Four Rivers Charter Public School

Our Program

Learning Expeditions

A Day at Four Rivers

STUDENT WORK

Our themes:
Nature — Technology — Community

The natural world existed long before human beings came along, invented the first tool, and technology was born. Since then our extraordinary ability to invent new technologies has transformed the natural world, our communities, ourselves, even our sense of what is possible. As we begin the 21st century, the question of how human communities create a sustainable, balanced relationship with nature and technology begs for answers. What does the natural world have to teach us? What do technology and the creative power of invention behind it offer us? How do they work together for the good of all? There is endless learning to be explored--and a cause to be served--in our themes. Our answers can shape the future, here in Franklin County and around the Earth.

A New Public School for Franklin County

Four Rivers Charter Public School is a college preparatory middle and high school for Franklin County . The school opened in 2003 with 7 th and 8 th grades, and has grown by one grade each year to full enrollment in 2007 with 192 students in grades 7-12. There are openings each year for the entering 7 th grade, with limited spaces available in 8 th, 9 th, and 10 th. The school is free and has no admission requirement —just an application. With small classes, committed teachers, high expectations, and a powerful mission, Four Rivers offers a fresh public school choice where each student can grow strong in heart and mind.

The school has excellent facilities on an historic farm in Greenfield, close to Greenfield Community College and accessible from all of Franklin County . Four Rivers is affiliated with Expeditionary Learning Schools, a non-profit school improvement model that links academic learning, service, and character development.

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are a new kind of public school, designed to foster innovation, boost achievement and give educational choices to parents and students. There are over 60 charter public schools in Massachusetts so far, serving more than 20,000 students. Created by the Education Reform Act of 1993, the Massachusetts charter public school movement is strong, parent satisfaction is high, and, on average, charter public school students have outperformed their district counterparts on the MCAS tests. Four Rivers is the only charter public school to be approved by the Massachusetts Dept. Of Elementary and Secondary Education in Franklin County.

High School at Four Rivers: Learning to make a difference

The high school program at Four Rivers offers a blend of challenging coursework leading to a solid preparation for college and increasing opportunities for independent work. Service at school or in the community is required each year. By 11 th grade, students have internships with professionals in an area of interest. Eligible juniors and seniors may take courses at nearby Greenfield Community College and propose independent study options. In 12 th, every student designs a Senior Expedition involving an essential question, extensive research and field work, and a culminating product. Guided by our college counselor and their advisors, the seniors develop clear post-secondary plans. They carry their Four Rivers experience into the world, learning to make a difference.

Our Mission

Four Rivers Charter Public School is dedicated to educating young people for lives of learning and service. The school offers a rigorous college preparatory program aligned with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and an emphasis on character development for moral and social responsibility. Three central themes -– nature, technology and community -- guide teaching and learning at the school, engaging students and teachers in a fundamental question of our times: How do we find the healthy, sustainable interrelationship of the natural world, technology in its many forms, and the human community? The school works closely with parents and seeks both to serve and to learn from the many resources of Franklin County.

The Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education Mass. charter public school ASSOCIATION Expeditionary Learning Schools