Roswell School Preps For New Year With Furniture, Tech Upgrades

ROSWELL, GA — In preparation for the 2018-2019 school year, the International Charter School of Atlanta in Roswell is updating classrooms with new furniture and technology that will encourage collaborative learning in a 21st century environment.

In classrooms at both the Upper Campus in Alpharetta and Lower Campus in Roswell, traditional desks have been replaced with collaborative, movable tables where students can work individually or in groups. In addition, Google Chromebooks, Apple iPads and interactive panels will be available for teachers to incorporate into lessons.

The improvements will prepare students to study and learn in a modern environment that emphasizes collaboration and peer-to-peer interaction, similar to what they will experience in high school, college, the workplace and beyond.

In September, students in each building will also have access to an interactive, comprehensive media center for the first time since the school’s opening. The Research, Inquiry, and Collaboration Hubs will feature new books organized by genre, a new practice that has been shown to encourage reading confidence and boost peer-to-peer book recommendations.

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The upgrades were made possible through a $775,000 Federal Charter School Program Implementation Grant, awarded by the Georgia Department of Education through a competitive process in 2017. The grant exists to provide financial assistance for the planning, program design and initial implementation of high-quality charter schools. ICSAtlanta was given 13 months to expend the funds.

"When we opened our doors four years ago, we had to rely on second-hand, older furniture designed for a much more traditional educational environment," said Tanya Parker, executive director of ICSAtlanta. "The modern desks, tables, whiteboards, computers, and tablets we now have will allow for greater flexibility with instruction and will help students to engage with one another in more interactive and meaningful ways. This is how we envisioned learning at ICSAtlanta from the beginning, and we’re thrilled to finally see it become a reality."

Enrolled students and their families will be able to explore the new classrooms during back-to-school Open House events on Monday, July 30 and Tuesday, July 31.

Images via International Charter School of Atlanta