Peter H. Clark Montessori Junior High and High School
is part of the
Cincinnati Public Schools of Cincinnati, Ohio.
As part of the Cincinnati Public Schools, Clark Montessori Junior High and High School is a public institution open to Cincinnati residents free of tuition.
As with any Ohio school public or private, Clark Montessori provides instruction that complies to Ohio's 5 basic standards of education. Within these standards, many of Clark's main courses are considered "Advanced" or "Accelerated" courses.
But Clark is also a Montessori school, utilizing the methods and teachings of Maria Montessori in building every aspect of its curriculum.
What is Montessori? This is probably one of the best and most important questions to ask if you are considering applying to Clark. To learn more about the Montessori Method, please click "Academics" to the left.
Here you will also find answers about the entire Clark curriculum from 7th to 12 grade.
Most of our students come from a Montessori background, indeed, many have been in a Montessori program beginning even before kindergarten.
But Clark does not limit its enrollment to students with Montessori backgrounds and all those who are interested should find the Montessori method and our curriculum quite fascinating!
Besides our curriculum, and state and local standards, there are many very important aspects to Clark that sets this school apart from almost all other institutions of its kind.
Below is a short explanation of four of these aspects:
Community Service - Community Service is required of all Clark students in the form of volunteer work in a non-profit environment. 36 hours per year is required in Junior High and 50 hours per year in High School.
This work gives the student life long lessons in hard work, cultural awareness and empathy. It teaches students that they really are able to make a difference and have a positive effect on their own community and world.
For a more thorough explanation, click HERE.
Intersession - Twice a year the entire high school regular curriculum comes to a halt and Intersession is held - a two week in-depth immersion course chosen by the student from the offered Intersession courses.
Intersession examples are Art in New York, Trip to Morrocco, Sailing and Marine Biology of the Coral Reef, Flora and Fauna of the Appalachian Trail, Sports Statistics and Computer Literacy.
During the course of study, students are also coached in leadership skills such as group development, dealing with conflict, and decision making.
For a more thorough explanation, click HERE.
Senior Project - The Senior Project, a year-long assignment, is an in-depth study of a topic of the student's choice and culminates the Clark experience. Due dates for various aspects of the project happen throughout the year and long range planning and implementation of the project are required.
The culminating exhibition marking the end of the project consists of an audio/visual presentation to the student's peers as well as a comprehensive public exhibition.
The senior project showcases the student's individual skills acquired during their 12-15 years in Montessori classrooms.
Extracurricular Activities reflect the wide diversity of interests found within Clark's student body.
There are plenty of official athletic activities (see Athletics to the left) including basketball, soccer, golf, fencing, cheerleading, tennis, baseball, and track & field teams.
Clark Music also provides many musical activities (see Music to the left) including the Clark Steel Band, traditional bands, and strings.
Finally there is quite an eclectic group of special-interest extracurricular clubs: the chicken club, beekeeping, film production, student council, art, strategic gaming, acting, German, yearbook, ski, mock trial, peer leaders and student council.
Clark Montessori is a recognized example of what a creative, energetic community can do to accomplish education - teachers, parents, students.
For the 07-08 school year, Clark Montessori earned the Ohio Department of Education's rating of "Effective", the 2nd highest level possible under the O.D.E.'s rating system. |
Clark Montessori was founded in the autumn of 1994 as a Junior High with 7th graders who were moving on from CPS elementary Montessori schools.
Beginning the next school year ('95-'96), Clark became a full Junior High with 7th and 8th graders. In the four years following, the highest grade level taught at Clark advanced year-by-year until the 1999-2000 school year, when Clark had a full student body of grades 7 - 12, and graduated its first class that year.
Clark students primarily come from the CPS elementary Montessori schools Dater, North Avondale, Sands and Winton Montessori.
They also come from private or charter Montessori schools, very occasionally from non-Montessori backgrounds and as exchange students from outside the United States.
Clark is the first public Montessori high school in the United States.
Clark Montessori graduated 100% of its Class of '08!!
Clark Montessori's permanent home is on a very wooded property on Erie Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The property on which the school sits is the former estate of Myers Y. Cooper, who was the governor of Ohio from 1929 - 1931.
Temoprarily, Clark
is located at a temporary home at the former Jacob's Center in the Winton Place area of Cincinnati.
The reason for the temoprary home is that the old CLark building in Hyde park is being torn down to make way for construction of a brand new Clark Montessori.
Construction on the new building is expected to be completed for the 2010-2011 school year.
The Junior High part of Clark Montessori is comprised of about 280 students divided amongst 5 Communities. In each Community there is a Math/Science teacher, a Language Arts/Social Studies teacher and an Instructional Assistant.
For the complete Junior High Curriculum, visit the ACADEMICS link to the left.
The High School part of Clark Montessori includes 17 classrooms for about 410 students that cover the 5 basic standards of the Ohio Department of Education.
For the complete High School Curriculum, visit the ACADEMICS link to the left.
Both the Junior High and the High School includes instruction in art, music, drama, Spanish, French and Physical Education.
Clark Montessori also offers extensive education for students with learning disabilities and multiple handicaps.
The Music Department has a very fine facility, with two large rooms for the Clark Steel band, the Traditional Band, music classes and also a room for the electronic music computer lab.
There are three modern gymnasiums for physical education classes and for Junior High, Junior Varsity and High School volleyball and basketball games.
There is also a well-kept 600 seat auditorium for Clark Steel Band concerts, an annual Talent Show, daytime class use, and occasionally functions for groups or organizations outside of Clark.ent-Greek style ampitheatre.
For
information on admission to Clark,
and
to arrange a tour of the school,
visit
the Prospective Parents pages at the link on the left.
as
Cincinnati Magazine has acknowledged Clark as having "a culture that stresses trust and respect, hands-on, real-world experiences, and teachers who function as observers and guides who give students the responsibility for managing their own time and learning successes."
The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
in "Small, Safe, Sane, Successful Schools," also recognizes
Clark as an exemplary school:
"Its small design provides opportunities
to learn the skills and values involved in teamwork and group decision-making,
in long-term project management, and in service to the community. These
have combined with Clark's challenging academic courses to produce proficiency
test results that are far above state norms".