News Release

October 22, 2008

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey to tour Novato Charter School

When: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:00 a.m.
Where: Novato Charter School, 940 C Street, Novato, CA

Background:
The Novato Charter School will host Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, a long time advocate of education reform, on a special campus tour Wednesday, October 29 at 9:00 am. Joining the tour will be Superintendent Dr. Jan La Torre-Derby and Trustees of the Novato Unified School District.

Congresswoman Woolsey’s recent vote to pass the No Child Left Inside Act to improve existing environmental education programs will strengthen the Novato Charter School’s emphasis on eco-literacy and whole-child education.

“As we look for the best ways to prepare our children for the future, we cannot forget that the best education teaches the whole child,” said Woolsey. “Environmental education is a great way to tie together so many important subjects and lessons while also teaching students about the environment and how to play an integral role in preserving it for their future.”

About Novato Charter School

The Novato Charter School will become the first solar-powered school in Novato when it completes installation of a photo-voltaic solar power system in late November. The installation is part of the school’s commitment to environmental education that reaches into the classroom, where teachers weave an ecological theme into each grade’s curriculum.
Novato Charter School ranks in the top 10% of California’s Star Testing, achieving its strong academic results through drama, art, and music integrated into daily lessons. Located at Hamilton Field, NCS blends Waldorf methods and best educational practices to support the healthy growth and development of the whole child. The school serves children from kindergarten through 8th grade.

A nature-based perspective is integrated throughout the Novato Charter School curriculum, but it is most visible in the school’s organic gardening and recycling programs. The program is based on the belief that nature serves as the common ground for all cultures, and that respect for the earth encourages social responsibility, as well as environmentally conscious living.

For more information about Novato Charter School and its environmental program, please visit our web site http://www.novatocharterschool.org/video-nurturing-green-citizens and view the video “Greening our Citizens.”

Contact: Rachael Bishop, Director, Novato Charter School at 415.883.4254