NOW ENROLLING PRE-K4, KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADE FOR THE 2021 – 2022 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR.
APPLY TODAY!
English Application | Spanish Application
Visit our admissions page for the current 2020 – 2021 school year application.
Wildflower New York Charter School is currently made up of two small schools that are open for enrollment and can only be entered through a random lottery. The Gloria Alston Children’s Learning Center is Wildflower New York Charter School’s primary school, serving Pre-K 4 and Kindergarten. The Rose School is Wildflower New York Charter School’s elementary school, serving First Grade for the 2020-2021 school year. In the following 2021-2022 academic year, The Rose School will expand to serve both First and Second Grade.
The Gloria Alston Children’s Learning Center and The Rose School, a Bronx community primary and elementary school, envisions a culturally and linguistically diverse neighborhood-nested, public Montessori program that provides to children full attention to life and its requirements so they can author their own journeys in a space where joy, empowerment, humanity, interconnectedness, healing, balance, and harmony are at the core of their daily experiences.
Founded by school leaders from the Morrisania, Bronx community, and greater New York City area, our schools will offer a public and authentic option for world renowned Montessori education, grounded in culturally sustaining and critical pedagogy. This child-centered, hands-on-learning environment will foster education in areas of math, reading, writing, agriculture, geography, biology, history, social and emotional health, visual art, music, and more. Wildflower New York Charter School is an anti-bias and anti-racist organization committed to education equity and liberatory education for our children, families, and community.
Our School Leaders
Corina Velazquez has been involved in public education in low-income communities for over 6 years. She is passionate about restorative justice, social justice, community building, and making innovative education accessible to all. Corina Velazquez was an elementary Special Education Teacher at a NYC charter school for several years. She has provided differentiated instruction to kindergarten through third grade students. Prior to becoming a Special Education teacher, Corina served as an education assistant and learning coach for various non-profit organizations in Harlem schools. Corina was introduced to the Montessori Method when she cared for children who attended Montessori schools in Brooklyn. She loved the way children used their classroom and neighborhood environment to study and develop their community as well as deepen their understanding of the world. As a result of this exposure, Corina is passionate about reimagining public education to include other innovative and healing pedagogies.
Corina attended Barnard College of Columbia University where she obtained a B.A. in Urban Studies and Human Rights with a concentration in Political Science. After completing her undergraduate studies, Corina attended Brooklyn College's School of Education to receive a Master's in Special Education for grades 1-6. She completed her AMI Montessori elementary training at Montessori Northwest Institute (MNW) where she is trained to teach ages 6-12 in on a range of topics such as language, mathematics, history, geometry, biology, geography, and music.
Corina grounds her teaching within culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy, the use of multiple modalities, and restorative justice practices to reach and inspire classes with neuro-diversity. She loves to read, enjoy live music, to dance, and to travel. She loves to share these wonders with her students and community.
Aura Cely completed her Association Montessori International (AMI) training at the International Montessori Training Institute (IMTI). She has extensive experience working in public Motessori education. Prior to transitioning to the Montessori method Aura Cely spent two years as an elementary lead Spanish Teacher at KIPP: Un Mundo Dual Language Academy in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, Ms. Cely spent two years as a Head Start Corps Member for the AmeriCorps Program in Tallahassee, Florida. Her early teaching experience includes working as a teacher in Bogota, Colombia, with young people who experienced high forms of trauma. She is passionate about public Montessori programs that are deeply rooted in community, critical consciousness, and transparency. Her educational interests focus anti-bias, and anti-racist frameworks and humanizing the educational experiences of children, families, and teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Lastly, she grounds her work in culturally sustaining / relevant pedagogy to heal education.
Mario Benabe is an Ethno-Mathematician and initiator of “Do-The-Right-Thing Pedagogy”, a framework for teaching and learning that decolonizes STEM education. Mr. Benabe holds a M.S.T in Special Education from Fordham University, a B.A. in Anthropology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and an Association Montessori Internationale Primary Education degree from the Indigenous Montessori Institute.
School Details
Full Day
School Hours: 8:00am – 3:30pm
| 8:00 – 8:15 | Student Arrival & Breakfast |
| 8:15 – 11:15 | Morning Work Cycle |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Lunch |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Recess |
| 12:15 – 12:30 | Mixed Activities |
| 12:30 – 3:30 | Afternoon Work Cycle |
| 3:30 – 3:45 | Students Dismissal |
Our school is in session from September 13th to June 17th.
| Thanksgiving Recess | November 22nd, 2021 – November 28th, 2021 |
| Winter Recess | December 20th, 2021 – January 2nd, 2022 |
| Midwinter Recess | February 21st – 27th, 2022 |
| Spring Recess | April 15th – 24th, 2022 |
Additional days off include:
| Indigenous People’s Day | October 11th |
| Election Day | November 2nd |
| Veterans Day | November 11th |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 17th |
| Lunar New Year | February 1st |
| Eid al-fitr | May 2nd |
| Memorial Day | May 30th |
| Juneteenth (Observed) | June 20th |
Wildflower New York Charter School
1332 Fulton Avenue
Bronx, NY 10456
WNYCS’s teachers and staff model positive nutritional habits in our school. We work with parents alongside nutritionists to support them in creating an at home healthy meal plan for their families. In addition to serving healthy snacks that are readily available for children throughout the course of the day in accordance with State and federal school nutrition guidelines we also plan to provide a balanced nutrition through the Free Meals For All program, which serves breakfast and lunch in accordance with state and federal school nutrition guidelines.
Enroll Now
Complete an Application:
WILDFLOWER NEW YORK CHARTER SCHOOL IS NOW ENROLLING PRE-K 4, KINDERGARTEN, AND 1ST GRADE FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR.
The application window for the 2020-21 School Year for WNYCS has now opened. There is no cost to apply to or attend Wildflower New York Charter School. WNYCS is a free public Montessori charter school currently serving students in pre-K through 1st grade in Community School District 9. Please click on the link below to fill out the application electronically so your child’s name can be entered into the lottery to be held April 9th, 2021.
Complete 2021 – 2022 online application: English | Spanish
Complete 2020 – 2021 online application: English | Spanish
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY APRIL 1, 2020.
All applications submitted to Wildflower New York Charter School will be entered into a lottery. Wildflower New York Charter School lottery is a system of random selection of applications that identifies students for enrollment. During the lottery process, all completed and accepted applications submitted during the enrollment period will be publicly drawn via Zoom live-stream, in random order, until all applications have been drawn. Each application will be recorded and numbered in the order in which it was drawn. Each application will also be assigned to a specific grade and preference category
After all available spaces have been filled in each grade; a waiting list is created for the remaining applications. The waiting list ranks applications for a given grade and preference category. These applicants will be identified by number, grade and preference category. As spaces become available at Wildflower Charter School, they will be offered to the waiting list applicants in the order of placement on the waiting list. The waiting list shall expire annually at the lottery drawing following the next year’s enrollment period.
The following provides further information on our application and lottery process:
What grades are we enrolling at Wildflower New York Charter School?For the 2020-2021 school year, we will have Pre-K 4, Kindergarten and First grade.
The enrollment lottery for the next academic year will be held in the spring of 2021 for Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, First grade, and Second grade.
When will the lottery be held?
Our Lottery for the upcoming school year is tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 9, 2021 at 4:30 P.M.
Who can apply to Wildflower New York Charter School?
Admission to Wildflower New York Charter School is free and open to all students in New York State who are entering Pre-K 4, Kindergarten, and First grade.
What preferences does Wildflower New York Charter School offer in its lottery?
WNYCS offers preferences to Community School District 9 residents.
For siblings who are applying to open seats together, they will be given one lottery number for the household. Thus if one child’s name is chosen, the sibling would also receive a seat, if an open seat is available in their grade level.
What should I do if I live in Community School District 9?
Please send a proof of address document to [email protected] or text it to (718) 635-0474.
Proof of address may include, but not be limited to, a residential utility bill such as a gas, cable, internet, or phone bill in the applying resident’s name, or other official document dated within 60 days of the application submission date. If this information is not submitted by the deadline, the student will still be placed in the lottery process but will not be given the residential preference.
How do I find out what Community School District (CSD) I live in?
To find out your CSD, please visit the New York City Department of Education website (Click Here). At the top of the page, select and/or type in the required fields (Borough, Address #, Street Prefix (if any), and Street Name) and then click on “Go.” If you have any difficulties accessing the website, please contact the Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy at (212) 374-2323 or your local Department of Education enrollment office.
How will families find out if their child was accepted?
If a child is accepted into Wildflower New York Charter School, their family will be notified by phone call and email on the afternoon of the Lottery.
After the lottery, children that were not selected for a seat at Wildflower New York Charter School will be notified by email and immediately put into our waitlist, of which will go through a separate random generator. Should a seat become available at Wildflower New York Charter School, we will contact families to enroll their child in the order of the randomly generated waitlist.
What happens if my child remains on the waitlist in the 2021-2022 academic year?
On September 1, 2021, the entire waitlist will be reassigned to new waitlist numbers. This process allows families who have recently moved to the community a better chance of being assigned a seat, rather than having them permanently assigned to the bottom of the waitlist all year. The re-assignment of all waitlist numbers will occur again on October 1, 2021 and November 1, 2021. In between re-assignment dates, new applications will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist and open seats will be filled by students at the top of the waitlist. After November, the waitlist will remain in place until the end of the year. In December, the application process will open for the following school year.
Does a child’s spot on the waitlist guarantee a spot in Wildflower New York Charter School next year?
No. We are legally required to hold a lottery every April to determine who gets access to the available seats for the following school year.
Do you accept the common application hosted by NYC Charter Center
We do not accept the common application hosted by NYC Charter Center.
Please fill out our Wildflower New York Charter School application provided above. If you have a hard copy of our application, please email your application to [email protected].
If you are having difficulty accessing our application, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at (718) 635-0474.
I have more questions. How do I get them answered?
Please email us at [email protected] or call us at (718) 635-0474.
Announcements
Friday, Jan 8th, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Re: WILDFLOWER NEW YORK CHARTER SCHOOL’s LOTTERY
Wildflower New York Charter School (WNYCS) is a public Montessori elementary school in Community School District (CSD) 9.
Guided by our Teacher Leaders, WNYCS offers families a high quality, neighborhood nested public Montessori educational option within a student-centered learning environment. Our aim is to provide a new learning environment, blurring the boundaries between home and school, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. Our schools are small and teacher-led, child centered, with deep parent and community engagement. At the core of Wildflower NY Charter School are 9 principles that define our approach. Our school is supported by a foundation that works to build capacity, systems, tools and research to grow and strengthen our practice.
Wildflower New York Charter School lottery is a system of random selection of applications that identifies students for enrollment. Our application deadline is April 1st, 2020. All completed applications will be entered into our lottery. Education Law § 2854(2)(b) and 8 NYCRR § 119.5 set parameters for conducting lotteries including provisions to make lotteries open to the public in accordance with the Public Officers Law. The Governor’s Executive Order 202.1, dated March 13, 2020, relaxed parts of the Public Officers Law giving schools flexibility in conducting lotteries as follows:
Schools will not have to offer in person, public access to the lottery so long as:
- Electronic access is provided in real time;
- The school makes a recording (audio or video with audio) of the lottery and,
- The school later makes a transcription (or closed captioning) available.
As a result of Covid-19 our Lottery for this upcoming academic school year, 2021 – 2022 will be live streamed via Zoom Video Communication, Inc., video conference meeting.
Parents do not need to attend the lottery to obtain a seat, and Wildflower New York Charter School will inform you if your child/children have been selected in the lottery. For more information on our admission process visit us at www.wildflowernewyorkcharterschool.org or call us at (718) 635-0474.
Public Notice of Wildflower New York Charter School Lottery:
Event: Wildflower New York Charter School Lottery
When: Friday Apr 9, 2021 5:00pm – 6:00pm Eastern Time – New York
Where: Video Live Streamed, Zoom Conference Meeting
Access Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87650532930?pwd=MjNSNzFVWTkxeGVMRjU1NXhrSVRyUT09
Access Meeting ID: 876 5053 2930
Access Meeting Password: 1HE1M2
Access Meeting by Phone: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) – Passcode: 438864
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
Friday, August 28th, 2020
WILDFLOWER NEW YORK CHARTER SCHOOL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW (FOIL) NOTICE
WNYCS has adopted practices with respect to when, where, and how you can see its public records. Records may be made available for viewing at:
Wildflower New York Charter School
1332 Fulton Avenue
Bronx, NY 10456
To access these records, you may contact the following:
Wildflower New York Charter School
Record Access Officer
1332 Fulton Avenue
Bronx, NY 10456
P. (718) 635-0474
If you are denied access to a record, you may appeal to the following:
Wildflower New York Charter School
1332 Fulton Avenue
Bronx, NY 10456
More information may be obtained on the New York State Committee on Open Government’s website at https://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/index.html.
Friday, July 31st, 2020
Friday, March 27th, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Re: WILDFLOWER NEW YORK CHARTER SCHOOL’s LOTTERY
Wildflower New York Charter School (WNYCS) is a SUNY CSI approved public charter school scheduled to open this fall in Community School District (CSD) 9.
Guided by our Teacher Leaders, WNYCS offers families a high quality, neighborhood nested public Montessori educational option within a student-centered learning environment. Our aim is to provide a new learning environment, blurring the boundaries between home and school, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. Our schools are small and teacher-led, child centered, with deep parent and community engagement. At the core of Wildflower NY Charter School are 9 principles that define our approach. Our school is supported by a foundation that works to build capacity, systems, tools and research to grow and strengthen our practice.
Wildflower New York Charter School lottery is a system of random selection of applications that identifies students for enrollment. Our application deadline is April 1st, 2020. All completed applications will be entered into our lottery. Education Law § 2854(2)(b) and 8 NYCRR § 119.5 set parameters for conducting lotteries including provisions to make lotteries open to the public in accordance with the Public Officers Law. The Governor’s Executive Order 202.1, dated March 13, 2020, relaxed parts of the Public Officers Law giving schools flexibility in conducting lotteries as follows:
Schools will not have to offer in person, public access to the lottery so long as:
- Electronic access is provided in real time;
- The school makes a recording (audio or video with audio) of the lottery and,
- The school later makes a transcription (or closed captioning) available.
As a result of Covid-19 our Lottery for this upcoming academic school year, 2020 – 2021 will be live streamed via Zoom Video Communication, Inc., video conference meeting.
Parents do not need to attend the lottery to obtain a seat, and Wildflower New York Charter School will inform you if your child/children have been selected in the lottery. For more information on our admission process visit us at www.wildflowernewyorkcharterschool.org or call us at (718) 635-0474.
Public Notice of Wildflower New York Charter School Lottery:
Event: Wildflower New York Charter School Lottery
When: Fri Apr 3, 2020 4:30pm – 5:30pm Eastern Time – New York
Where: Video Live Streamed, Zoom Conference Meeting
Access Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/330498021
Access Meeting ID: 330 498 021
Access Meeting by Phone: +1646-876-9923
Contact Us
Address:
Wildflower New York Charter School
1332 Fulton Avenue
Bronx, NY 10456
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Giving
We appreciate any support you might offer Wildflower New York Charter School as we expand Montessori education in the public sector.
Please click here to make a donation.
Donate
Wildflower New York Charter School is in the process of applying for our 501(c)3 nonprofit status. All donations are tax deductible.
Board of Trustees
Vivian Louie is Assistant NYC Commissioner of Housing; she formerly served as Assistant NYC Commissioner of Homeless Services. She has extensive experience managing people and funds. Vivian also served in the grants management department of EdisonLearning, where she worked on charter school finance issues. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
Claudia is a former Montessori teacher with strong continuing ties to Metropolitan Montessori
School in Manhattan. She received her training in Montessori Primary (ages 3 to 6) education at Princeton Center Teacher Education and has a bachelor of science from Vanderbilt University Peabody College in Child Development and Educational Studies.
School in Manhattan. She received her training in Montessori Primary (ages 3 to 6) education at Princeton Center Teacher Education and has a bachelor of science from Vanderbilt University Peabody College in Child Development and Educational Studies.
Terence Nance is an educational advocate, American filmmaker, writer, director, actor and musician. Nance’s first feature film, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2013. In 2014, he was named a Guggenheim Fellow. In the summer of 2018, Terence’s Peabody award-winning television series Random Acts of Flyness debuted on HBO to great critical acclaim, and was renewed for a second season by the network. The New York Times hailed the show as “a striking dream vision of race” and “hypnotic, transporting and uncategorizable” adding that “it’s trying to disrupt and redisrupt your perceptions so that, finally, you can see.” Terrance supported the design of the first Wildflower Schools in Massachusetts as an MIT Media Lab Fellow. He holds degrees from New York University and Northeastern University.
William Haft is Managing Partner of Tandem Learning Partners. He is an education attorney and consultant with extensive experience in the charter school sector in roles such as Vice President of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. William is a graduate of Carleton College, Harvard Law School, and Arizona State University's Graduate School of Education.
Stephanie received her master’s degree in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy from Boston College. A nonprofit professional who is very passionate about equity and justice issues in education, she currently works with the National Center for Special Education In Charter Schools team to advocate for students with diverse learning needs and their ability to access and thrive in public charter schools.
Javier is public administration professional with over twelve years of experience in developing and implementing initiatives that enhance employee and departmental performance. He is Workforce Development Manager at Hostos Community College in South Bronx, NY. Javier is Education advocate in the South Bronx and was born, lives and works in South Bronx, NY. Javier has degrees from Metropolitan College of New York and New York Institute of Technology.
Emily Stone Gelb graduated from Harvard with a BA in History and teaching certification from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She taught in New York City public schools. She is currently the New Executive Director Learning Partner at Teach For America, where she has worked since 2007.
The Wildflower New York Charter School Board of Trustees will conduct its monthly board meeting on Tuesday November 9, 2021 from 6 to 8 PM ET on Zoom
(URL = https://zoom.us/j/99788069291).
(URL = https://zoom.us/j/99788069291).
- Here is the draft agenda, which will include relevant materials.
- Here is a document containing the calendar of all past and upcoming WNYCS Board meetings, including links to agendas and approved minutes.
Wildflower Schools
Wildflower New York Charter School is a member of the Wildflower Schools Network
Wildflower is an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. Our schools aspire to give all children and families the opportunity to choose high quality, beautiful learning environments as they follow life’s unfolding journey.
About Wildflower Schools
Our aim is to provide a new learning environment, blurring the boundaries between home and school, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. Our schools are small and teacher-led, child centered, with deep parent and community engagement. At the core of Wildflower are 9 principles that define the approach.
Our network is supported by a foundation that works to build capacity, systems, tools and research to grow and strengthen the network.
Join Our Founding Team
Our Principles
Blurring the boundaries between home-schooling and institutional schooling, between scientists and teachers, between schools and the neighborhoods around them. At the core of Wildflower are 9 principles that define the approach.
Our Network
After the first Wildflower school was created in January of 2014, there was intense interest in the school and the approach. This interest led us to open-source the model and help other family groups and teacher-leaders to create new Wildflower schools. Each teacher-leader at each Wildflower school serves on the board of at least one other Wildflower school, creating a community of schools that are linked by both a shared philosophy and a network of shared relationships.