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Birch Grove students are seen hard at work, while enjoying their outdoor classroom. Photo courtesty of Birch Grove Charter School
Located near the northern shore of Lake Superior in the town of Tofte, you will find Birch Grove Community School. A tuition free, public charter school, Birch Grove was originally opened in 2005 and offers care and education for students in their Saplings program (daycare run as a preschool) as well as 43 students in grades K- 5. With accolades from the Minnesota Department of Education, and consistent high MCA scores, Birch Grove has continued to flourish even during the past year, which has been filled with obstacles and setbacks for all schools across Cook County.
Diane Blanchette has been the director of the school from its inception and explained, “This of course, has been a very different year for us, as with all schools. We were prepared to start the school year in September with all COVID-19 procedures in place. The surprise though was the high increase of enrollment (mostly due to other schools’ choice of remote Safe Learning Plans). Even with the high increase of enrollment, we were ready to start the year with M-TH on site and Fridays in distance learning. I give great credit to the school and Saplings staff for making this year work with relatively few hiccups. All in all, it’s been a pretty great year!”
Birch Grove Community School has three multi grade classrooms, with a teacher in each, a special education teacher and paraprofessionals on staff. Small class sizes allow for one-on-one attention and engagement of all students. Their small size has also enabled them to successfully remain open throughout the pandemic. Birch Grove focuses on reading, writing and mathematics and their current practice includes a scientifically based curriculum. Ms. Blanchette described Birch Grove as, “A place that, has always been known for an emphasis on the outdoors, ice skating on site (they have a rink/warming hut and bathroom), snowshoeing, hiking and visiting the lake. We also have woods behind the building that include a campsite (this is where the summer program Campsite Kids happens).” These unique accommodations have especially helped to align with the current recommendations to be outside as much as possible.
Parents and community involvement also play a huge role in making Birch Grove a special place. Their current school board and committee members are a diverse group (parents, teachers, community members) who meet monthly to discuss and review all matters pertaining to the operation of the school. Teachers also do a stellar job in keeping everyone updated on the current happenings and achievements within their classrooms. Weekly newsletters, written by the staff, are informative and detailed and are sent home with students as well as found on the school website, along with ways to become involved in all things Birch Grove.
In addition, from the school webpage, you can find summer program information as well as available employment opportunities. They are always looking for great staff dedicated to preparing students to be active and responsible citizens in their community. Take the time to check out their Facebook page or read more about their programming and successes on the school website at www.Birchgroveschool.com.
A quick visit will remind you that Birch Grove Community School is an exemplary place to learn and grow in Cook County.
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