Rolling Hills Charter School

In September 2005, Rolling Hills Public Charter School opened after receiving its charter from the Idaho Charter School Commission the previous year. Currently, the school serves 270 students in grades Kindergarten through 9th grade. Rolling Hills is a Harbor Method school and subscribes to the belief that a school with a low threat of bullying and harassment can accelerate the learning of students. Strong character education is evident throughout the school program and the attributes of responsibility, reliability, thoroughness and kindness are apparent in all aspects of the school program. The school’s culture fosters high academic achievement as evidenced in the school’s strong performance on state assessments and student performance in the classrooms.

Mission Statement

Change will be a core characteristic of the 21st century. The future workforce will change jobs an average of eight times during their working lives, and as knowledge continues to increase, information management, technology, and communication will become tools for success. Systems Theory reverses the historical tendency to view reality as a set of divided and static components in favor of dynamic and interconnected subsystems that are embedded within one another. Successful workers, therefore, will need to acquire systems thinking and possess excellent problem-solving skills. This nation will require a citizenry who have learned to learn, and who, more than ever before, have learned to work cooperatively. Not only will they need to have completed high school, but also for roughly three out of four new jobs, they will be required to have some education or retraining at an institution of higher learning. Rolling Hills Public Charter School will enhance the learning skills and academic building blocks that foster high achievement in academic and behavioral standards to encourage self-motivation and lifelong learning. Through use of the Spalding method for teaching language arts, Shurley Method of grammar, other innovative teaching methods and the Harbor School method of discipline, the school will work to ensure that each student reaches his or her capacity as a learner and retains the joy of accomplishment necessary to continue learning.

Philosophy

The philosophy of the Rolling Hills Public Charter School is grounded in the belief that a highly challenging content in a safe environment creates the setting for accelerated learning. Rolling Hills Public Charter School’s philosophy is that learning occurs when:
  • learners construct meaning,
  • learners see the connection between what they learn and the real world,
  • learners are actively engaged in purposeful tasks,
  • activities are integrated and meaningful,
  • learners work individually and as members of a group,
  • learners work side by side with community members to develop solutions and opinions on issues that can be presented to local policy makers,
  • learners are expected and encouraged to learn,
  • learners internalize that what they learn and do in school makes a positive change in the community,
  • challenged learners have an individual plan, and support is an intrinsic part of the educational program,
  • learners are supported with coaches, mentors, and advocates,
  • all learners have advanced learning opportunities,
  • learners see themselves as part of the community and find ways to serve the community.

Focus on Kindness

The Harbor School Method provides a comprehensive plan for character education. Harbor schools employ a character education plan with a focus on kindness and zero tolerance of teasing, taunting, bullying, gossip and negative peer pressure. The focus of empathy and respect develops virtuous citizen leaders. The Harbor Method is a proactive solution to the violence that is all too prevalent in our schools today. The name, Harbor School Method, comes from our total commitment to make schools a “safe harbor” for the children entrusted to our care. The character education method uses a school-to-work emphasis to make the behavior expectations relevant to the real world. We also believe that a kind environment should be extended through the potentially tumultuous junior high years.

School Size

One class per grade, Kindergarten through 9th grade. Maximum class sizes are: Kindergarten twenty-five  students; grades 1-3 twenty-eight students; grades 4-9 thirty-two students.

Transportation

Busing will not currently be provided. A plan will be implemented by the Parent Faculty Association to assist families form carpools, biking groups, and any other forms of transportation. Transportation is not anticipated at this time. Parents will be responsible for transportation to and from school.

School Lunches

Parents are responsible for providing lunches for their students. Rolling Hills currently has arrangements with vendors to deliver lunches to the school three days a week. One a month, parents are given the opportunity to order these lunches. A school lunch program is planned but will not be operational for the 2007-2008 school year.

School Calendar

Rolling Hills PCS will have a slightly modified traditional school calendar. The calendar is adopted by the Governing Board annually.
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