Lynn’s KIPP kicks off school season

LYNN – The KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School welcomed its 310-student populous back to campus Tuesday, officially kicking off the school’s sixth year serving grades 5-8 at the Holy Family Church on Bessom Street.While sixth, seventh and eighth graders will spend their first few days adapting to new teachers and reuniting with classmates after a short summer break, the latest fifth graders to make the jump from the school’s lengthy waiting list to the classroom will be getting their first glimpse of the KIPP experience.Unlike anything the students have ever seen in public schools, new KIPP students go through a process the school calls “KIPPnotizing” during the first week where they learn that discipline, character development and order are the laws of the land.New students to KIPP start at the bottom – literally forced to sit on the floor until they earn their desks and chairs as a sign that hard work is the only way to get to the top. Throughout their KIPP experience, students will have the opportunity to continue earning through hard work, from desks and chairs to KIPP clothing and, eventually, the school’s coveted summer trip to Utah.Over five years and two graduating classes, KIPP has quickly and steadily risen to the top when it comes to state test scores, serving the same at-risk students who attend the Lynn Public Schools.Test scores at KIPP now rival those of smaller, more affluent communities like Swampscott and Marblehead, something the school credits to its unique teaching style and extended day.Despite the school’s success, a rift does exist between the academy and the Lynn Public Schools, which have a difficult time competing with the charter schools for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is financially based as the city loses a portion of state funding for every child who attends KIPP.Still, KIPP leaders hope to begin working with the public schools more closely in the future, something they have been focused on doing for several years.The school is also continuing its focus on creating relationships with parents and families. The majority of the school’s population is minority students and students from below the poverty level, who statistically do not receive adequate support at home.KIPP holds classes for parents teaching computer skills and skills that will help them understand what their children are learning.In all, KIPP will welcome 101 new students to the school this year along with eight new classroom teachers, entering the school year fully staffed. The summer session, which runs from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4, will have students in school only until 2 p.m. Traditional school hours begin Sept. 8, the same day that Lynn Public Schools begin, following the Labor Day holiday.