Scholar & Family Orientation
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Welcome on behalf of the Board of Trustees and Staff of the Amani Public Charter School. We are excited
that you and your child will be a part of the APCS community. We know that students reach their full potential
when their families are active partners in their children’s education. That is why we will provide families with
multiple opportunities to be involved in our school. In order for us to realize our mission, we will continuously
need your help. We will work had to ensure that our families share a voice in the ongoing development of the
school community and culture. We will host typical family-teacher conferences and in addition, hold regularly
scheduled “Family Dinners,” and host other community gatherings in which you will have the opportunity to
meet school’s teachers and staff. Moreover, we will organize a Parent Teachers Association early in the school
year that will meet monthly and provide a forum for parents and staff to gather and openly discuss relevant
issues and plans for upcoming community events. We will also be looking for parents to volunteer throughout
the year. We will be looking for Class Parents, volunteers who will make phone calls twice a month to other
families in your child’s class to make families aware of school and classroom events and opportunities for
involvement. We will also coordinate a recruitment team that will work closely with the Director of Operations
to recruit new students and families to our school. Family volunteers will also be called on to help plan special
events, such as our monthly Family Dinners, fundraisers and other events.
We know that you want what is best for your child. Also we know that you made a choice to be a part of the
Amani Public Charter School, and we honor your decision to be a part of this community. At Amani we
believe that all children can learn and that partnerships with schools, families and community members lead to
success. With your support, we can share the responsibility for decision making about your child’s education
and wellbeing.
Sincerely,
Debra Stern
Founder
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Amani Public Charter School is to provide 100% of Mount Vernon
Scholars who attend the school from the 5th through 8th grade with the academic and
critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in competitive high school programs, college
and the career of their choice. APCS graduates are academically accomplished,
intellectually curious, and civically engaged young people who tackle challenges diligently
and creatively.
Key Design Elements
There are three things that we will execute ridiculously well: great teaching, an exemplary
academic program and strong school culture. Our program will adopt elements of the No
Excuses Model that has proven successful in many charter schools. Every decision in the
school at every level will be made through a process of goal setting, data analysis and
program modification, which we refer to as the Continuous Cycle for Improvement. We are
committed to a number of design elements which will deliver outstanding academic
performance.

Great Teaching
We believe in the slogan made popular by Uncommon Schools, “Without Great
Teachers, Nothing Else Matters.” Our faculty will be the champions and the
backbone of the Amani community. Great teaching drives student achievement. We
will employ a highly qualified faculty that will be committed to the middle school
model and to teaching in an urban environment. We will expect teachers to be
passionate about their content area and reflective about their practice. We will
support the growth of master teachers with a robust embedded professional
development program driven by the data on student achievement.

Exemplary Academic Program
We will develop a standards-based, rigorous academic program, with a strong focus
on literacy and numeracy. Amani will be data-driven school. How are we doing?
How do we know? These are the questions we will ask continuously.

Strong School Culture
We will create a purposefully structured environment marked by rules, rituals and routines. In
order for learning to take place, the school environment needs to be safe for both staff and
students alike.
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
AMANI PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2011-2012
Revised 7/1/11; Academic Calendar is Subject to Revision
August 2011

8/29
First Day of School
September 2011

9/5
Labor Day (No School)
October 2011

10/10 Columbus Day (No School)
November 2011
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
11/11 Veterans’ Day (No School)
11/24-11/25 Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)
December 2011

12/23-12/31
Winter Break (No School)
January 2012



1/1-1/3 Winter Break Continues (No School)
1/4
Classes Resume
1/16 Dr. Martin Luther King Day (No School)
February 2012


2/20-2/24 Mid-Winter Break (No School)
2/27 Classes Resume
March 2012
April 2012


4/6-4/10 Spring Break (No School)
4/11 Classes Resume
May 2012

5/28
Memorial Day (No School)
June 2012


6/27 Last Day of School
6/28-6/29 Snow Day Make Up (as needed)
July 2012

6/2-6/6
Snow Day Make Up (as needed)
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
AMANI QUICK FACTS
PG. 1
CONTACT INFORMATION
Location:
Website:
261 E. Lincoln Ave
Phone:
(914) 668-6450
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Fax:
(914) 699-0839
www.amanicharter.org
Email:
info@amanicharter.org
SCHOOL HOURS
APCS adheres to an extended-day, extended year model. We are in session 195 days of the
year. The regular school day is from 7:45 am to 4:30 pm Monday – Thursday and 7:45 am
to 2:45 pm on Friday. Scholars may arrive for breakfast starting at 7:15am. Additionally,
select scholars may be mandated to attend academic support or behavioral consequence
until 5:30pm Monday – Thursday.
ATTENDANCE
New York State law states that parents/guardians are legally required to make sure that
their child gets to school every day, arrives on time and stays all day. This includes half
days and days preceding and following vacations! More details reading attendance policy
will be provided during orientation. A goal of our charter is AT LEAST 95 % attendance for
every student; and frequent or extended absences from school may result in retention and
put a child’s continued enrollment at the APCS at risk. Absences not only have a direct
negative impact on learning, but on the future of our school as well. Family trips/vacations
should never be scheduled during days that school is in session; extended durations of time
out of school significantly impact learning and send a message that the family does not
place a high value on school and learning
MEALS
Breakfast and lunch are provided to Scholars daily. While not every student qualifies for
free or reduced-pay breakfast and lunch, the school has committed to provide well balanced
meals in school that are affordable for all parents.
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
AMANI QUICK FACTS
PG. 2
APCS Official Scholar Uniform Policy
Official Uniform
The APCS Uniform emphasizes that the school is both a community and a place of work.
Scholars dress in a professional manner that expresses their membership in the community
and that suits the standards of a workplace. Their attire must be neat and tidy and conform
to Amani Public uniform at all times unless other permissions are granted. Amani Public
Charter School’s uniform consists of:





An official Amani Public Charter School “polo” shirt in purple. Shirts must
remain tucked in at all times. Undershirts must be solid white.
The official Amani Public Charter School sweater in heather grey. This
sweater is optional, although scholars will not be allowed to wear other
sweaters or jackets indoors.
Khaki colored pants, worn with a belt through belt loops, or skirts of at least
knee-length. Khaki shorts are acceptable after May 15th, but shorts must
reach to within one inch of the knee
Belts must be solid brown or black leather, and should not have excessive
ornamentation.
Hard-bottomed footwear in solid black or brown. Footwear may be of the
loafer or lace-up style but they must not be open-toed, nor may lace-up shoes
be worn unlaced.
Athletic Uniform
The athletic uniform at Amani Public Charter School is designed for simplicity, neatness,
comfort and safety. For all athletic activities, scholars should wear:



The official Amani Public Charter School physical education t-shirt and/or physical
education sweatshirt (for cold weather) in pewter heather grey.
The official Amani Public Charter School physical education sweatpants or sweat
shorts in pewter heather grey.
Dark-colored sneakers (i.e. “tennis shoes”) or other athletic footwear. Sneakers
should always be worn with socks and must remain tied at all times.
Uniforms can be ordered by following the steps below:
Step 1: Go online to landsend.com/school.
Step 2: Click on “Find your school’s dress code” to look up your schools and enter your
school’s online store.
New York, Mount Vernon
Amani Public Charter School
Preferred School Number: 900144718
Step 3: Place your order.
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
AMANI QUICK FACTS
PG. 3
TEACHING AND LEARNING
More Time to Learn
To ensure academic excellence, we will provide an extended school day and year. During
the longer day, Scholars will have longer reading and writing periods. Scholars will have
90 minutes of math instruction daily. There will be a tutoring block after the regular school
day for Scholars needing additional help. Faculty will refer Scholars to tutoring based on
an on-going review of student achievement results.
How We Will Teach
Our teaching model considers what is socially and academically appropriate for our
Scholars balanced with what allows our faculty flexibility and creativity in exploring the
subject matter. Multiple instructional methodologies enable us to meet the needs of
individual learners versus having the individual learners conform to one academic
approach. It is our hope that we can have an eclectic approach to teaching, as it best suits
our staff and Scholars.
Individualized Learning
Each student will have an individualized learning plan. The individualized learning plan is
part of the process of goal setting, planning, action and review that is central to the Amani
program. The Scholars will set their individual achievement goals in conjunction with
teacher ongoing assessment and the analysis and use of assessment data will be key to
helping the student achieve their goals. Instruction will be tailored to address individual
student needs growing from their individualized learning plan.
Outstanding Faculty
The Amani Public Charter School’s educational model places a priority on teacher training
and professional development. The school will hire highly-qualified faculty whose academic
credentials and prior experience demonstrate a “good fit” with the objectives of the school
and a high likelihood of success providing instruction to diverse groups of Scholars in an
urban charter school environment. It will be the Amani Public Charter School’s expectation
that faculty will learn together, solve problems in teams or as a whole faculty, and will feel
both individual and collective accountability for the success of every student in the school
community.
Differentiated Instruction
We will meet individual learners where they are. That is to say, Amani will provide
academic rigor appropriate to the level of each child. Teaching strategies will be responsive
to children who have different styles and paces of learning through provision of different
pathways to reaching desired goals. Teaching will have a "capacity-building" approach:
focusing on children's interests and strengths rather than viewing differences as deficits.
Every student has strengths and weaknesses. All children, regardless of ability, will need
modifications at some point in their educational career.
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.
AMANI QUICK FACTS
PG. 4
Intense Focus on Literacy
There will be an intense focus on literacy and the development of ELA skills. Amani
subscribes to the belief that in order for Scholars to become proficient readers and writers
of English—and in order to develop the reading comprehension proficiency necessary to
excel in other academic subjects—schools must institute a comprehensive approach to
literacy and ELA. There will be a 90-minute block of ELA instruction each day. The school’s
ELA instructional program will also emphasize the development of strong writing skills,
with writing instruction partnered with the reading of literature and aimed at developing
proficiency in writing in a variety of genres (e.g. descriptive essays, persuasive writing,
fiction, poetry, etc.).
Intense Focus on Mathematics
The School’s daily math instruction will reflect the philosophy that Scholars must be
equipped with strong mathematical and computational skills to be successful on state math
exams, in high school and college mathematics courses and in our increasingly competitive
economy. Mathematics instruction at APCS will reinforce and strengthen Scholars’
foundational learning regarding number sense, computation and geometry while building
their understanding of probability and statistics, algebra, computation with fractions,
decimals, and percents and other important math concepts incorporated into the state
performance standards
Comprehensive Services for Special Education and English Language Learners
We will provide comprehensive services and programs to help all of our Scholars to succeed.
These services and programs will include: a full special education program utilizing special
education faculty and, as the school grows, a full-time Special Education Coordinator, with
support from social workers; an ELL instructional program designed to promote English
language proficiency and academic achievement for all ELL Scholars; and academic
intervention services and other initiatives to address the needs of Scholars who are at-risk.
Homework Expectation
All APCS Scholars are assigned homework every night, and on weekends. Homework
packets are assigned for extended vacations from school. All APCS Scholars will go home
with a book from the classroom and will be assigned 15-30 minutes of reading every night
(depending on grade level). Homework reinforces the learning that Scholars are doing in
their classrooms. Homework is assigned to establish patterns of responsibility and help
Scholars develop strong study habits. Parents are expected to check all homework before
Scholars turn in assignments. Some homework assignments may involve the participation
of family members.
To educate and inspire; to uplift and transform. Every scholar. Every year.