School Statement

June 2, 2020

Dear Ararat Charter School Students, Families, Staff, and Community,

We are profoundly heartbroken by the senseless death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers. Over the past few days, we saw thousands of people across our nation engage in nonviolent peaceful protests against systemic racism. The images of peaceful assembly dishearteningly have been overshadowed by civil unrest. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we come together as one and focus on what we can influence and improve.

We recognize how painful this senseless tragedy is for many members of our community.  It must serve as a wakeup call to address the bias and influential racism which exists in many parts of society. While conversations about race may be difficult to have, it is essential that they take place in order for our community and our children to move forward. Schools must be part of the solution because a great education is the most important part of the path for a brighter future. As a school, it is important for us to continue to commit to our shared values that: diversity is a strength and an asset; every individual has equal human value; and that a secure and safe environment and peaceful conflict resolution are essential to learning and to society.

Ararat Charter School believes in diversity and welcomes students and families from all over the world. It is important that we embrace each other’s differences, including race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or socioeconomic status. We must continue to look out for each other, create safe spaces for our youth, and teach our impressionable young people to treat everyone with kindness and empathy. Our mission is to continue to provide a safe school where every student can learn and thrive.

Sincerely,

Adrineh Gharibi

Director of Operations and Compliance

Virtual Learning

May 8, 2020

Dear Ararat Charter School Parents and Students,

These past couple of weeks have brought us all challenges unlike what most of us have ever experienced in our lives. We hope that this email finds you and your families safe, and well.

Our Governing Board has given us directive to provide virtual and on-line instruction to all our students to continue for the rest of the school year. Our teachers will continue  virtual and on-line instruction through  Zoom meetings and Google Classroom.

At this time, we are not sure how third trimester grades will be determined or how grading will work during this online/distance learning time. Our School will follow state and county recommendations once they are made in the coming weeks.

We highly recommend that you make a daily schedule for your children and ensure that they will be able to participate in the virtual learning, attend on-line sessions, complete posted assignments, join discussion boards, post questions, and participate in recommended activities.

Please stay safe, and feel free to email us if you have any questions.

Technology Survey:

Click on the link to complete the Technology Needs Survey to helps us determine your technology needs at home during this period: Technology Needs Survey

Parent Virtual Support Group Survey:

We invite you to join us once a week to connect with your fellow Ararat parents/guardians and caregivers for trainings, discussions, questions and answer opportunities. This group is a place for parents/guardians and caregivers to ask questions, get answers, feel safe, and understood within a community of people like them.

Should you be interested, please click on the link to complete the survey: Parent Virtual Support Group Survey