These are some of our most frequently asked questions. Please also see our “About” page for more information about what makes TESG unique. If your question isn’t answered on that page or here or if you’d like more details about a topic, please contact us at info@tesgk8.org.
What is a charter school? How much does it cost to attend TESG?
A charter school is a public school granted the right to operate by the state of NC. More information about charter schools can be found here.
Because TESG is a public school, it is free to attend. There is no tuition!
How big is the school?
For 2023-2024, we expect 350 students in grades K-8. Our class sizes for kindergarten are capped at 16 students. For grades 1-8, our class sizes are capped at 20. Classes are multi-aged between two grades, expect for kindergarten..
Our classes are arranged in “houses”–a set of classes that are grouped together. Students within a house often work together on projects, eat lunch together, take field trips together, and present their work to one another. Teachers within a house plan together and share students in guided reading groups, writing workshops, math workshops, and DBL activities (see below). This structure helps build community between all our students and teachers and facilitates flexible grouping by student interest and need. We have one Kindergarten House made up of our two Kindergarten classes. The Kindergarten House has 2 classes, a teacher for each and one assistant teacher for the house. The 1st/2nd grade House has 3 classes, a teacher for each and one assistant teacher for the house. The rest of the houses are made up of four classes. We have a 3rd/4th grade house, a 5th/6th grade house, and a 7th/8th grade house. For grades 1-8, each class has one teacher and an assistant teacher for the house. We have one EC teacher per house, 4 arts teachers, and a school counselor.
What is your school’s philosophy?
We believe in children’s innate intelligence, curiosity, creativity, and wonder. We believe children are active knowers/innovators. We believe inquiry-based, multi-modal learning experiences encourage children to explore their passions and work actively with their community. We believe that social justice should be the lens for all our teaching and learning. You can learn more on our Philosophy and Methods page.
What is experiential education?
In experiential education (ee), children learn academic skills and content knowledge (meet standards) through hands-on, active, meaningful work. At TESG, ee has six characteristics: (1) Learning is inquiry-based. (2) Learning is hands-on and active. (3) Learning occurs in context. (4) Learning is creative and cooperative. (5) Learning occurs in a supportive environment. (6) Learning is interdisciplinary.
What is design-based learning?
Design-Based Learning (DBL) is one of our experiential methods. It is very different than the typical project a student does in school (or that parents spend time doing “with” their child at home). This video from John Spencer (spencerauthor.com) helps explain it.
Students and teachers have different roles within a DBL project than they do within a traditional classroom. In traditional classes, students are often passive receivers of knowledge and teachers are the active presenters of knowledge–a “sage on the stage”. DBL creates a new dynamic in the classroom.
Students in DBL work in collaborative student groups; pose and solve real-world questions/problems; plan, research, experiment, and reflect; and produce a prototype/solution. They learn by doing and creating!
Teachers in DBL help students set tasks and timelines, learn information and skills needed for their tasks, and find idea resources and expert advisers. They ensure learning goals in all subject areas are attended to within the context of projects. They coach and facilitate.
Click here for more resources.
Does TESG have a religious affiliation?
No, because TESG is a public school, we do not have a religious affiliation. All children and families of all faiths are welcome to attend TESG.
Will the children wear uniforms or follow a standard mode of dress (SMOD)?
No, students at TESG are welcome to wear clothing of their choice. Their outfits and shoes should be weather and school appropriate and comfortable for work and play. We love seeing children’s creative fashions!
What calendar does TESG follow?
TESG follow a 185 day calendar for 2023-2024. Our school year will begin each year in late August and end in early June.
What are the daily school hours?
The school day will run from 8:30-3:30, with classrooms opening at 8:00 and fee-based early morning care available from 7:30-8:00. School begins promptly at 8:30 and students are considered late if not there by that time. All children not attending an after school club, tutoring session, or activity must be picked up by 3:45.
Where is the school?
Our school building is located at the corner of Church and Washington Streets in Downtown Greensboro. Yet in experiential education, the school isn’t just the building–it’s the community! Our location offers students access to many resources available in downtown Greensboro, including: LeBauer Park, The Historical Museum, The Children’s Museum, The Public Library, The Cultural Center, Elsewhere Museum, Triad Stage, and more!
These community partnerships expand the classroom into the world outside of it, allowing students to learn in meaningful, hands-on, and socially conscious ways.
What kind of safety plans do you have?
TESG follows typical public school safety protocols. We keep exterior doors externally locked and use cameras to monitor who enters the school. Everyone entering the building will enter through our main lobby, where they interact with our staff and sign in if they are fully entering the school. Everyone working with students will be background checked. As with all schools, we also have safety plans in place with local emergency responders and review our protocols with them regularly. We are located in an urban area and as such, the public will be moving around the exterior of our building regularly. We are confident that the protocols we have in place ensure the security of our students and the building.
Is there transportation?
We provide bus service with community stops for families at no cost. We may facilitate carpools to help families who prefer that method of transportation. And for families who prefer Greensboro Transit, we are very accessible to public transportation.
Is there after school care?
There are three primary options for full-time after-school care.
The Community Theatre of Greensboro has partnered with TESG to offer Drama Time. The programs runs daily from 3:30-6:00 pm and is hosted on-site at the school. Students participating in the program explore a variety of creative and performing arts activities like singing, movement, acting, improvisation, and arts and crafts. The program is designed to promote self-expression, imagination, public speaking skills, social and mental awareness, physical coordination, self-confidence, self-discipline, self-respect, and teamwork skills. The fee for Drama Time is comparable to ACES and payable directly to CTG.
TESG has also partnered with the Center for Visual Artists to offer after school, holiday, and teacher workday care through CVA’s KidStudio and Artventure programs. Families register for these programs directly with CVA and all fees are paid directly to CVA. For more information about the terms and conditions for these programs, families should visit the websites linked above. On school days at 3:30, TESG staff will be responsible for transporting children from the school to the CVA studios on the 4th floor of the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center. We gather children enrolled in CVA KidStudio to a central meeting area, ensure that children are ready for the walk, accompany them on foot to the CVA studios, and sign them in to their rooms. Families are responsible for picking their child up from the CVA studios. On holidays and teacher workdays, families are responsible for registering their child for Artventure in advance of the day and for dropping off and picking up their child directly from the CVA studios.
The city of Greensboro offers after school and teacher workday care that families may arrange if they better suit their needs. Details about the city after school care programs can be found here: Recreation Center After School Programs. We announce which recreation centers are community stops. We will not be able to provide transportation to other recreation centers.
Some families may choose to enroll their students in extracurricular classes/lessons with the Children’s Museum or tenants of the Greensboro Cultural Center (the Center for Visual Arts, Dance Project, Greensboro Ballet, etc.). Students can use our transportation to these locations and parents can pick them up from there after their classes/lessons.
Certain days of the week, our teachers and community partners may offer clubs hosted on campus. These activities may help fill the gaps in afternoon care left by other options. Exact offerings will be based on student and community interest, but possibilities include coding and robotics clubs, Odyssey of the Mind, Battle of the Books, chorus, dance team, and drama club. Teachers will also offer after school tutoring for students who need it.
What is lunch like?
Students are welcome to bring their lunches or pre-order food from the school. Lunches will be available for pre-order through My Hot Lunchbox from local vendors. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch will receive those same services at TESG. See the Lunches page for more details.
How much unstructured play time do children have each day?
Research shows that unstructured time is crucial to a child’s social, emotional, and academic development. Children at TESG has several opportunities during each school day to play and be social. While the exact amount of unstructured time may vary from day to day, students will have no less than 30 minutes of recess (a period of non-instructional play, preferably occurring outdoors) and no less than 25 minutes for lunch.
What is TESG’s stance on homework?
As experiential educators, we believe that people learn all the time in all spaces–not just in a classroom during the school day! As such, we help families support their child’s curiosity and creativity at home and help them find the learning opportunities that exist all around. A walk around the neighborhood or a trip to the grocery store can be learning adventures! Playing a board game or helping make dinner can be real-world ways to practice all kinds of academic and social skills.
Specific policies on homework may be developed in community with our teachers and administrators, taking into account families’ thoughts and current research on the topic.
How will TESG support the needs of my child?
TESG recognizes that all children need different forms of support and instruction to thrive. We believe in creating an environment that is responsive to the abilities, needs, and preferences of students and families. TESG provides the full continuum of services that students needs to be successful as determined by IEP or 504 plans.
Students and families that need English language learning support also receive those services.
Similarly, students who need additional challenge in their curriculum in order to meet their full potential receive differentiation within the classroom and have access to a variety of extension activities that let them further follow their curiosity and explore their academic passions.
What tests do kids take?
TESG have significantly less standardized testing than most traditional public schools. We limit our standardized testing to the assessments required by North Carolina: K-3rd grade literacy tests, 3rd grade reading BOG pre-test, 3rd-8th grade math and reading EOGs, and 5th and 8th grade science EOGs.
How do I know what my child is learning?
At TESG we use a variety of methods for tracking student learning and communicating that growth to families. In addition to informal daily or weekly progress communications, we use standards-based grading, portfolios of student work, teacher and student led conferences, and project products and presentations to show families what their students are accomplishing.
With standards-based rubrics, students, teachers, and parents can see which standards students have mastered and to what degrees, helping everyone keep track of the child’s progress. Portfolios offer the evidence for the standards-based scores, matching student work to the standards. At the end of certain grading periods, teacher and student led conferences are held, offering their insights into the student’s progress. Students may also write reflections on their own learning to share with families. Finally, DBL units typically culminate in presentations, giving families the opportunity to see the tangible results of their student’s hard work.
What social curriculum will you use?
At TESG, we focus on learning how to be a positive part of a community in partnership with Peaceful Schools NC.
What is TESG’s discipline policy?
TESG is committed to helping students learn how to be caring and engaged members of the community. Our classroom management and discipline practices are guided by Responsive Classroom methods that focus on helping students learn self-regulation and conflict resolution skills. As such, rather than impose rules and punishments on the students, we work with them each year to create expectations for how we interact with one another and our space and think about logical consequences when expectations are not met.
While we co-construct our expectations, we ask ourselves “are we…”
- Treating others with kindness and compassion?
- Demonstrating respect for ourselves, others, and our surroundings in all we do and say?
- Taking responsibility for ourselves?
- Being open to new ideas?
- Seeking out help when we need it and helping those around us?
- Conducting ourselves in a safe manner?
- Actively participating in our learning community?
See the Philosophy and Methods page for more information about discipline and social/emotional learning at TESG.
How will you teach reading and writing?
We base our literacy program on the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. This program includes using techniques like writing workshops, rich classroom libraries, leveled reading groups, teacher-student reading, and writing conferences. The focus is on meeting each child where they are and growing their literacy skills alongside a love for reading and writing. Process is just as valuable as product, and we encourage children to use their literacy in hands-on, meaningful ways, often in service of DBL or another experience-based activity.
What volunteer opportunities are there for families?
Family volunteers are crucial to TESG’s success. There are no volunteer hour requirements for our families, but for those who have the time and desire to get involved–we invite you to connect with school administration and teachers to find out where help may be needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please email your child’s teacher. We also encourage you to get involved with our school/community committee, which offers more opportunities to contribute to TESG at the school level.
The Experiential School of Greensboro 