Category: Newark

North Star Academy student Darius Brown has been using his sewing skills to help animals get adopted. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, however, he’s shifted his focus. According to local news outlets and People.com, Darius shifted production from pet accessories to face masks for frontline health workers.

When schools closed at the end of March 13, students in K-8 at North Star Academy were sent home with paper-based remote learning packets so they could continue practicing previously learned materials. For the high school students, time was of the essence. The Advanced Placement Exams were just a few weeks away, and almost all … Continued

North Star Academy Boy’s Varsity Basketball (No. 15 seed) is advancing to play for the state title after ousting Madison (No. 10 seed) 52-46 in the North 2 Group 2 tournament on March 5. The North Star Academy Knights will be playing against the No. 1 seed Hackettstown on March 10 for an attempt to … Continued

Congratulations to North Star Academy Washington Park and Lincoln Park High Schools’ Speech Team for their recent wins at the 45th Penn Tournament. For the first time in the team’s history, every student who competed advanced to an elimination round. Semifinalists: Duo Interpretation: Michael Torto and Sarah Ramberran Oral Interpretation: Abigail Nicholas Dramatic Interpretation: Precious … Continued

Darius Brown, a middle school student at North Star Academy, was named New Jersey’s top youth volunteer of 2020. The recognition comes from The Prudential Spirit Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for their exceptional volunteer work. As an honoree, Darius will receive $1,000, and will attend an event in Washington, D.C. with … Continued

The Manhattan Institute released a new report on the effects enrolling in a charter school has on student standardized test scores in Newark, New Jersey. Among its major findings, the report suggests that attending a Newark charter school that participated in the city’s common enrollment system led to large improvements in students’ math and reading … Continued

As one of two black male teachers at North Star’s West Side Park Middle School, Raymond Blanks is determined to serve his community and “pay it forward.” Black men like Raymond continue to be underrepresented in the teaching force, making up only 2 percent of teachers nationwide. Research shows that when students are taught by … Continued

In an interview with TAPinto Newark, Jasmine Morrison says that the New Jersey Department of Education is asking the wrong questions about charter schools. As a result, they’re not capturing how much charter schools are positively impacting the families, students, and communities of Newark. While her own childhood was often fraught with danger — her … Continued

After observing college-ready instruction in classrooms across the country, Richard Whitmire highlights examples of what seems to work for ensuring students from low-income communities graduate from college. One of those remedies was found at North Star Academy called Target 3.0. It’s a data-driven counseling program that requires students with GPAs below 2.5 to attend special … Continued

Atalyia Eisenhauer, a 2018 Summer Teaching Fellow and current teacher at North Star Academy in Newark, has been nominated for the 2019 Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award — an award given to a collegiate rugby player who demonstrates the shared values of integrity, respect, loyalty, and community. Read more about Atalyia here.

We’re honored that the TODAY show chose to go “back to school” with Uncommon Schools ̶ a testament to the importance and impact of the love, joy, and rigor our staff bring every day to over 20,000 students attending one of our 54 schools in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Our students shined brightly … Continued

Twelve-year-old Darius Brown is passionate about two things: animals and bow ties, the combination of which birthed Beaux and Paws, a custom bow tie company for people and pets alike. The Newark native and student at North Star Academy helps shelter pets spiffy up for adoption by donating a one-of-a-kind bow tie to animal rescue … Continued

“I felt my heart being pulled in. As I watched and listened and fought back tears, all I could think was, If this is the first day of school, what is tomorrow going to be like? And the day after that? And the day after that? Where will these children be in five years? In … Continued

Uncommon Schools North Star Academy Washington Park High School is sending 154 graduates to college this fall, including four of the eight Ivy League schools. To date, the Class of 2019 is the largest graduating class and many of them are first in their families to attend college. Students like Paulyn credit North Star Academy … Continued

Uncommon Schools is proud to announce that North Star Academy received the 2019 College Success Award, which honors high schools that excel in ensuring students are prepared for, enroll in, and succeed in college. North Star Academy is one of the approximately 20 percent of eligible schools in New Jersey that won the College Success … Continued

Richard Whitmire, author of the new book, The B.A. Breakthrough, features Uncommon Schools’ North Star Academy and our Target 3.0 GPA program focused on helping students gain the skills and habits necessary to persist in college. Graduates from North Star Academy with GPAs of 3.0 or higher are four times more likely to earn college … Continued