Our Beginning Willow Creek Charter, formerly Painted Pony Ranch Charter School, began in 1999. Our founder, Janine Bennett, was dedicated to creating a school environment that would not only meet her standards as an educator, but as a parent as well. She believed that schools could feel safe, be engaging, and meet the needs of the individual. In 2002, Janine passed away after a long fight against cancer. In her honor, we continuously strive to create her dynamic vision. Mission Statement At Willow Creek Charter, we believe in the potential of every student and are committed to the success of all. Education comes alive by incorporating a multi-age, project-based curriculum that emphasizes academic excellence. Each student is valued as an individual and we celebrate the unique qualities he or she brings to our family-like community. Willow Creek Charter's Staff Our staff is outstanding! We have over 100 years of teaching experience between us. All of our teachers are certified and some have state endorsements in subjects such as fine arts, physical education, history and special education allowing us to provide a well-rounded school experience for our students. Check out our Teacher Profiles to read about our highly qualified staff. We are also very thankful to have an excellent support system of parents (and yes grandparents, too) working with us to provide a solid education for our students. Bully-Free Campus At Willow Creek Charter, we create a safe place for kids to be themselves. When school becomes ridden with fear or anxiety, learning is next to impossible. We have no tolerance for cruelty, name calling, or teasing. Students at Willow Creek Charter encourage each other to reach for their personal best. We teach our students the importance of respecting peers, adults and their learning environment. Our students feel safe, and therefore can put their efforts into mastering core skills and pursuing their interests. Multi-Age Philosophy Each Level at Willow Creek Charter consists of two grades. Through The Zone of Proximal Development, defined by Lev Vygotsky as "the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers," students are able to go beyond age level norms. In other words, we believe that students can learn more efficiently when coupled with older, more experienced peers. This is beneficial for students at both grade levels because teaching and learning go hand in hand. The older students benefit by gaining self-esteem and a deeper understanding of the subject areas, while the younger students benefit by gaining greater experience and knowledge. Project-Based Approach Along with our textbook Curriculum, we use a project-based approach to teaching science and social science. Our experienced teachers weave Arizona Academic Standards together with the interests of the students to create motivating, engaging projects that span across the core subjects. Core subjects are Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Sciences. For example, the students in Level 2 were learning about their community (social science) and they found out that our local zoo was in financial trouble. The students generated a list of ways they could help the zoo and wrote them down (language arts). They also learned about the animals at the zoo (science)...were they nocturnal, mammals, carnivores? Finally, they decided to set up a lemonade stand and a bake sale to earn much needed money for the zoo (math). The unit culminated in a trip to the Heritage Park Zoo and the adoption of a miniature horse named Latte Da. Through the artful craft of teaching, all of these learning experiences were outlined by Arizona Academic Standards and were lead by the students' interests. The project-based approach to learning allows a personal buy-in for students that stems from an intrinsic desire to learn.