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Community School

7815 Williamson Rd., Roanoke, VA, 24019-0240 -

School Notes Overview:

Community School provides a program that is a haven for those who value experiential education over standardized test results. Our school nurtures children's individual learning styles and fosters creative and analytical thinking. Our students develop personal responsibility for their education and a passion for learning. Small, multi-age classes create flexible classroom environments that promote individual achievement and student collaboration. We integrate the arts, Spanish, and technology throughout the curriculum. Our success lies in our emphasis on students' involvement in their own education. Community School moves students from being passive recipients to active participants in their pursuit of skill and knowledge. Research proves that this is how children learn best....

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School Overview:

	Community School
School Membership(s)	National Association for the Education of Young Children State or regional independent school association
Religious Affiliation	Nonsectarian
Grades Offered	Grades Nursery/Preschool - 8
Year Founded	1971
County	Roanoke County, VA
Student Body
Total Students	140 students
Student Body Type	Co-ed
	This School	(VA) School Avg.
% Students of Color	14%	19%
Students by Grade
	Unspecified Grade Placement - 140 students
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers	19 teachers
Average Class Size	12
	This School	(VA) School Avg.
Teacher : Student Ratio	1:8	* Ntl. Public School Avg. » 1:16
School Days in Calendar Year	170 days	180 days
Hours in School Day for Students	6 hours	6 hours
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline	None / Rolling
% on Financial Aid	40%
Head of School	Holly Hirst
Admissions Director	Victoria Coogan

School Notes:

Our curriculum is designed to create students who know how to ask questions, seek information, think critically and analytically, solve problems creatively, and communicate effectively in a variety of formats. We use an experiential approach; students learn by doing and acquire the skills to apply their knowledge in real world situations. Learning materials and activities are multi-cultural, concrete, and relevant to children's lives. Our curriculum is integrated and interdisciplinary. Students work both individually and in small groups. The learning environment and lessons are developmentally appropriate to each multi-age grouping. Teachers differentiate instruction based on individual academic and developmental readiness. Children learn to set goals and take responsibility for their own learning. They learn about their role in the greater community through service learning and mentoring. All our students study music, drama, and visual art. These subjects center on an annual school-wide theme and tie directly to students' core studies in literature, social studies, math, and science. Each student studies Spanish, learns about Latino cultures, and benefits from an international exchange program between Community School and a private school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Regular technology classes begin in the lower elementary. Teachers integrate technology into the curriculum in upper elementary and middle school. We provide a fully equipped computer lab as well as computers in most core classrooms. We are a non-graded school. We hold quarterly parent/student/teacher conferences. Students set personal goals and compile portfolios of their work, while teachers provide skills-based assessments and detailed narratives describing students' physical, social, emotional, and academic progress. We administer the Stanford 10 to our older middle school students and provide grades for high-school-level course work.
Profile last updated: 09/06/2009

In the News:

Indiana School District Makes Student Achievement Soar With Powerful Data Analysis and Decision-Making Tool From Pearson (PRWeb)
posted on May 5, 2009 at 02:59:34 pm
Newest Update to Pearson Inform Launched with Enhanced Support for Linking Assessment to Instruction, New Response to Intervention (RtI) Connection (PRWeb May 5, 2009) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/05/prweb2389314.htm
You must be logged in to rate this story. (WDBJ 7 Roanoke)
posted on May 2, 2009 at 11:24:13 pm
When you think of food combinations, you think of peanut butter and jelly, hummus and pita bread, and cookies and milk. You probably don't think of strawberries and chili. If you went into downtown Roanoke Saturday, that combination was probably on your mind.
Sweet tastes of springtime at Community School's Strawberry Festival - roanoke.com (Roanoke Times)
posted on May 2, 2009 at 05:41:01 am
At the Strawberry Festival there are smoothies, shortcakes and berries galore. Some 12,840 shortcakes. 7,200 pints of strawberries. 2,500 volunteer hours.
Strawberry Festival off to a good start (WSLS Newschannel 10 Roanoke)
posted on May 1, 2009 at 10:07:55 pm
The Strawberry Festival in Elmwood Park got off to a good start. People were there within minutes after the festival began at 10 a.m. on Friday. From strawberry shortcakes, sundaes, berries and cream and smoothies, there was something there for people of all ages.
Preparations underway for the Strawberry Festival in Roanoke (WDBJ 7 Roanoke)
posted on April 30, 2009 at 08:38:58 pm
It's time for the Strawberry Festival benefiting the Community School. The berries are sorted, from there the whole berries move into the slicer and land in buckets-- where sugar is added.

View all past news stories

School Zip Statistics:

About This Zipcode (24019)	School Zip (24019)	(VA) State Average
Population (Approximate)	24,560 people	7,077,888 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree	32%	26%
Population Average Age	39 years old	35 years old
Average Household size	2.5 persons	2.5 persons
Median Household Income	$49,801	$55,023
Avg. # of Rooms in Household	6.4 rooms	6.1 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure	34 years old	34 years old
	View housing listings in 24019
Median Value of Housing Unit Zipcode (24019) What's a Zindex? Subject to Zillow Terms of Use
% Owning / % Renting	83% / 17%	66% / 34%