Discovery Charter School (4th-8th Grade)
240 Halsey Street
Newark, NJ 07102
973.623.0222
Discovery is a small school serving 100 children from fourth through eighth grade in downtown Newark, founded in 1999 by two veteran public school teachers who were guided by the principle of building on children’s natural curiosities to help them develop life-long learning skills and work habits as they become critical, creative, and reflective thinkers and writers, as well as active citizens.
We build a learning community in which our students gain the ability to understand their world and realize they can have an impact on this world starting now. Our students develop themselves and discover their voice in a safe environment, in which all feel welcome and needed.
The Discovery community is one in which the students develop the literacy, numeracy, scientific, and artistic skills needed to discover and express their vision. The adults in the community will cultivate their intellectual curiosity and support them in acquiring the confidence, the courage, the collaboration skills and the work habits necessary to pursue their vision of the world.
The educators partner with the families of our children to support their efforts, demand their best, share their love of life, and keep fun in the learning.
Discovery is the center of a community that includes parents, teachers, students, and community leaders who work together to realize this vision. Maintaining the integrity of our work toward this vision is the responsibility of each member.
Denis grew up in Paris, France, alongside seven brothers and sisters. He trained as an electronic engineer and his first job was to help build a prototype of a printer that could print freshness dates on eggs. He joined an international organization, the Fourth World Movement, that sent him to the Central African Republic where he worked with local artisans to build a training center for children who worked and sometimes lived in the street. After five years in Bangui, Denis came to East New York in Brooklyn, where he ran the Street Library program. Denis learned to teach at Discovery Charter School in Newark, NJ, and after graduating from Bank Street College, joined Community Roots in Brooklyn for two years as a math teacher. He later returned to Discovery as the Instructional Leader. He keeps being amazed by all the discoveries children make every day, and how thoughtful they are. Denis lives with his wife, Haruko Yamauchi and enjoys building things, hiking, and the occasional time spent with his grand daughters.
Discovery students learn in a variety of settings including mixed-age groups and small groups. Young children learn by observing their older peers and are exposed to the academic expectations teachers are guiding them to reach by the end of their education at Discovery. Older students learn by supporting their younger peers and gain leadership skills that will help them succeed in high school. All children belong to a larger learning community beyond their immediate peers.
Discovery students take responsibilities in the life of the school, taking care of our pet animals, helping with meal services, and taking part in organizing family events.
Art education is an integral part of the curriculum. All students participate in dance and visual art classes. Teaching artists introduce children to graphic novel, mural, and musical theater during our late afternoon classes. Science, ELA, Social Studies and Math curriculum include "integrated art" classes that offer students another approach to learning new concepts.
While the academic demands at Discovery are challenging, students receive abundant support through 1-to-1 or 1-to-2 tutoring, in class support with additional teachers, small study groups, reading support sessions for 6-8 students, and late afternoon tutoring. The support provided to students is based on regular screenings and observations and is not limited to students who have an IEP. Our priority is to integrate students with special needs as much as possible, maintaining the same ambitious learning goals with accommodations that allow all students to participate in the learning activities.
We bring our students to out-of-school experiences. Each year, half of our students have been able to experience an overnight trip at Frost Valley in the Catskills, and 25 students have participated in three ski trips with Winter 4 Kids. All our students have attended at least two live music, theater, or dance performances at NJPAC or The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. All our students have participated in other field work experiences such as visit to the NYC museum of Natural History or days of lab work with the Student 2 Science organization.
Mr. Kabbani joined Discovery Charter School full time in 2011. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and Geology from Rutgers University and an M.A.T. in Teaching Middle Grades Mathematics from Montclair State University. Mr. Kabbani teaches 7th and 8th grade Mathematics, serves as lead math teacher and teacher mentor, and leads a mixed 4th to 8th grade homeroom. He also facilitates math professional learning for his colleagues. His classroom runs on student discovery: students work through real problems, compare strategies, and explain and make their thinking visible to each other, and that approach is what makes his teaching exceptional.
"When students get to grapple with an intriguing problem before anyone shows them a procedure to solve it, the math becomes theirs. My job is to ask the next good question to guide their discovery."
Powered by Hopeworks Technology Solutions