Treffert Way is an Instrumentality Charter School. This means it is part of the North Fond du Lac School District and the school’s leaders and staff are district employees. Even so, it is still a Charter School and that means:
- It is exempt from significant State and local rules that inhibit flexible operation.
- It is a public school operated under public supervision and direction.
- Its educational objectives are determined by the educational team and Governance Board.
- Parents freely choose to send their children to the school.
- The school has a written performance contract with the school district.
- The Governance Board plays a substantive role in directing and supporting the school.
One size fits all learning does not work for many students. Treffert Way allows us to create an individualized learning plan for each student. Our foundation is built upon the principles of the Treffert Approach Philosophy.
- Individualized: We recognize each student for who they are, supporting them with an individualized, comprehensive educational experience developed by our multi-disciplinary team of educators.
- Strength-Based and Learner-Centered: We hold the core belief that all students have strengths and talents. Our aim is to build upon each student’s skills and interests to assist them in reaching their potential.
- Natural Environment: We utilize everyday events to cultivate growth opportunities for our learners.
- Developmental Perspective: We support learners in developing new skills and participating in developmentally appropriate activities across environments.
- Sensory Aware: We all gather information and experience the world through our senses. We recognize that the ability to filter this constant flow of incoming messages may happen differently for some individuals. We identify and understand differences and support individuals in learning self-regulation strategies to assist them in interacting with their environment successfully.
- Collaborative: We understand the best outcomes occur when we invest in relationships with learners, staff, families, and community partners and when we listen, learn and work together to achieve shared goals.
Our community-engaged school offers a safe learning environment where students are taught self-regulation, social-emotional skills and empathy. Our goal is that our life-long learners will be active and thrive in their communities. Therefore a students educational experience will involve community engagement and career exploration opportunities.
No. There are great ideas in Montessori schools and we are not planning on mimicking that approach. If a student shows a strength in science, technology and math, this strength will be nurtured. Some ideas will be similar to Montessori, STEM and Project Based Learning, but our vision for Treffert Way isn’t being done, to our knowledge…and we have been looking!
Treffert Way School will be a school of optional enrollment for students grades K-6th living in the North Fond du Lac School District. The first year there will be 40 seats available. If all seats are not filled by North Fond du Lac students seats will be open to students from the surrounding area.
Treffert Way will follow the dates and times set on the family calendar for the North Fond du Lac School District.
The culture of our school will be that we are all one community. Each week we will have a community group time. Community time will consist of sharing and recognition.
Daily schedules will incorporate the following:
- Homeroom – Every morning and afternoon students will go to the same homeroom teacher. Preview of the day and a mindfulness (regulation) activity will be provided each morning. Afternoon will consist of sharing and organizing.
- Deep dives – extend on their passion for a topic, discovery or activity
- Flexible recess – recess no set time, will vary on the needs of the student
- Exploration – time to explore specific type of learning such as art, computer, etc.
- Integrated Learning Time – classroom instruction
- Personal Learning Time – individual instruction
- Social Learning Time – individual or group instruction to teach communication and social skills needed to work as part of a group and be a member of the community
- Movement – exploration and development of physically active skills
- Snacks/drinks/conversation spaces available
All children will be in grade level type homerooms to start their day. We do, however, have plans for students to self-select into challenging projects and curriculum which may include multiple grade learning time. If a child is ready for advanced learning tasks, we aren’t going to stop them from advancing. It is important to unthink the traditional one classroom one teacher all day paradigm of elementary school. Small teams of teachers will work with your child and different age children may join for classes when appropriate. Think multi-age moments.
That will depend on the individual need of the student. A personal learning plan will be developed by the team for each student. We are funded the same way as all of the other schools in our district. We look for ways to help the student to teacher ratio.
For 2019-2020 school year please click here. Each year enrollment days will be posted.
We focus on individual progress in all academic areas as well as “soft skills” such as communicating ideas, thinking of others, being a good team member. Part of the charter school requirements is that all students will complete national standardized testing in the fall and spring. Treffert Way students will attain the power standards as required by the School District of North Fond du Lac. School district power standards will be creatively included into the students high interest areas.
Treffert Way students will have the skills to navigate new learning environments within their ability level. The real world, beyond school, demands adaptability and agility so we will be teaching students in ways that grow their capacity to change. Our goal is to get students life ready.