Fencing is just one of many after-school programs SBS students enjoy
Side By Side Charter School is nestled in the beating heart of South Norwalk, just a short drive from The Carver’s home at 7 Academy Street. If you’re lucky enough to pass Side By Side during their midday recess, you’ll be treated to a veritable cavalcade of play. Song, dance, games, joy! Inside that energy persists as students engage with academic panache. From in-depth ecosystem studies on an extinct species of moth to social-emotional music learning, Side By Side “teach[es] the whole child.”
We sat down with Assistant Director, Mary Newbery, to learn more about how Side By Side cultivated this educational environment. “When the school was founded in 1997 by six teachers, it was done so with the intent to reflect the diversity of the community,” she said. Today, Side By Side teaches 235 students from several surrounding CT towns and cities. “How do we prepare kids to be in a pluralistic democracy if they don’t see and learn with each other?” Indeed, Side By Side focuses on providing students with social context, critical engagement, the ability to broach difficult conversations, and the academic chops to succeed in high school.
With the Carver mission to equip all learners with global competitiveness, Side By Side’s vision of equitable, diverse, and interdisciplinary learning is a match made in heaven. “What was so unbelievably fabulous was that The Carver brought after-school programming here. When kids get to 11, 12, 13… they start having a much harder time getting homework help," said Mary. “Now they’re able to participate in enrichment activities, access tutoring, have snacks, and get a bus home.” Mary brightly credited perpetually honored Carver staff member, Tremain Gilmore, for the vibrant activity planning and the grades it improved. “Kids deserve discourse and a rich learning experience… They use [this background] to come up with their own vision with so much care.”
We at The Carver are delighted to partner with Side By Side. Learn more at sbscharter.org.