Hello families!

Welcome to another mission and vision infused school year.  My name is Principal McIntosh and I am the director of the K-5 Lower and Upper Elementary.

I have been with 21st Century Charter School since 2005 and am grateful for the opportunities to touch the lives of students, grow as a professional, and be a part of a great team. I began my career at 21st as a career teacher. From there I moved into leadership as a mentor teacher, Assistant Principal, and building Principal of the Primary Elementary school. I am excited to begin my 1st year as Director of K-5 at 21st Century Charter School. I am pleased to be a part of a great school community that promotes and provides avenues for our scholars to earn college credits while attending high school. We have an important job at the elementary school because this is where it all begins. The instruction we provide students must prepare them to be career and college ready. Their experiences in this building will be the ones to guide their development and decision making in future grades.  I am excited to partner with all of our families and staff to ensure a successful academic year for all 21C scholars!

Educationally Yours,

Nicole McIntosh
Director, K-5
21st Century Charter School

Greetings 21st Century Families!

I hope this letter finds you safe, healthy, and in an overall good space. As we embark on another school year, I would like to take this time to welcome returning families and students and to welcome any new families and students to 21st Century Charter School. Thank you for choosing to partner with us as we do what is best for children!

This is an exciting year for our students in grades 6-9, because it is the founding year of the Junior High Campus at 1440 E. 35th Ave. For most students, this is an opportunity for students to embark on their new academic journey on a new campus.

COVID had a major impact on academics, but we must partner together to ensure that this does not continue to be the narrative for students. This is going to require us to partner together to ensure that instructional time is maximized every single day. We have BIG goals to ensure that we can help our students succeed, but we cannot achieve them without you!

Big Goals:

• 100% of students demonstrate 1.5 years of academic growth as measured by NWEA
• 100% of students are making progress towards grade level proficiency on ILEARN
• 100% of our 9th graders are on track with their Core 40 Credits and successfully complete the Knowledge Assessment to enroll in college and career classes

In order to achieve the goals above, we need your commitment and that of your students to come to school every single day ready to learn. We ask that you have encouraging conversations with students daily and remind them to be responsible and respectful to themselves, all students, and all staff. We had several peer conflicts last year that interrupted learning, and that simply cannot happen if we are to meet our goals.

This year, I ask for your patience and understanding, because I will not be available unless a meeting has been scheduled and on my calendar. There will be a “first responder” list including contact information posted to ensure that your requests can be addressed. This year, my main focus and priority will be on instruction, supporting teachers to ensure our students’ academic achievement. I thank you in advance for your cooperation and partnership this year.

Together we can achieve anything!

Mr. D. Velasco
Principal: Junior High School (6-9)
dvelasco@geoacademies.org

Welcome Back Scholars & Parents to 22-23!

I wanted to start off by saying, “Thank you” to each and every one of you. It has been a tough time for all in the education system, but at 21C we persist, we don’t quit. We can truly say we attribute all student success to the valuable partnership we share with your scholars and you, without you and your support, we wouldn’t produce such outstanding rates. We are happy to report that our graduation rate remains above 90%, we have one of the highestCCR (College & Career readiness) ratings in the state. You and your scholar are a part of such a great program, we strive to be the best.

Last year, we celebrated the fact that we had 2 young scholars earn their Associate degree by the end of their 10th grade year and are on track to earn their Bachelor’s degree by the time of their graduation. GEO Academies wasalso recognized this Summer at Indiana’s Black Expo for our great academic achievements. If you’re wondering, “Did I choose the right place?” The answer is “Yes!”. If you and your scholar are looking for college or career while in high school, if you’re looking for a non-traditional learning environment, if you’re looking for a safe place, if you’re looking for a supportive learning environment, the College & Career Center is for you!

Every year we have a banner of our student achievers and the list is growing. We started out with 1 and currentlyhave grown to 3 banners that we hang in the hallways, your scholar can be added to the list. Each poses challenges and there may be some pitfalls. We are in the middle of a teacher shortage across the country, but 21C is committed to delivering high quality instruction through reputable online programming. We find ways to ensure that our scholars receive quality instruction irregardless of the current circumstances. Our motto is “Believe”. We believe that we are the best school in Northwest Indiana, and we truly believe our scholars and parents are the best stakeholders. “Dream the Impossible, See the Invisible, Pursue the Intangible, Achieve the Incredible, (Matshana Dhliwayo)” School Year 2022-2023, will be incredible, if we believe…… Looking forward to leading out and adding more scholars to the banner!

Mrs. Krishelle Murphy, College & Career Center (10-12)