The mission of Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP) Mayoral Academy is to prepare every scholar for success in college and the world beyond.

November 2014

The PRIDE Press

Bringing you monthly updates and happenings at Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy.

Letter from the Executive Director

I am pleased to share with you BVP's
very first annual report
!

It feels like just yesterday that a small group of community and education leaders came together and asked the question, "What would be possible if we could start a school from scratch?"

At the beginning of the journey to explore the answer to that question, our very first school opened in 2009 with a group of 76 kindergartners. BVP today serves nearly 1,200 scholars in grades K-9, and our high school opened for the first time this past fall.

BVP's teachers and leaders have learned so much during the past five years, and we are excited to have this opportunity to share more formally our successes and plans for growth.

In this report, you'll be able to read more about our "Points of PRIDE," including prestigious honors like becoming a member of the National Coalition of Diverse Charter Schools and celebrating our teachers as they received national and statewide honors, including the RI co-Elementary Art Educator of the Year and the Milken Educator awards.

You can also learn more about our scholars' academic achievements, including the impressive fact that the percentage of BVP scholars scoring proficient exceeded the state average in 100% of grades for both reading and math.

We truly could not do this work without you, which is why our report is called, "Together we grow. Together, we make an impact. Together, we prove what is possible." Help us strengthen and grow our community by forwarding this email to your friends and family.

Finally, on behalf of all of us at BVP, I want to say thank you for supporting the work of putting all scholars on a path to success in college and the world beyond.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Chiappetta

Executive Director

Click on the image below to read BVP's 2014 Annual Report!

BVP's 2014 Annual Report

Support BVP During the Holidays

BVP made history in September when our high school opened its doors to the first class of ninth graders.

Scholars are growing more comfortable in classrooms where words like "playlists" and "mastery" are part of their daily learning.

Still, it is both daunting and exciting to know that in just three more years, we will be celebrating another BVP first: their high school graduation.

Learn more about how you can support BVP this holiday season. Click here.

School Spotlight

Middle School Scholar Council Members Officially Sworn In

Middle School Scholar Council members were sworn into office by Lincoln Town Administrator Joseph Almond.

Scholars also received official citations signed by statewide elected officials.

In this picture, the eighth graders proudly hold up their citations after the official swearing-in ceremony.

Resources for Families

New items are now available for purchase on the BVP Merchandise website... just in time for the holidays!

Be sure to get your jackets, mugs, scarves and car magnets as fun gifts or stocking stuffers. Visit the site www.bvpmerchandise.com.

BVP Musings

My Take on the 2014 Rhode Island Ed Evaluation Results

"Yesterday, the Rhode Island Department of Education released this report about educator evaluation in our state. In short, the report shows that nearly every teacher and administrator in Rhode Island is Effective or Highly Effective. Statewide, 98% of teachers are rated Effective and 56% of teachers reached the highest bar of Highly Effective."

Read the rest of this post here.

3 Scholars Discuss President Obama's Visit to RIC

"Before the guest of honor ever addressed the crowd at Rhode Island College, we had a lengthy and tedious wait in chilly weather. It might seem like an unlikely way for three high school scholars to spend Halloween, but we were waiting for the President: Barack Obama! As the man behind us said, 'I will only stand for two and a half hours to hear the President speak.' We agree!"

Read the rest of this post here.