What makes the charter school different from other schools?

Take a look at our mission statement and the pages that describe what it will look like in our schools. In general, we will be very different in at least 2 ways:

1. our attention to the needs and preferences of individual learners - where other schools will require kids to conform to the school, we will make efforts to adjust to each child
2. environmental sustainability is a large focus of our school operation and curriculum.

When will you open?

We plan to open in September 2010. 

What grades will the school serve?

We will open with kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 in September 2010. Each year, the school will admit a new class and grow with the oldest class, until we serve kindergarten through 8th grade. 

Who can attend?

 

How Does the Lottery Work?

The sending districts are Flemington-Raritan Region, Delaware Township, and East Amwell Township. Students from any of these sending districts have priority in attending the school. 

Any child in New Jersey can attend if there is still space available once all the students from the sending districts have been admitted.  If there are more students than openings, we will have a lottery. Please see above for more info. on the lottery process.

What curriculum does the school follow?

Our school, like every public school, teaches the NJ Core Content Curriculum Standards as a minimum.  We are currently adopting specific curricula in each subject area.  These curricula reflect our commitment to respecting individual learners and authentic, constructivist teaching/learning methods.  We will provide updates regarding specific curricula as they are adopted by our Board of Trustees.

How many students are in each class?

Each kindergarten class has 12 students, and each class in the older grades has 16 students.

Where is the school located?

The school will be located at 1 East Main Street, Flemington, NJ.
We have been working with LiMN Architects and will begin renovations shortly.

(We have not yet moved into the facility and cannot show the space until renovations are complete.  If you need to contact us, please email us at info@TrilliumEducation.org or use our mailing address of PO Box 672, Flemington, NJ 08822.)

 

Do you serve lunch?

At this time, we do not have plans to have a school cafeteria. 

Does the school offer any afterschool activities?

At this time, there are no plans for afterschool activities.  If there is sufficient community interest, this can be revisited at a later date.  Trillium does, however, offer many enrichment activities during its project-learning periods which take place 4 days per week.  If you are interested in before and after school care please click here for more information.

Do students wear uniforms?

No, there are no school uniforms.  If, however, there is sufficient community interest, this can be revisited at a later date.

Does the school give standardized tests?

We give the NJASK to grades 3 and up each year, as required by the NJ Department of Education.  We don’t give any other standardized tests.

What is the school day like?

Click here to see a description of a typical school day.

Do you provide services such as special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech therapy?

Yes, our school will provide these services to any student who qualifies for them.  If a student transfers to our school with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or 504 in place, the school honors it.  We will provide formal evaluations for special services just as other public schools do.  Trillium Charter School is committed to its learners and their development as a whole person; we will address learning needs to the best of our ability regardless of whether a student receives a formal classification.

What security measures will be implemented at the school with regard to visitors?

All visitors will be required to sign in at the office and wear badges.  Parent volunteers, community members, and other visitors will never be left alone with children; their contact with students will be supervised by Trillium staff.

How can I get involved?

Parents of admitted children will be invited to join our school-family organization (parent-teacher organization) which will have its first meeting in March.  We will also be looking for parents to join the Board of Trustees (the equivalent of a regular public school Board of Education.)  Finally, parents are encouraged to volunteer in classrooms and to learn alongside their children. Please see the PTO page for more information on how to get involved.

My child has been in a different educational setting (Waldorf, Montessori, homeschool, private home care, daycare, etc). Will the transition be difficult?

This is a wise concern and one that we expect will be raised quite often. The answer is also of primary concern to us, and a key part of our mission.

Our mission states our three commitments: to individual learners; to families and communities; and to the Earth.

As part of our commitment to individual learners, we honor each child's background, including the knowledge, experiences, and approaches to learning they bring from other schooling. We understand that each learner is unique in what they know, what they want to know, how they best learn, and how they can best demonstrate what they have learned.

It is our job as educators at the school to learn each student, and work accordingly. We do teach with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards as a guide. These represent minimum goals for achievement. They also prescribe, broadly, what is taught, but do not limit how things are taught.

Part of our commitment to respect each learner is to ensure that all students feel valued for what they do know. Our students will come with a wide range of prior educational experiences, all of which are valuable. With a skilled teacher's support, all learners can share their learning with classmates as they simultaneously address our curriculum. It is important to us that students feel positive about themselves and their abilities; research has demonstrated that confident children are more effective learners.

All of the staff at Trillium Charter School will work to ensure that your child's transition from another educational setting is as smooth as possible!

My child has a severe food allergy.  How will the school, and cafeteria, handle this?

We do not yet have any formal policy in place, but we are committed to meeting each individual's needs, and that certainly includes maintaining a safe environment for students with life-threatening allergies.  The policy will depend on the students we have at the time.
For the first year (or more), we will not be running a cafeteria - students will bring their own lunches - but we will still take allergies very seriously.  We are hesitant to place an outright ban on a specific product.  For example, even though peanut and tree nut allergies are somewhat common, a total ban on them would be difficult for students following a vegetarian or vegan diet.  It might be that some foods are only allowed at specified tables in the lunch room, but that decision is not one that needs to be made now.  We can wait until we see what is needed for our student population.  In all cases, the safety of our children is our first priority and we will implement the appropriate policies to ensure that safe environment.

What is the difference between the school and the foundation?

The Trillium Foundation for Education and Sustainability is a non-profit group founded for the purpose of starting the school and supporting it and other community environmental and educational endeavors. While the Foundation is currently focusing its energy on the school, once the school is operating, the foundation can take on other projects - perhaps community environmental workshops, film festivals, environmental summer camps, starting a high school, etc.

How can I get involved in the foundation?

Become a member and/or join the mailing list of the Trillium Foundation for Education and Sustainability and let us know that you would like to help.