Santa Cruz City Schools. Monarch Community School

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Monarch Community School is an alternative elementary school that has served the Santa Cruz community for thirty years. The original Gault Open School was created in 1974 in response to a group of parents, teachers, and administrators who wanted a child- centered, individualized learning alternative for students in the Santa Cruz City School District. Monarch School was the name selected when the program moved to new buildings residing on a corner of the Ark Alternative High School. The school program was restructured and the community reaffirmed its original commitment to maintaining multi-age classrooms and a "hands on" curriculum focus on children's developmental needs. Out latest move occurred in the fall of 2004, when the school was relocated to the Branciforte Small School Campus. Monarch Community School now consists of four classrooms: Earth (the Kindergarten-aged group), Ocean and Sea (the two primary classrooms), and Sky (the intermediate classroom)

The mission of Monarch Community School is to create and maintain an alternative to traditional public school models where childhood is celebrated, and children are respected. Through staff, student, and parent partnerships, students at Monarch develop a positive sense of who they are and the tools and motivation to be contributing members of society.