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| Quick Facts |  |
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Special features |
independent study, nonprofit |
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Scheduling features |
block scheduling |
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Dress code |
Dress code |
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School Mission
- Our mission is to prepare each student for college and for life through a challenging curriculum which accommodates individual learning styles. We want to have our students discover responsibility for their own lives as well as empathy for all people and cultures. Through a deep respect for independent thinking, we strive to guide our students in their personal growth toward a genuine self-knowledge so that they can achieve their full human potential.
| Curriculum |
- Foreign language(s) taught: German and Spanish.
- This school has a particular instructional focus on accelerated learning, honors, college preparation.
- The school uses the following instructional model: Montessori
- This school requires physical education class.
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Instructional Program Highlights
- Black River offers a small school environment with small class sizes and a challenging curriculum which fosters student engagement in their own education and enhances student responsibility and accountability.
- Our elementary program is Montessori-based, fostering self-motivation, concentration and advancement at individual rates. In our middle school, students work in an interdisciplinary curriculum encompassing world culture, literature, history and geography, along with challenging math and science courses. Black River ’s high school continues the advancement by ability and interest concept of the middle and elementary schools. Graduation requirements mirror those suggested by the University of Michigan for college-bound students.
- Our Project Term, unique in the area, is held during the last four weeks of school. During this time students take classes covering a wide range of subjects such as: fencing, foreign travel, robotics, money management, comparative law, computer assembly, creative writing, drama, forensic chemistry, linguistics and many other topics, including their own independent study topics.
- Students have the option of about 20 different Advanced Placement courses in any given year. Our academic year is tied to the AP calendar, and our students consistently exceed the national average for performance and we boast a participation rate that ranks among the top 1% of all Advance Placement participating schools in North America .
| Activities and Sports |
- Girls sports: basketball, soccer and volleyball.
- Boys sports: basketball, baseball, cross country and soccer.
- Clubs and extra-curricular activities include: Equestrian Team (9-12) $60 MIHA fee plus individual costs of transportation and ownership of horses and equipment. Weekly practices throughout the summer with competitions taking place September Saturdays; Odyssey of the Mind (8-12) -An international educational program that provides creative problem solving opportunities for students. Students work in teams, then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level; Community Service Club (6-12) - Project Outings that students help to plan. Opportunity to serve the community through action, while earning required community service hours; Science Olympiad (6-8)- Explore and study specific areas of science interest and compete with other schools; Dutch Dance (9-12) - Dance group featuring authentic folk costumes and dances of the area's Netherlands heritage. Twice weekly practices beginning in January followed by multiple daily performances during the ten days of Tulip Tim in early May. Students must purchase costume and wooden shoes and Art Club (6-12) A studio art session where students can work on art projects related to art classes that they are currently taking
and get additional help. Also, students who do not take art classes but would like to have some supervised studio time with a supervising teacher are welcome to attend.
- This school has the following art(s) programs: orchestra, band, chorus and drawing/painting.
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Parent and Community Support
- Parents are widely encouraged to be active in the school. In addition to our Parent Organization, parents also serve as School Board members, on committees and focus groups, as coaches, tutors and club advisors. Parents are involved in Community Service projects, and Project Term courses, the Book Fair and other school-wide events. Parents participate actively within the classroom, especially in the elementary grades.
Part of Black River’s mission of preparing our students for college and life includes extending their awareness and sense of responsibility into the greater community. All students fulfill community service requirements by working in a number of different venues, from folding food drive bags for the U.S. Post Office, to spending time with Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes. This creates many strong connections between our school the Holland community.
Other news or notes
- All seniors must apply and be accepted to a four-year college or university as a condition for graduation from Black River.
| College and Work Preparation |
- 80-100% of graduates go to 4-year colleges.
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| Technology and Facilities |
- 100% of classrooms are connected to the Internet.
- This school was established in 1996.
- No transportation is provided to this school.
- Recent or upcoming renovations: In March 2006 BRPS completed the construction of a new building on the campus which houses a gymnasium, music instruction rooms and cafeteria.
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| Admissions and Enrollment |
- Entering students typically come from: West Ottawa Public School; Holland Public Schools and area charter schools which end at 8th grade.
- Students at this school enroll by choice.
- Students also enroll by: The school currently is fully enrolled with a wait list of approximately 200. A lottery system is followed when enrollment applications exceed capacity. Details of lottery published on the school web site.
- Few of the students at this school come from the neighborhood where the school is located.
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| Safety, Discipline and Support |
- Safety and discipline-related resources include: Peer mediation or conflict resolution program; closed campus;
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| Other Features and Highlights |
- 91-95% of students remained enrolled at the school between last school year and this school year.
- Regular classroom hours: 8:10 to 3:00.
- Accredited by AALE.
- Accredited by NCASC.
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| Source of Data |
Additional information, including curriculum and special programs, was either submitted to GreatSchools by a school official or comes directly from the school or school district's Web site. This page was last updated on 10/05/2007. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information submitted by school officials.
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