About Patterson Park Public Charter School

Patterson Park opened its school in 2005. The school made adequate yearly progress in the 2007-2008 school year and two of its teachers were recognized as City Teacher of the Year finalists in 2007-2008.

Program Philosophy and Model:

• PPPCS mission is to develop well educated, community-minded children by providing high-quality, community-based education that capitalizes on the diversity of nearby neighborhoods and uses the resources of Patterson Park.
• PPPCS vision is to unite students, parents, guardians, educators, and the Patterson Park area through an educational environment that rewards creativity and builds community ties.
• Strong academic standards and community/arts-related partnerships encourage students to become independent and responsible thinkers.
• Patterson Park Public Charter School aspires to socioeconomic, racial and ethnic diversity in its student population and incorporates the many attendant cultures into its curriculum and daily life.
• PPPCS believes that family involvement in education—helping with homework, attending teacher-parent conferences, volunteering at school, assisting with school events, serving on committees or taking your children to educational and cultural events—strengthens the family bond, connects families to school, and serves to improve children’s outcomes academically, socially, and emotionally.
• Every PPPCS family is asked to sign a pledge of commitment of volunteer service to the school, which is critical to the nature and quality of its programs. Two parent households agree to a 30 hour annual commitment; single parent households agree to a 15 hour annual commitment.

Learning Environment:

• The curriculum at Patterson Park Public Charter School focuses on thematic interdisciplinary learning, a model for classroom activity that shifts away from the short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons and instead emphasizes long-term, student-centered, and real-world learning activities.
• This approach engages students in their own learning and provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and questions and make decisions about how they will find answers and solve problems.
• Monthly family meetings are held to inform parents of what is being taught in their child’s classroom and to encourage them to be an effective resource to their child’s education.
• Additional curriculum workshops for families with specific concerns or needs are also arranged.

Student Support Programs and Services:

• PPPCS connects instruction to life outside of the classroom in order to make learning relevant and useful to its students.
• Many of the skills that are developed through this approach are desired by today’s employer—working well with others, making thoughtful decisions, taking initiative, and solving complex problems.

Partnerships:

As a Community School, Patterson Park Public Charter School partners with various organizations to best meet the needs of the school community. Collaboratively, these organizations and the school help create the conditions necessary for successful learning for every child and family. These efforts are coordinated by the Community School Coordinator, who identifies needs, matches partnering organizations to the school, and maintains and monitors these partnerships.

Established and Historical Partners include:

Audubon Maryland DC
Baltimore City Community College
Community Conferencing Center
Community Mediation Program
Creative Alliance
Living Classrooms
University of MD School of Social Work Community Outreach Services (SWCOS)
Villa Maria Mental Health Continuum
Virginia S Baker Recreation Center/Dept of Parks and Recreation
Volunteer Maryland/AmeriCorps
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Banner Neighborhoods
Patterson Park Community Development Corporation
Friends of Patterson Park
Maryland Cooperative Extension
Boy Scouts of America
Food Studies Institute
Institute for Family Education
Sports 4 Kids
BELL (Building Educated Learners for Life)

Participating Organizations and Affiliations:

National Network of Partnership Schools
Maryland Charter School Network
Tender Bridges Sports Programming
Hopkins Bayview Hospital
Department of Transportation - Safety Division-School Traffic Safety Unit
Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
Baltimore Museum of Art

Faith-Based Partners:

St. Elizabeth’s Church
Canton Baptist Church
New Harvest Ministries

Local Business Partners:

Ameriprise Financial
Play It Again Sports