Cannon River STEM School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Cannon River STEM School Application Process and Lottery

Calling all parents looking for a school focusing on science, technology, engineering and math with an emphasis on outdoor education!  The Cannon River STEM School, a K-8 public charter school, is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year and will conduct its public lottery to fill available openings on Saturday, March 13th at 11 a.m.

Cannon River STEM School (CRSS) is a public charter school with an academic curriculum focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), in addition to traditional subjects.  It opened with grades K-6 in the Fall of 2009, and will add an additional grade annually, to serve K-8 in Fall of 2011.  The school envisions being the preeminent leader in STEM education by combining academic rigor with social responsibility and the mastery of the process of scientific inquiry. The mission of CRSS is to foster each student’s innate curiosity and joy of discovery and to address the growing need for improved science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, locally, in Minnesota, and nationally. CRSS will use the nationally recognized EIC and GLOBE learning models to foster a sense of connection and personal investment in science and the natural world, through inquiry-based, place-based and project-based teaching techniques.

Applications can be found on the CRSS website (www.cannonriverstemschool.org) and must be completed for students interested in attending CRSS for the 2010-2011 school year.  As a public charter school that limits its enrollment numbers, applications received by 4 p.m. on March 11th will be entered into a public lottery, scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 13th.  Openings for enrollment for 2010-2011 school year will be filled through this lottery drawing.  In accordance with Minnesota Law, siblings of already enrolled students are granted sibling preference in the lottery process.  For further information, or to arrange a tour of the school, contact Cannon River STEM School at 507-331-7836 or nbroden@cannonriverstemschool.org.

Contact: Nalani McCutcheon, Executive Director
507-331-7836

Now that we are well into our first year, we are in agreement with many of you that our website is in need of an overhaul.  We are happy to report that this process is well underway and we should be unveiling a new website ins the next 30-60 days that is more user-friendly, interactive and a source of current information including a launch of our parent portal link.  We thank you for your patience as we go through this process that will ultimately allow us to provide you with a more dynamic site with continually updated information.

Parents and supporters of the Cannon River STEM School may be interested in these two articles about how the current state budget crisis is affecting charter schools across the state, including CRSS:

A Forum on Education Funding.  Written by Rob Hardy, CRSS Board Chair.  Originally posted on Northfield.org, and reposted by Simon Tyler (Director of ARTech Charter School, Northfield) and State Senator Kevin Dahle (DFL-Northfield) on their blogs.  

Local Schools Reeling from State Payment Shifts.  Written by James Warden, Faribault Daily News.

Greetings all!

Just a reminder that the Cannon River STEM School will be holding its Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 14th.  The Board will be hosting a social from 6:30-7:00 p.m. and the January Board meeting will begin at 7 p.m.  Refreshments will be served.  All are welcome!  The agenda for the Board meeting is available here and in the school office. 

The meeting will be held in the gymnasium.

Hope to see you there!

-CRSS Board and Staff

There will be a Special Meeting of the CRSS Board on Monday, October 5, 2009, at 7:00 pm in the school cafeteria.  An official agenda can be found here.