Northwoods Community Secondary School

Northwoods Community Secondary School (NCSS) was an American charter school in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Founded in 2003, the school offered a project-based curriculum.[1][2]

Northwoods Community Secondary School
Address
665 Coolidge Avenue

Rhinelander
,
Oneida
,
Wisconsin
54501

United States
Information
School typePublic, Charter
Motto"We're Building A Better World One Student At a Time"
Opened2003
FounderJames Blackstone
Closed2017
School districtSchool District of Rhinelander
SuperintendentKelly Jacobi
AdministratorWil Losch
Grades6-12
Enrollmentca. 70
LanguageEnglish
Hours in school day7
MascotHodag
RivalAntigo Red Robins
Websitehttp://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/ncss/index.cfm

In 2011 the Rhinelander Environmental Stewardship Academy was moved to NCSS due to a significant decrease in enrollment and the resignation of the head teacher.

Despite the passing of a 2010 referendum[3] to keep NCSS at its location, it was decided in 2012 that the school would be moved to the Rhinelander High School.[4]

The school was closed at the end of the 2017 school year.[5][6]

Curriculum

Northwoods Community Secondary School offered public enrollment to approximately 90 students between 6th and 12th grade. The curriculum was independent project-based learning, as an alternative to lecture-based instruction. Students were required to develop projects in order to meet the academic requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The students worked at their own pace to complete their work. Math and language arts seminars were held twice weekly. Students received credits based on performance rather than grades.[7] Students were required to earn seven credits per year (700 hours of work, plus 25 hours of community service and 50 hours of physical education).

Community service

Each NCSS Student was required to perform 25 hours of community service per school year.[8] Community service projects included:

  • Grace Lodge: “Adopt a Grand Parent”
  • Operation Clean Up, or "OCU", where students rake and snow shovel for the neighboring houses
  • Working at the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry
  • Working at St. Joe's Thrift Shop
  • Mural painting
  • Senior Center: Helping the elderly
  • Contributing to the Rhinelander animal shelter
  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: Cleaning the river front
  • City Hall: Archive organizing
  • Rhinelander Historical House Tours during the Courthouse Centennial Celebration (2008)
  • Community garden
  • Veterans Day program
  • Senior (citizen) Prom with the Kids In Need Foundation
  • Tree Haven: “A Tree for Tomorrow”
  • North Side of former location
  • Gymnasium of former location
  • South side of former location
gollark: Well, I have 5 things you can vaguely consider computers. Everyone is identical to me, of course. And I've met more than 200 people. QED.
gollark: There are more than *1000* computers in the world right now, you know.
gollark: I mean, computers are quite popular.
gollark: They probably *should* learn how to computer at least a bit, but...
gollark: I don't know, scuba diving, car maintenence, electrical engineering, whatever.

References
  1. Giles Morris. "Northwoods Community Secondary School Gets National Attention", Wisconsin Charter Schools Association, May 12, 2009.
  2. "Northwoods Community Secondary School Home". School District of Rhinelander. Retrieved April 02, 2010.
  3. Sarah Juon. "Board delves deeper into cuts". Rhinelander Daily News, December 9, 2009.
  4. "Northwoods Community Secondary School". Rhinelander School District. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  5. Persike, Eileen (April 11, 2017). "Approval Sought to Close Rhinelander School". Hodag Star Journal. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  6. Beu, Erin (April 18, 2017). "NCSS Charter School will close at end of school year". Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  7. Northwoods Community Secondary School Performance Rubric Archived December 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Social Studies Connections. K-12 Energy Education Program. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  8. Sparacio, Natalie; Prescott, Jeannie (26 September 2008). "Class of the Week Winner 9/26/08: Northwoods Community Secondary School". WAOW News.

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