Who Attends JCS?
efferson Community School is provides an educational program designed around specific educational philosophies and core values. The student who is most successful is one who sincerely seeks what JCS offers and whose family also values the school philosophy.
Throughout the years, JCS has attracted a relatively wide range of types of learners who have experienced a variety of previous school settings. We have served many students who are quite bright, but feel disengaged in traditional classrooms. We have students who have attended other alternative school settings and private schools. We attract students who have been home schooled, but who now seek a more structured educational experience as they move into secondary school. We have students who have moved to Port Townsend from other school districts and chose JCS because they did not feel they received sufficient personal attention in their previous schools. We have students who have experienced learning challenges and whose parents feel that the smaller class size is vital, as well as students who are excellent students and seek opportunities to widen their academic horizons and learning experiences as they prepare for college.
Our students must be ready to forgo the social scene of the larger school setting and trade it for being a member of a smaller, more intimate learning community.
The mission appropriate student is one who believes in the school’s core values and exhibits attitudes and behaviors that demonstrate this.
Students who are the best match for the JCS program ….
- Appreciate being a respectful member of a supportive school community.
- Work hard to meet his or her academic potential.
- Value connection and service to the wider community.
- Learn well through a blend of traditional classroom learning and experiential learning.
- Exhibit flexibility and willingness to try new things.
- Exhibit respectful classroom and school behavior.
- Desire more control over his or her own education.
The Jefferson Community School program is designed to prepare our students for whatever their next adventure may be. However, the large majority of JCS graduates move on to college, so our program is designed to be college preparatory.
