Environmental Charter School Expanding to Park Place

The future of the seemed to shine through a set of stained glass windows that said, “Nature finds all children something to do.”

The windows at the old Park Place School resonate with Principal John McCann, who looks forward to expanding into the building by January as the Environmental Charter School of Regent Square grows to seventh and eighth grades.

“When I saw it first, I thought, ‘This is meant to be,’” McCann said. “I was thrilled to see that.”

Located at the corner of South Braddock Avenue and Brashear Street, the new location at about 26,000 square feet will become the lower campus of the school, serving kindergarten through third grade with 11 classrooms.

The original location in Regent Square will serve students in fourth through eighth grade when the move is complete.

The mission of the school is to “educate each student to high academic learning standards using a themed curriculum that will foster knowledge, love of and respect for the environment and the will to preserve it for future generations,” according to its website.

“We have always known that we were going to expand and it’s a part of our charter, knowing the original facility was not going to house all of our students,” McCann said. “We looked for adjacent facilities and there was Park Place.”

An old city school that had been transformed into apartments, the proximity of Park Place School to Frick Park was important to McCann. Built in the style of a “good, old-fashioned school house,” McCann said the construction required on the Park Place building is minimal.

He hopes to see the work completed by winter, with students moving in during January of 2012.

“It’s going to be an urban green space and we look forward to maintaining that,” McCann said. “We have a great deal of design work on the play space around the school, which will involve a vegetable garden, an outside science space and lots of teaching and learning spaces.”

A school zone will be issued for that section of South Braddock Avenue, funded by the Environmental Charter School, to ensure safety for children coming to and from the new building.

“It speeds up considerably between Forbes and Penn avenues, and in goes the school zone,” he said. “It will really benefit our school, but also the community as well.”

A small, outdoor amphitheater in the grass at Park Place School also will be used as a learning area for students.

“What is so wonderful is that it will be open to the whole community,” McCann said. “It will be fenced very gently and ultimately will become a safe play space for little ones to run around in, which is great if you have a young family.”

McCann also said because the building has been preserved by tax dollars, the Environmental Charter School will ensure it is used as a community center for voting and other gatherings that may be needed from local organizations.

Currently serving students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade, the school has about 400 students. Sixth grade is being added this September for the first time.

“We started with kindergarten through third grade, and every year we have an intake of kindergarten students,” he said. “We only take students at the lower levels to build our school culture.”

McCann said he is looking forward to building the student body at the charter school and said the residents of Park Place have embraced the expansion.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Park Place community and they have worked so well with us,” McCann said. “The local community association was a wonderful partner going through the process and will remain a terrific partner.”