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Staff in Three Rivers Charter School in West Linn do not know what it is to be the best.

This is because they have never asked, can be evaluated. But doubtless have been in the best public schools right of the charter school in order to agree on the end of the century.

Confirmed, the idea was that the fact that the recent announcement of Three Rivers was chosen among 80 of the Charter of Oregon that the best schools in the state, given that the title of “Charter School of the Year . ”

The Charter School Development Center (CSDC), which was recently announced, Three Rivers was the winner of the school for the year 2007-2008.

School Administrator Katherine Holt said Graves Three Rivers teachers in the education of pupils were roughly the same over the last eight years, it is an irony that the school has been in the spotlight this year.

The fact is that nobody can escape from the school that day for the recognition of the evaluation.

“Our job is to raise enough money to the school and it is good,” said Holt Graves.

“We have not yet had sufficient time to distinctions,” said Merilee Bales, a co-founder of the school of Holt Graves in 2001.

Among the qualities of the school, that the State was a pupil of experts on the results of standardized tests test of the stability of the financing, the large number of visitors and constant assessment than if all the criteria for public schools in Oregon.

“I think we are the only school in the middle of Oregon have received an excellent ranking for all years, we have been evaluated,” said Bales. “And it is mainly because of the performance of the student.”

Regarding the state of public school report card, Three Rivers was higher level (still is) all the years of its existence, Joni Gilles, Director, Office of improving education and Innovation at the Oregon Department of Education. The current distinction CSDC, it is only a confirmation of current analyses of the State Ministry of Education and criteria, the test results of students who show consistently in school test 95 percent of students in mathematics, reading and writing.

“I think the disc is pretty cool,” said Lisa Ellingson, a parent with several children in school. Ellingson, a parent, the school, with the initial support of the grant in writing, serves as chairman of the board.

Even if he does not have the recognition, Holt Graves is obviously enthusiastic.

“It’s really an exciting thing for our school and our board and all the people who believed in this school,” said Holt Graves, “for making a distinction, which indicates that the work was useful.”

Graves Holt believes that part of the success of the school comes from the fact that the division between the classes is not supported by the class. Each class can be made up of students in grades 4-8.

“Middle students are both older and younger students,” she says, “it will allow them to see the next steps in their development or revise and abilities of cement, which should be reviewed.”

Ellingson, two things are, “she said to her head, a copy of the school: individual learning for students and teachers independence.

“The school year is a tendency to win three types of students,” she said, “learning another and those that fall outside the mainstream.

“We have many children who otherwise approach to how they learn. I think this is a unique learning environment and it is remarkable to find a school that meets the needs of students at both ends of Spectrum, with success. ”

The second factor is of great significance to the fact Ellingson mind because she saw how much it play in the life of her daughter.

“They learn how children and parents, the responsibility for themselves and their learning as responsible citizens and human trafficking,” she said. “They are educated, including in the fourth grade , such as interaction with adults. My daughter said she found it easier to have an interview with a teacher and an advocate for themselves. Without much help me now responsible for their own life .

Three Rivers also provides the motivation, peer-to-peer, as well as education provides opportunities for mentoring. Staff at the High School, students as adult mentors, as well as executives with skills and students’ personal learning to expand their “Horizonte.

But there is still much more to a quality education as mentors and offer small classes, especially in schools charter.

The sponsorship is withdrawn from school by the legislature is allowed up to 20% of public funds for the promotion, leaves the school unless adequate funding.

During this year, for example, that state funding Three Rivers get their sponsorship by the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, $ 467000. In addition, $ 79000 in the local circuit of the option of the tax.

State financing of a total of $ 546000 only 65 percent of the $ 846000 cost estimate for Three Rivers. The additional amount of $ 300000, donations by parents as loss of income from the annual auction.

Thanks to economic methods, personnel and have been successful on board to collect a fund for the past eight years (with the usual ways of State) manage the school for one year, without seeking funds.

That’s their rainy-day funds, but they hope it will not rain.

Bales estimates that the amount of parental care is an important factor that is not only the success of Three Rivers, but also an important aspect of evaluating the school for a distinction.

“If decisive factors,” said Bales, “is the commitment of parents, funding is that, by the district and the fact that (parents), one of the buildings with us.”

Three Rivers was the idea of Holt and Graves Bales, if remark, students of a school in the district of Mitte difficulties adapting to the lifestyle of an average classroom.

She started school, that the government merger pre-teen students to the youth and the environment on the evolution of the classroom.

After one or two years, they decided to take a break from the public school and concentrate on his own.

It was 2000, and for a charter school startup.

Today it their current lease building, which is at the intersection of Willamette cases propulsion and West A Street, north by the police department.

In this configuration, the school is, in essence, its own - like an old one room at the school of the grassland. Three Rivers, has its own school board, buildings, teachers, teachers’ aides, office supplies, accounting, personnel, insurance, transportation, supply and maintenance, and d education and accessories.

They will strive to reach a resource, people can learn from one of the subjects that would contribute to the school, teachers and 6 ½ of the school of two part-time assistants for special education students.

And do not forget the difficulty of finding funds.

But Holt Graves said that all the hard work of the sentence.

“Even when there are a lot of things I do not like to do, she says,” it is also an excellent thing to be able, a school for children on the choice of another environment. It is a beautiful thing.

“At this moment, we have a parent, the fact, the drama and the other parent, music, and I think parents feel really well at this school.”

The school at the forefront, academics, Graves Holt said, is what makes the difference. Three Rivers That makes it even older than the room of the school, where the school marm play only during the break.

Three Rivers teachers help children learn how learners of life and being, which Holt Graves’ good people in life. ”

“We have a lot of work for children with the self-analysis of how it can be improved,” she said.

Provides student Graves points as a typical student opinion on Three Rivers. She said the student had an area of the school in mid-Three Rivers, was not complaining - almost.

“(The former public school), we were all concerned about the social life and our friends,” said the girl Holt Graves “, but given that we have here (Three Rivers) talk, the whole School and academics. ”

The Three Rivers’ culture, “said Graves Holt, it is cool to be successful.

“We do not have a lot of social problems, because it is not our main concern,” said the director of the school. “Student of the time and energy is aimed at academics and the learning. ”

Another thing by the middle of pupils and students have just lost Three Rivers is their anonymity. Average class size varies between 10 and 15

“In a class of this size,” Graves Holt said: “You can not your homework do not, we can not lead to a discussion.

“” Complaint “, I mean children is that it is not anonymous. In this school, you can not just in the mix, and can not be ignored.”