Miscellaneous

As a public school, yes our third and fourth graders do participate in the FCAT.  However, it is important to note that we take a different philosophy than many schools.  Some schools spend a great deal of time preparing students for the FCAT.  At PPA, Jr. we believe in providing an effective well-rounded education, and in the process they will do well on the FCAT.  We do not spend a great deal of time preparing students for "the test," instead we focus on teaching.  Please take a moment to view our Student Assessment page to learn more about how we plan to assess student progress. 

We ask that parents submit any type of educational plans which may be in place for your student, when you apply so that we can talk with you about our programs as they relate specifically to your student’s.  We will initially have a part-time ESE teacher available at the school to work with students who receive services through an IEP. It is important for all families to understand the benefits and limitations that our school has to offer before they decide to enroll their child.  Special education services are an important thing to talk to us about during your tour if they apply to your student. If your child has an involved situation or a lot of services, we may request an IEP meeting with your student’s current team if they are currently attending a public school, so that we can get a better understanding of the needs of the student. In classroom as well as testing accommodations are provided for based on either an IEP or a 504 Plan, and our staff are familiar with doing so. 

Yes, we have two separate before and after care programs running simultaneously so as to separate the primary students from the middle school students. 

Yes, students will be required to wear uniforms in 2012-2013. More information will be available on the website soon, but you may contact the Principal for more information.

PPA, Jr. does not offer any type of busing to or from school.  We are located on a PSTA bus route, and we work with families to develop car pool plans and assist with car pooling wherever we can.  

We have a whole page on our site dedicated to explaining What a Charter School Is.  Essentially, a Charter school is an independently operated public school.  That means we make decisions locally, based on our mission and our students, to ensure they receive the best possible education.  Charter schools are established to meet a specific need, and ours is to work with students who need to be challenged more in regards to academics and to provide an integrated thematic instructional program for students. 

PPA, Jr. contracts with the Pinellas County Schools to provide a hot lunch program for those students who wish to participate.  Students may bring their own sack lunches, or may buy a lunch from school.  When the teacher takes attendance in the morning they will also do a lunch count, and we then order the exact number of lunches requested from the county.  The lunch menu will be posted to our website, through a Google Calendar, so that you can always have access to the menu.  Lunch currently costs $2.25 for regular priced meals, $0.40 for reduced price and for those who qualify for free lunch, there is no cost. 

No, PPA, Jr. and PPA do not participate in the early release Wednesdays that the district has.  Our school days are consistent throughout the week. There may be a small handful of days where we do have early release, but those will be advertised at the start of the year when the calendar becomes available. For the 2010-11 school year, the last day of school is the only day we have an early release day. 

The main difference between a Charter and a Fundamental are the laws that enable the two schools.  Fundamental Schools operate under a different set of laws.  Those laws allow for things like a contract with the parent that if the parent does not meet certain expectations (such as signing the agenda, attending PTA meetings, etc.), that the student can be dismissed from the fundamental program.  The curricular program is also a sort of 'back to basics' program that focuses very heavily on the core academics. Charter Schools were established as a way to experiment and provide alternatives to public schools.  PPA, Jr. is focused on students who really want to put forth the effort and succeed in their education, as well as, provide a very project/thematic based learning environment where students will be immersed in a multi-disciplinary program.  Yes, we will be very much focused on core academics, but we believe that through the units of study we will be using we will be able to incorporate much more than just the basics.