Essay Winners

Why I Am So Proud To Be a Titan–

In my opinion, Tapestry is one of the best schools that you can go to. Tapestry meets my needs so that I can learn to the best of my ability.  There are only so many schools that can provide as many resources as the Tapestry faculty and staff.  Everyone here is very nice and always willing to help!

At my old school, I was always very afraid to ask for help because there was always a fear in the back of my mind that I would be yelled at for asking about something I had already been taught.  One day I faced my fear and asked for help on a certain question in math.  The second I finished my question, my worst fear came true.  I was yelled at and told I was stupid.  From then on, I was scared to ask questions.  But when I got to Tapestry, the teachers wanted us to ask questions and understand the work.  Right now in math class, I have one of the best teachers ever.  His name is Mr. Ellison.  He helps me when I need it and gives me my space when I am upset I am no longer afraid of asking questions and needing some help sometimes.

Since being at Tapestry, I have learned more about math, science, social studies, ELA, and music than I ever could have dreamed of.  And now that the school year is almost to a close, I can truly say I am blessed to be a Titan.

The Best of Tapestry–

Greetings!  My name is Charles Coy, student at Tapestry Public Charter School, and proud member of both the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl and First Lego League teams.  I have been a student at Tapestry Public Charter for the entirety of its existence, so I know pretty much everything a student can know about this place and its inhabitants.  Oh, so you are interested?  I guess I’m obligated to tell you what my favorite things about Tapestry are!

Let’s start out with the facility.  The building we share with the Atlanta Jewish Academy is clean, well-maintained, and full of surprises!  From reward days to field trips, there is never a dull moment here!  The school is equipped with a beautiful gym, a clean cafetorium, and quirky, unique classrooms tailored to fit the needs of every student and teacher’s needs.  We even have sensory rooms designed to calm frustrated students and help them get back on task!  Sounds great, right?  Hold onto your hats because the best is yet to come!  In a few years, AJA will move out of the building, and the number of classrooms and facilities will double!  These new facilities include a science lab, a media center, and a wrestling arena!  These additions will add to the atmosphere of fun learning, innovation, and education.

I know, sounds too good to be true, right?  But it gets better still!  When it comes to education, every student gets exactly what they need from advanced classes to fun extracurriculars!  The education system is highly streamlined and is fully inclusive and individualized.  So every student is pushed to work at a level of difficulty that is right for them, so there are no students left behind!  In addition to this, we are staffed with only the best, most qualified individuals.  Teachers all across the school keep things on a semi-casual level as not to cause stress to the students.  We employ the REAL system, which stands for respect, engage, aware, and learn.  Each of these things are key aspects of the environment at Tapestry Charter and help students have fun while learning important life skills along the way!  We are also fully innovative, the only school of our kind in the state!  Our motto, “Innovative, Inclusive, Individualized,” truly reflects the ideals of the staff and parents at our truly one-of-a-kind facility.

So you made it this far without getting up and leaving, huh?  Glad to hear it!  We here at Tapestry are always looking for new students.  So if Tapestry sounds like the right school for your child, then give us a visit at the Tapestry website.

Small Beginnings–

My name is Nina Thomson, I’m in seventh grade, and I’ve been attending Tapestry Public Charter School since its first year.  I would like to share some of my personal remarks on Tapestry. To begin, I would like to say that I’ve had my share of good and bad experiences, but the bad experiences usually had nothing to do with the school, just personal issues, and the teachers and staff were able to help me through them.

I’ve met a lot of different students at Tapestry, and one thing we all have in common is that we don’t like being bullied, because most of us were once victims of being bullied. At my school we all feel safe. No one is made fun of and we’re all treated the same. That’s what I really like about Tapestry. I feel like I’m allowed to be myself and no one will judge me. We all have our flaws and other people respect that. The teachers also don’t ignore you. If you ever have a problem, they always take the time to talk to you and discuss it with you so they can help you. Even if they’re very busy, they will find time for you.

We all came to Tapestry from different schools, backgrounds, and different levels of knowledge, but one of the perks of this is that the teachers and staff find ways to help us to understand that it’s okay to be different and help us get along with others.

I came to Tapestry with no knowledge of art, whatsoever, but one year later art has become one of my favorite passions, and my drawings are pretty good, if I do say so myself.

I know it’s very hard to find the prefect school, and for different people the definition of perfect is different. My school has nice kids, outgoing kids, funny kids, talented kids, kind kids, artistic kids, smart kids, and athletic kids. When we do have a case when someone’s feelings are hurt by a peer, it’s normally resolved quickly. That’s probably my favorite thing about Tapestry. I like it when everyone is nice to each other and no one is being mean to one another. You won’t be the kid in the back of the classroom who has no friends. You won’t be that kid who sits at lunch alone. You will have friends who will always be around you and share the same interests as you.

Our teachers don’t just teach us math or language arts. They teach us to be independent, responsible, and creative. They teach us to work with other students. They teach us to be respectful. They teach us to be engaged and aware. They want to help us succeed. They want to help us learn. They don’t like being boring, they like making class fun for us.

I for one, love our music program. I think it’s very unique that we get to do music class every day. Everyone loves all different types of music, and we get to learn about the different genres, and where they originated.  We also play instruments, write our own sheet music, and sometimes incorporate art into music class.

I would also like to mention that Tapestry is a very small school, not consisting of very many students. I like this, because it helps me interact with more people. I recognize more faces, and I think most of the students at my school can agree that a smaller school is better than a bigger one.

Our teachers aren’t just people who educate us. They’re our friends who are willing to talk to us when we’re not feeling ourselves. They talk to us, and they actually listen, and then once they’ve heard what we’ve had to say, they help us with whatever we were struggling with.

So, if you love making friends, and you’re not snobby, or stuck up I’d say that Tapestry would be a good school for you.  And even if you are snobby and stuck up, I still think that Tapestry would be a good school for you, because at my school you will learn very quickly that keeping it real, and being yourself is so much cooler than being “popular”, and uptight.

I think that Tapestry is such a unique school and so different in a good way and in the near future it will be one of the best schools in Georgia. I can see most of my classmates as very successful artists, scientists, movie directors, authors, singers, comedians, and most importantly, amazing people who know how to live in this world.

When asked their opinion on school, many students end up hating it.  Whether it’s because of an overload of homework, no support, and/or the extremely large classes, it’s not the student’s fault.  Most of the time, it’s the school’s fault. They aren’t adjusting to what kids need, and they don’t function like a school should.  However, I love school.  My school is Tapestry Charter.  There are many reasons behind that.  In whole, Tapestry Charter School functions the best that a school could.

Something that is very important for a school is that students are given what they need to learn.  Tapestry does exactly that.  An example of how Tapestry adjusts to the students is that there are small class sizes.  While the average middle or high school has twenty-seven students, each class in my school has sixteen.  This helps each student get the attention they need from a teacher.  Teaches also assign different groups and work depending on your level.  For example, if you’re spectacular at this certain unit, you’ll be put into a group that matches your level and will give you a challenge.  Each student is given what they need to succeed, which is what makes Tapestry great.

Another great fact about Tapestry is the support given to kids based on their interests and ideas. Faculty works to make sure each student can succeed in what they are the most talented at, whether it’s in school or with club.  What’s even better is that if you’re not interested in a certain subject and you need help, a counselor is always standing by to lead you in the right direction and get you out of your slump.  Everyone who works at Tapestry has your best interests at heart and are happy to aid you with almost everything.

Finally, often school does not have a diverse student population.  Tapestry, however, is very diverse.  Not only do we have diversity in race, but also the school is inclusive to all learning styles.  A portion over half of the school are kids who are on the spectrum or have some sort of disability, while there is also a good mix of neurotypical kids.  The reason behind this is simple-kids who are individualized need interactions with both others who share their disability and with kids who may not have what they have.  It prepares them for the real world in that aspect.  The teachers don’t ignore this fact, either.  They prepare work that can both challenge students who are neurotypical as well as adapt to those who aren’t.  With this diversity, students and teachers get experiences they would never get without Tapestry.

All in all, Tapestry is a great school that should be the experience all students have.  Because of this set-up, I enjoy school much more than I have in earlier years.  I applaud whomever set up this system because it has helped me so much.  And I hope that students will have it shared with them across the country and perhaps the world.

Are you sick and tired of being in an overcrowded classroom that’s too loud?  Can you not focus or calm down enough to get work done?  Well, it just so happens that I go to a school named Tapestry Public Charter School that is perfectly designed to fix that problem.  There are multiple tools to help all students such as small classes and more freedom and help than in a regular old, too-conversational public school classroom.  So with the wide use of technology, small class sizes, and many accommodations of students who need extra help, I believe that the way Tapestry functions is the best way for a school to function.

Here at Tapestry some of our signature features are our small class sizes.  Smaller classes mean there’s less noise and distraction both for the teacher and the student.  This means you can focus. The teacher will be focused on the entirety of the classroom and not so much on individual students that need help.

Here at Tapestry we love to accommodate everyone, especially those who need special attention.  This is really effective and beneficial to students.  These accommodations can calm students down and  help them work more efficiently.  Here at Tapestry, we have a large amount of children who have certain quirks such as anxiety, autism, and conditions such as ADHD and OCD.  Tapestry’s main focus is helping these kids so they can have the best learning environment.  Other examples include the swing and quiet rooms.  The swing room helps kids get out energy, and the calm room helps students who are overstressed.  For children who need something to hold or grasp or focus, we have “fidgets”.  These small items, such as a stress ball, are used to ease students’ stress and help them focus.  This helps everyone stay positive, calm, and focused on learning.  In addition to helping students learn, Tapestry provides an array of technology to help us succeed.

At our school we encourage the use of many technologies to help our students excel.  For example, one special tool, probably our most vital and useful, is our chromebooks.  We use the chromebooks for a variety of ways, whether using Google Classroom to complete assignments, Discovery Education to do activities for science and social studies, or Google Drive to create presentations and documents, including this persuasive essay.  We also have IPads and Kindles for reading and educational apps.  I’d say the investment in these new technologies was a wise one indeed.

All of these essential methods and tools, from small classes to fidgets, are all important in the way Tapestry functions.  They are just some of the most important reasons why the way Tapestry works is the most effective way for a school to work.

Before I came to Tapestry, I was tortured in a public school with overcrowded classrooms, rowdy children, and out-of-date material to work with.  When I came here, I worked so much more efficiently and understood the content much more.  Plus, I made some friends, which was easy due to the class size, who also went through the same struggles until they came to Tapestry.

So now that you know about Tapestry, the tools it provides, and the effective way it functions, I ask you, what are you waiting for?  Come on in, we’re very inclusive!