The school first offered kindergarten through fifth grade and has added one grade level each year. For the 2000-2001 school year, Knapp will serve students through eighth grade. Even with the school's steady growth, class sizes are kept to a maximum of 24 students per class. Ogilvie and the school's teaching staff are working hard to influence their students' inner lives too. A strong concentration on moral values keeps virtues such as trust, integrity, or perseverance in the spotlight during school assemblies and in the classroom.
Students learn to apply the values they learn through service projects at each grade level.
Our objective is not just to teach students about virtues and why they are important, says Ogilvie. We also want to establish a school environment that reflects those virtues. We do have mutual respect between students and staff. Reaching New Heights Knapp's dedication to academic excellence is paying off. The Summit award recognizes the top three public academies among the 180 charter schools in Michigan.