Open Classroom Site

Application

The Open Classroom is a Madison Metropolitan School District program and is free to all students who reside in the district. Interested parents should contact Lincoln Elementary School for an application. Deadline for applications is in April for the upcoming school year. If applications exceed vacancies, a lottery will be used for selection of new students.

Please take some time to learn about the Open Classroom in order to ensure that it is the right match for your child. Read the information in this web site, talk to an Open Classroom teacher or parent or come in for a visit. Also, please note that if you do not live in the Midvale-Lincoln attendance area, you will be responsible for transporting your child to school.

Enrollment Process & Timeline

Read the brochure and view the information on this website.

Call the Lincoln office (204-4900) in January to set up an observation time in February.

If a visit is not possible, you can call the office and set up a phone consultation of 15-20 minutes with:
         One of the teachers, K-1, 2-3, or 4-5
         The Lincoln/Open Classroom Principal, Deb Hoffman
         An Open Classroom parent

Consider carefully whether your family, if accepted into the Open Classroom, would be interested and able to be actively involved in the Open Classroom community. Consider whether your child would fit into a program that is inquiry-based and requires some independent work.

General Enrollment Timeline:
Visitations of classrooms in February
Applications due the first Monday in March.

Send completed applications to:

Lincoln Elementary School
Open Classroom Program
909 Sequoia Trail
Madison, WI 53713

Open Classroom Community Council

Mission:
Our aim is to support teaching and learning in the Open Classroom.

Goals:
        Through our efforts we hope to...
            Provide a structure to enable the diverse Open Classroom parents to be meaningfully involved in the Open Classroom instructional, administrative, and social activities;
            Create deeper community ties within the Open Classroom and at Lincoln Elementary;
            Advocate for the Open Classroom whenever needed;
            Everyone in the Open Classroom Community is welcomed to come to the monthly meetings, from 6 - 7:30 p.m., with childcare provided.
            Each meeting is a working meeting and devoted to supporting the Open Classroom in the areas of Instruction, Administration, Community, and Advocacy.

Family Involvement:

        An important component to the program is the strong partnership among students, parents and teachers.
        Families who enter the Open Classroom join an enthusiastic and supportive community.
        The Open Classroom thrives, and relies on, its families' diverse knowledge and personalities.
        Parents, siblings, aunts, grandparents, mentors, close friends - all are welcome and choose how to participate.
        Volunteers are in the classrooms, running Open Classroom Workshops, at potlucks, providing resources and expertise to support instruction, and tromping around the city on field trips.
        By sharing some of their time and resources, Open Classroom families enjoy the satisfaction of having helped to mold their children's learning experiences.

We meet the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30.
            Childcare and pizza are included (those who wish to do so, contribute to the pizza & childcare costs).
            If you have a child in the Open Classroom, please come and bring your child(ren).
            It is at Lincoln Elementary School in Rooms 6 & 8.
            How is it structured?
            There is no hierarchy. At this point we ask for volunteers to set the agenda (with input from everyone), take minutes, bring the pizza, and watch the kids.
            Please come!

            We are so glad that you chose the Open Classroom for your child. We welcome your involvement in the classroom and in the Open Classroom Community Council, and we look forward to seeing you at our meetings.

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Open Classroom Home Page

Midvale-Lincoln

Last update: March 6, 2008
Editor/Publisher: Eileen Potts Dawson epottsdawson@madison.k12.wi.us
Webmaster: webmaster@madison.k12.wi.us