Valley New School

Valley New School (VNS) is a charter school in Appleton, Wisconsin operated by the Appleton Area School District. It has a capacity of 68 students in grades 7 through 12. The school operates through a project-based learning model, with the philosophy that 21st century skills and the process of learning is more important than learning a standard curriculum. Valley New School opened in fall 2003 after several years of development. In its first year the school served students in seventh through tenth grade, but in the next two years it expanded one grade each year to serve students in seventh through twelfth grade. The original intention of the school was to expand each year to eventually serve upwards of two hundred students. However, it has remained small in keeping with its mission of creating a community. Valley New School is located in downtown, Appleton, Wisconsin, on the second floor of the City Center. When the site of Valley New School was selected, it was decided that a location surrounded by the businesses, organizations and opportunities of downtown would be optimal. The City Center is near the bus station, which creates access to transportation in the Fox Valley. It is also situated near the Appleton Public Library. Pairs of students share computers located at their workstations. The school also has a music room, study room, woodshop, kitchen, library, science lab, an area dedicated to creating art and pottery. The teachers of Valley New School are referred to as advisors because they serve as coaches and mentors for the students. Advisors coach students in academics, projects and personal issues. The student advisor ratio is limited to 17:1. Each student receives individual time with his or her advisor weekly, along with daily interactions. Advisors also make up the Site Management Committee, which governs the daily operation of Valley New School. Valley New School students use research projects aligning with their interests to gain school credit and cover state-issued learning standards.