In opening Harbor Middle School we are accepting at the most 300 students, a hundred students per grade, and five homerooms for each grade. There will be one teacher for each class, and one teacher for every elective available, plus enough people to make up a full and comprehensive administration. When the school grows we will add as many teachers as needed.

The curriculum integrates all subjects within a theme. The curriculum is also multicultural and multiethnic sensitive. Courses available are created by input from students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Electives available will be chosen by the students.

For our school, we will be including two philosophies, Progressivism and Social Reconstructionism. We will base our lessons on real world experiences that our students might and will face throughout their lives. We will teach them about inequalities in the world and how they can try to correct the inequalities that exist today. The different types of learning we will use are problem based learning and cooperative learning. Research shows that cooperative learning promotes both intellectual and emotional growth. We will help and encourage our students to become independent so that they are more able to handle problems that arise when they are going through their journey of life.

We know that every teacher has their own style of teaching but we will be hiring teachers that incorporate differentiated instruction and reflective teaching while teaching the students. These different types of teaching philosophies coincide with the above philosophy that our school is based on. Differentiated instruction focuses on helping students to learn with instructional activities based on individual differences and not just on content standards. We believe this style of teaching will keep the students engaged longer. In reflective teaching teachers ask themselves questions on their lesson plans and how they taught the material to make certain that they were able to get across what they had set out to. With these two teaching methods and the others our teachers will bring to their classrooms the students will like to learn and stay engaged longer.

For our assessments we will use portfolios that the students will create containing an accumulation of what they accomplished that year. The portfolio will follow the students through their climb in each grade. Parents will be shown, at the end of each quarter, the students’ accomplishments thus far by the students during parent teacher conferences. Students will also be taking the state wide test FCAT.

Students will have a set schedule based on what classes and electives they choose to take. Some electives may change half way through the year, but that will be incorporated into the students set schedule at the beginning of each year. Classes will be graded on portfolios and students test grades following each unit.

Each classroom will have a teacher’s computer at their desk, and three student computers that they can use with the teachers permission. Each class will have a projector, a Smart board, and a television and dvd/vcr player to do everyday work on. All students will have full access to all the computers that are in the library at any time of day even before and after school.

Harbor Middle School will include classrooms, a gym, and cafeteria, a library, out 
doors recreation areas for both recess and sports, such as, baseball and soccer 
fields. It will have offices for faculty and a faculty lunchroom, bathrooms for both boys and girls. Each classroom will have appropriate lighting needed for students. It will have chalkboards in each classroom along with a desk and chair in each room.

Community Partnerships:

The maple leaf school has a few different partnerships to help the 
students have all the material and equipment need for a good education. 
Dell will help with the computers and printers and material needed for 
the correct software. Office depot will partner with us for school 
supplies. Some of the big local stores such as Publix will help with 
donating some health food for the students. Models will supply sports 
equipment and Overstock.com will be helping with various items. Along 
with the big names we have many smaller local groups helping us create 
our dream charter school. The red hat society, the Writers Group of 
Fort Myers beach, Fort Myers beach Lions Club.

It is requested that the Edison College Board of Trustees designate Harbor Middle School as a charter school in the Lee County School District operating under policies of the Board of Education.

Charter Schools USA. Starting A Charter School. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://www.charterschoolsusa.com/startSchool.html.

Heschong Mahone Group, Inc. Daylighting and Productivity. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://h-m – g.com/projects/daylighting/summaries%20on%20daylighting.htm