New charter school focuses on literacy

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Monday is the first day of school for the West Buffalo Charter School.

Parents and faculty were beaming with excitement as the kids started classes at the West Buffalo Charter School. It isn't just the first day of school, it's opening day for Buffalo's newest charter school.

The buses rolled in, and some parents dropped their kids off for the first time. Candice Fletcher brought her kindergartner to school and said, “We're so thrilled we couldn't sleep last night. We're so excited. We got up early we had special pancakes, even he's excited.”

The new charter school will have 162 students from grades K through second. The school offers small class sizes and focuses on literacy.

Principal Andrea Todoro said, “We have teachers that are triple certified. They are classroom teachers, they're also literacy specialists and they also have special ed certifications.”

Their goal is to make sure each student's reading skills are at or above their grade level when they leave their school.

Todoro said, “Our hope is that we've given them a solid foundation and that they're able to success no matter where they go.”

But it all begins today, at the start of a new year.

Todoro said, “On the first day of school, parents, teachers and students are getting acclimated to the new school and it's surroundings.”

Kindergarten teacher Lauren Jones said, “We have a lot of routine and scheduling to get through. The first couple of weeks it's kind of what you want to practice with the kiddos.”

They'll have lots of time to do it. Because it is a literacy-centered school, the school day is longer, .instead of a six hour day, these students will be in class for eight.

Todoro said, “The longer school hours is to accommodate some of the literacy skills that we really want to hone in on so that we make sure we're not rushing.”

So for many students and faculty, Monday is a historic, a new academic year at a new school.

Jones said, “It's very rare. We're thrilled to be starting from the ground up.”

Parent Faith White said, “It's really exciting. Especially because when he's old enough to understand and he can say I went there when it first opened.”

School officials will continue building the school. They plan to add on the 3rd and fourth grades and eventually have about 270 students.