Congratulations to GRPS Zoo School!

An article published by Jeffrey Cunningham of Advance Newspapers describes this school’s success:

The Grand Rapids Public Schools has announced that Zoo School was named among the top 25 “Coolest Schools in America” by Scholastic “Parent & Child Magazine”.

Published in the August/September print version of the Parent & Child Magazine and online atwww.scholastic.com, the article also touts Zoo School as being “one of three truly innovative schools in Grand Rapids” citing Blandford School and the 6th Grade Center for Economicology at City.

“We already knew Zoo, Blandford, and the Center for Economicology were cool schools, but it’s certainly nice to have an independent national magazine agree with us,” said Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal. “Congratulations to all the students and teachers over the years who have made these schools what they are today.”

The campus of this one-grade school is on the grounds of the John Ball Zoo and  sixth graders use nature as a textbook, collaborating with zookeepers to care for more than 1,110 animals that live there. This year is the 39th year for the school which was founded on the principles of place-based interdisciplinary learning with the goal of instilling an appreciation for the natural environment and promoting responsible stewardship. Each year the school accepts exactly 60 students from across the district into the program. “We want to make sure that kids understand the place in which they live,” says Assistant Principal Ryan Huppert. “And, in turn, have a deep appreciation and respect for the natural systems in that place.”

A link to a video from WZZM 13:  http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/223063/48/Grand-Rapids-Home-to-One-of-Americas-25-Coolest-Schools

Information about the school:  http://web.grps.k12.mi.us/zoo