2010-2011 the school expanded off its south side adding a science room (the Goodall Room) and an art room (the Tesla Room). A student-lead project installed solar panels on the building helping to reduce Arcadia's energy bill. In 2018 a student lead Eagle Scout Service Project built a picnic shelter in Arcadia's backyard which is now used for lunch and as a studying area. In 2019 the school completed a large renovation expanding off the south side of the building and renovating the old building to create three new classrooms.

Curriculum

Today, Arcadia has 4 advisories. The high school advisories, Blue Advisory and Red Advisory, and the middle school advisories, Purple Advisory and Green Advisory. These act as a "homeroom" for students. High school students receive a desk in their advisory that they may decorate and use as their personal space to work on homework and projects. Middle school students receive a locker that they may decorate. They share tables with their fellow middle school students to work on projects and homework. Middle School students are required to take "CORE" classes that include •

Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

• Social studies •

Math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

•

Language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

•

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

. High school students are required to have 23 credits in order to graduate. Students must do at least 1 credit of projects to graduate as well. Required credits include • 2 credits of

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

• 2 credits of

writing Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically Epigraphy, inscribed, Printing press, mechanically transferred, or Word processor, digitally represented Symbols (semiot ...

• 3 credits of

• 1 credit of

US History The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Numerous indigenous cultures formed, and many saw transformations in the 16th century away from more densely ...

• .75 credit of

World History World history may refer to: * Human history, the history of human beings * History of Earth, the history of planet Earth * World history (field), a field of historical study that takes a global perspective * ''World History'' (album), a 1998 albu ...

• .5 credit of

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

• .5 credit of

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

• .5 credit of

Civics Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The term derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens, particularly in the context of u ...

• .25 credit of

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

• 2 credits of

• .25 credit of Arts Analysis • 7.25 credits of Elective Students can get these credits through required classes, elective classes (non-required classes) or independent projects. Some required high school classes at Arcadia include • Geometry • Algebra 2 • Basic Composition • Intro to Literature • U.S. History • World History • Intro to Art In 11th Grade, students must complete a Junior Project, where they will learn how to look for a residence, how to create a budget, and how credit and a credit score works. This is Arcadia's solution to the lack of necessary life skills taught in school. In 12th grade, students are required to complete a large project. This is called the Senior Project. It may be on any subject. This project is completed by the

Senior Appreciation Day Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

. Arcadia has a 6-day schedule, with 6 periods every day. Breakfast and Lunch is offered.

Governance

School board

The school is an independent

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...

, governed by a board of 9. The first school board meeting occurred on October 25, 2001.

Directorship

Arcadia Charter School is currently directed (a "director" is similar to a traditional principal) by Laura Stelter. *Leisa Irwin (2003 – 2004) *Timothy Goodwin (2004 – 2008) *Simon Tyler (2008 – 2011) *Ryan Krominga (2011 – 2015) *Patrick Exner (2015 – 2016) *Barb Wornson (2016 - 2019) *Laura Stelter (2019–present)

Renewable energy

Artech is on a team called Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon, which is a team of 100 different schools in Minnesota reducing as much energy as possible in 3 years.

Solar panels

During the summer of 2008, Artech installed a 2.8 Kilowatt solar panel system, and has since seen a decrease in electrical bills.

Greenhouse

The greenhouse has been operating for 10 years and began as student led project. It is run through a 3 quarter long seminar that includes growing seedlings, writing a newsletter, and operating the greenhouse.

Sustainable energy ("green") team

Indeed, Artech also has a team focused solely on reducing the school's impact on the environment, lowering energy bills, and reducing the trash coming from the school. Some ideas they have for accomplishing these tasks are installing a

Wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...

, taking out light fixtures, and collecting runoff water.

Student population

Arcadia Charter School currently holds roughly 120 students and 93.3% of whom are white. 22% of students are on a

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

program.
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References

External links

* {{authority control Charter schools in Minnesota Educational institutions established in 2001 Northfield, Minnesota Public high schools in Minnesota Public middle schools in Minnesota Schools in Rice County, Minnesota 2001 establishments in Minnesota