Septima Clark Public Charter School for Boys

06/20/2013

Greetings Families and Scholars,
As we draw this year, and our school, to a close, I just wanted to extend my thanks and gratitude to all of those who helped make the mission of Septima Clark Public Charter School a reality for our scholars. “Education is Freedom,” is a mantra that could be heard on a daily (and often hourly!) basis throughout our halls and in our classrooms, because anyone who rose to the challenge of closing and eliminating the achievement gap in Ward 8, in Washington, DC, understood what that meant.
Our Freedom Teachers are aptly named for the work that they do, and the commitment to the mantra that drives our boys to college. They have worked tirelessly, during extended school days, weekends, vacations, and holidays, to ensure that Septima Scholars carry with them the tools they need for success. Our school staff has worked behind the scenes, day in and day out, to the groundwork for the functionality and efficiency of our daily operations as a school. Our families have helped our scholars with homework, attended Family Nights and school events, and supported our tough and relentless commitment to excellence, all for the sake of their boys.
While our school may not exist in a physical sense, after June 21, 2013, it’s spirit and the beliefs of Ms. Septima Clark will live on in the trials and tribulations, successes and victories, and transformative and world changing endeavors, that our boys experience as they continue to “Compete, Achieve, and Contribute, in academic institutions of distinction.”
Regards,
Gregory Spears, Head of School

04/16/2013

Emancipation:
1. the act of freeing or state of being freed; liberation
2. informal freedom from inhibition and convention

SCPCS will be open today, and the rest of the week, because we believe education IS freedom, and what better way to honor, recognize, and respect that universal truth, than to be in class and learning the tools our scholars need to compete, achieve, and contribute!

03/26/2013

SCPCS is open today, Tuesday, March 26, @ 7:15am

03/26/2013

SCPCS is open today, Tuesday, March 26, @ 7:15am.

03/25/2013

SCPCS IS CLOSED TODAY, MARCH 25, 2013 DUE TO INCREASINGLY POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS

02/09/2013

What is the role of PCBS in Septima Clark PCS closing? Thoughts?

08/31/2012

Septima Clark Public Charter School for Boys's cover photo

08/31/2012

SEPTIMA CLARK #1 IN ACADEMIC GROWTH AMONG DC CHARTERS!

Septima Clark is ranked #1 on the 2012 DC-CAS in academic achievement growth among DC's 98 charter schools. Septima Clark is ranked #3 among all 186 public schools--traditional and charters--for achieving 17% growth in reading and math on the 2012 DC-CAS.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) announced on Friday, August 25, 2012 that the significant academic growth earned the school the designation of Reward School under the state's new accountability system.

"Educating boys is the most important mission in our city and often the most overlooked," said Jenny DuFresne, Founder/Head of School. "Our academic growth is great news! Many of the boys we enroll each year are four to five years behind academically. With this exceptional academic growth still only 34% of scholars who took the 2012 DC-CAS are proficient in reading and math. We have significant work to do to move the majority of our scholars into the reading and math proficiency column. We're rolling up our sleeves to continue building on our scholars' academic success."

02/13/2012

http://tinyurl.com/2etysh2

A Call for Change: The Social and Educational Factor Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools. Read this Report.

02/13/2012

Where is the Outrage?? I've just completed reading the Council of the Great City Schools powerful report on the factors impacting the positive development of African American boys and men. How can Black males be incarcerated at 6.5 times as White males? Where is the outrage? How can African American males ages 18 - 34 make up 43% of prison populations while White males of the same ages make up 28%? Read this report! A Call for Change: The Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools.

02/05/2012

Red Tails

Red Tails

Experience what it's like to fight for freedom with the first all African American fighter pilots. Visit Ramitelli Airbase and take a P-51 for a spin.

12/20/2011

SEPTIMA CLARK RECEIVES 5-YEAR CHARTER RENEWAL!

On Monday, December 19, 2011, the DC Public Charter School Board, the agency responsible for authorizing charter schools in Washington, DC, voted unanimously to continue the charter of Septima Clark Public Charter School, Washington, DC's first and only all boys' public school, for another five years. Charter schools are granted a 15-year charter that is revocable every five years. "We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to continue serving our scholars for another five years. Our college preparatory mission is arguably one of the most important for our city and addresses the most educationally disenfranchised group in our city and our Nation: African American males," said James Costan, Septima's Board Chair.

Founded in 2006 by Jenny DuFresne, Head of School, the school has grown from 35 scholars to 227 this school year. The journey to the five-year charter continuance has not, however, been without obstacles and challenges. The school has relocated three times in five years due to inadequate facilities. "Relocation has wreaked havoc on the stability of our program," says DuFresne, "Each relocation has meant a 50% loss of students and a complete rebuilding of our academic program. We end up enrolling new scholars, many of whom, score in the 1st to 25th percentile, on standardized assessments upon enrollment." This challenge largely contributed to the school receiving Tier 3 status on the Public Charter School Board's Performance Management Framework Report Card. The school's committed staff and leadership expect significant academic growth on the 2011-12 Performance Management Framework Report Card.

12/19/2011

Inspiration

11/16/2011

Mighty Cougars!

Mighty Cougars in action! This is pretty cool to watch our scholars after just a few coaching sessions they've figured out their routes and positions. Our two quarterbacks each have a pretty good arm.

11/15/2011

Mighty Cougars Flag Football!! Our scholars are learning from our two awesome coaches...Coach Spears and Coach Seymour. Go Cougars!!

08/31/2011

Check out our incredible, fabulous staff inspiring our community with our school's mission, Declaration of Excellence, and Code of Conduct.

08/27/2011

Air Show May 2011

08/27/2011

Year 6 is off to a fantastic start. Our excellent staff and amazing scholars have completed our first week of school. A little earthquake couldn't hold back our greatness!

07/19/2011

A bluegrass buddy system

Jam Pak Blues N Grass...great article about my folks and their labor of love.

What began with casual jam session in Vincent and Anni Beach’s front yard has grown beyond anything Anni ever imagined at the time.

04/20/2011

Thanks to Peter Clare and the men of CollegeTribe for bringing chess to Septima Clark for the past five years!

04/20/2011

Scholars "Thrill" the Crowd at Talent Show

This is the power of an all boys' education. Our scholars are comfortable performing before a crowd of 300 Septima Clark families.

01/05/2011

Declaration of Excellence

Declaration of Excellence

01/05/2011

A small group of 4th grade scholars are learning Old Time Banjo! Head of School, Ms. DuFresne, Grammy Award winning Children's Artist, Cathy Fink, and local music teacher, Maureen Andary, have teamed up to create Septima Clark's first ever BanJam Program. Students are learning the basics of fretted instruments - picking, strumming, and singing - each on their own class banjo. Along with these skills, Ms. Andary and Ms. Fink are teaching scholars about the history of Old Time folk music and the origins of the instrument. This Winter, the class will get a special visit from Cheick Hamala Diabate from Mali who will explore the Banjo's African roots. Participating scholars are enthusiastic to sing along with and play this historic instrument and are learning their first song, "Old Joe Clark," with gusto.
The BanJam program is funded through a grant from the Washington, DC Chapter of the Recording Academy and banjos have been donated by Ms. Fink and Ms DuFresne. The class, which meets twice a week, started in November and runs through March 2011. Participating Scholars will perform for the school and for parents in Spring. We can't wait to share this bright, joyful instrument with you!

A small group of 4th grade scholars are learning Old Time Banjo! Head of School, Ms. DuFresne, Grammy Award winning Children's Artist, Cathy Fink, and local music teacher, Maureen Andary, have teamed up to create Septima Clark's first ever BanJam Program. Students are learning the basics of fretted instruments - picking, strumming, and singing - each on their own class banjo. Along with these skills, Ms. Andary and Ms. Fink are teaching scholars about the history of Old Time folk music and the origins of the instrument. This Winter, the class will get a special visit from Cheick Hamala Diabate from Mali who will explore the Banjo's African roots. Participating scholars are enthusiastic to sing along with and play this historic instrument and are learning their first song, "Old Joe Clark," with gusto.
The BanJam program is funded through a grant from the Washington, DC Chapter of the Recording Academy and banjos have been donated by Ms. Fink and Ms DuFresne. The class, which meets twice a week, started in November and runs through March 2011. Participating Scholars will perform for the school and for parents in Spring. We can't wait to share this bright, joyful instrument with you!

09/19/2010

Relocation Complete! School Year Started! We are in our new location at 2501 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE in Washington, DC. We are proudly serving 230 brilliant male scholars. Stay posted.

05/31/2010

School concerts teach kids to turn down the volume|Medill | Washington

Wow! Check out Septima's Scholars learning to "Listen to your Buds, Turn it Down". Great concert by Grammy Award winning musicians Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer.

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05/13/2010

SPEND AN EVENING WITH LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. AND DC’S MOST OUTSTANDING CHARTER SCHOOL GRADUATES

04/26/2010

We Are Scholars on a Mission!

01/31/2010

We Have a New Home!

11/20/2009

Scholars Enjoy Climbing Wall Adventure

11/15/2009

Clark Scholars Win 1st Place in Chess Tournament