Environmental Charter Schools, which operates the highly successful Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, is opening a middle school to serve Gardena and its neighboring communities.  Environmental Charter Middle School will open with 120 6th graders in the Fall of 2010. We will be located at 3600 West Imperial Highway in the city of Inglewood, only a mile northwest of Gardena’s city limits.  Applications are still being accepted. Please click the admissions tab above for an application to Environmental Charter Middle School
Environmental Charter Middle School will offer students a small, caring school environment that supports their transition from elementary school and prepares them for high school success. Our educational program is designed for students to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes to succeed in a college preparatory high school and to be effective stewards of their community.

• Tuition free
• Opening in Gardena with 6th grade in Fall 2010 and adding 7th grade Fall 2011 and 8th grade Fall 2012
• Open to students regardless of district boundaries
• A small learning environment—300 students total. Class size approximately 25
• A rigorous academic program
• An emphasis on social responsibility
• Field trips and project-based learning that connect academics to real world tasks
• An arts-integrated curriculum
• Student uniforms

Important Dates for Incoming Students

• July 19-23 — Summer Bridge for students accepted into ECMS. More information in student enrollment package.
• Saturday, July 31 OR Saturday, August 7 — Enrollment Meetings for families of accepted students. 10:00 to 12:00 followed by math placement testing from 12:00 to 1:00
• August 31 — first day of school. Minimum day schedule—8am to 12:25pm.

Admissions

ECMS is open to all students regardless of district boundaries. There is no test for admission. Applications to ECMS are available at our high school (16315 Grevillea, Lawndale CA), at our information meetings and wesbite.  Any 5th grader may apply.  
Applications may be returned to our high school office or submitted at an information meeting.

A random lottery was not necessary and new applications will be accepted in the order they are received until no more space is available. Then applications will be added to the waitlist in the order they are received.   
Environmental Charter Middle School will be a public charter school that operates independently of a traditional school district. As a public school, Environmental Charter Middle School does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or disability and does not charge tuition.
For more information, contact ECMS Principal, Kami Cotler, at kami_cotler@echsonline.org or 310-214-3400  ext. 202.

Special Features of Environmental Charter Middle School

At ECMS we believe in a small learning community. Our sixth graders stay with a team of two teachers (Math/Science and English/History) through seventh grade, giving teachers more time to get to know students and their families and ensuring that our 6th and 7th graders’ learning needs are met. Our eighth graders learn in a more traditional model, with a teacher for each subject, in order to prepare them for high school. Every student has an adviser who stays with them through their entire time at middle school. Community-building activities are built into the curriculum to allow students to learn and practice the skills they need to work with others in a collaborative community. Parents are encouraged to volunteer on campus and to attend class plays and presentations.

At ECMS we believe that the whole child is important- academically, socially, emotionally, creatively and physically.  We integrate our curriculum, drawing connections between all subjects and teaching through themes. These themes are targeted at topics of interest to middle school students, such as revolution, discovery, and justice.  Teachers integrate the arts into instruction, developing the creativity of students and ensuring that learning is multi-modal and engaging. Specially designed activities from the Tribes Program are embedded in the curriculum to address the social-emotional learning needs of middle school students.  Four strands of specialty subjects (arts and handwork, games and movement, Green Tribes, and AVID) address the whole person in a variety of ways.  Through these courses, students will use their brains and bodies in concert to practice physical movements, fine motor skills, artistic endeavors, service projects, and creative problem solving.

At ECMS we believe that learning occurs best when students are actively involved.  Field trips and project-based learning connect education to the real world. For example, rather than just reading about how the nutrients in soil help plants to grow, students will actually grow plants in the school garden, test the nutrient levels in the soil, explore different outcomes in different growing environments, reflect on their findings, and present their findings in both written and oral presentations.  Service learning projects allow students to apply their skills and knowledge to serve others or a cause greater than themselves. Examples of Service Learning projects include teaching younger students about environmental problems and what they can do to help solve the problem, presenting data to local lawmakers and business leaders about environmentally detrimental practices, or working with local scientists to collect sand samples to measure the levels of pollution on local beaches.

At ECMS the beauty of nature is honored and celebrated. ECMS recognizes that in order to become a steward of the environment, one must develop an appreciation for nature.  Young people living in an urban community may not have had many experiences in nature.  Therefore, ECMS aims to provide many learning experiences for students that are outside of the urban environment.  When possible, we use natural materials in our arts, handwork, and furnishings. Students and teachers at ECMS value their class materials and resources and take steps to ensure that they are being used responsibly. We emphasize community responsibility, beginning with the individual and extending to the classroom, campus, community and world.  ECMS students learn environmentally sustainable practices that wisely manage resources for today and tomorrow.