Mason Preparatory School provides an outstanding academic foundation for students. We're in downtown Charleston for our Cool School of the week.
Mason Prep is a co-ed school for grades one through eight The private school is named after it's first head mistress Harriett Starr Mason. The school
with 325 students, is known as "the powerhouse of grammar" by local high schools. Foreign language begins in the first grade. Technology is a main part of the classroom experience through the use of interactive smartboards and Ipads.
Mason prep is very proud of it's student led t-v station, KNIT-TV. According to school leaders, The KNI-TV crew works as a team to brainstorm segments, write scripts, film video clips, and produce a twice weekly live program that goes out to every class. All decision making authority is left to the students with the guidance of two school sponsors. Students are trained before school and during exploratory times to manage sophisticated video and audio gear including editing equipment. Besides news, the program includes authors' interviews, reviews of books/movies, video reporting from school sports events.
Student body school leadership is set up like a city government. Students elects a mayor.
School leaders say their overall goal is to make sure students are prepared for a productive future in a global society. Head of School Erick Kreutner, says, "Kids are excited about coming to school everyday. They walk down the hall, a fourth grade student might pass their first grade teacher in the hall, they will stop and give them a hug. Its just a warm friendly exciting place to be." Eighth grade student Madison Baxley says, "Mason Prep is like a big family to me. My classmates have grown to be like siblings, and we're all very close to each other, and teachers are always there to help me with whatever need. I love the atmosphere, very warm and loving atmosphere I've had here." Second grade student Daniel McFe says, "
The teachers are great. It feels like family." Second grade student Darden Shuman says, "I have a cool school because a few days ago, we were learning about fossils in my class, and we were digging. We were trying to excavate the chocolate chips out of the chocolate chip cookies."
Mason prep has an in-school pen pal program, where lower and middle school students are paired up, and communicate via letters, cards, and lunch dates. In addition, they have a pen pal program with children in Indonesia.
Students have logged more than 672 hours of community service.
Coming up Wednesday on News 2 Today, we'll tell you how science and math take center stage, and about the school's Mason Fest program, which provides students and their families exposure to science outside of the classroom.
We want to hear about the good things going on at your school. Send an email to Octavia at omitchell@wcbd.com. Maybe your school will be the next Cool School of the week.
