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Health & Fitness

TEAM Charter Schools Celebrates Opening of Permanent Home for Newark Collegiate Academy

TEAM Charter Schools celebrates the opening of a new building for its high school, Newark Collegiate Academy.

TEAM Charter Schools marked the opening of a new state-of-the art building for its high school, Newark Collegiate Academy, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting today.

The 62,500-square foot building located on Norfolk Street in Newark’s Central Ward is home to more than 500 students in grades 9-12. Newark Collegiate, which opened in August 2007, was previously located in a converted office building on Broad Street.

“We are excited to bring another new state-of-the-art school to Newark as we continue to work to provide more world-class educational opportunities to families in the city,” said TEAM Charter Schools Executive Director Ryan Hill. 

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Students and their families, faculty and a host of dignitaries and supporters, including Newark Mayor Cory Booker and state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, were on hand to celebrate the opening of the school. 

Booker acknowledged the enormous pains that came with designing and constructing the $22 million building, calling school leaders “courageous, noble soldiers.” He also praised the school donors, who have endless places in which to give their money, but have chosen to invest in the students at TEAM.

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“This is a remarkable achievement,” the mayor said. “Throughout the entire U.S., I see communities who would give all they had for a school like this. `Newark’ as the first name on this school is a source of pride.”

Booker said the new school is opening arteries, “like an underground railroad moving kids to freedom.” He added the ultimate goal is for every student in Newark to have a variety of quality schools from which to chose.

Cerf, who served on the TEAM board, has followed the development of the school since its inception seven years ago. Schools like the Newark Collegiate Academy, the commissioner said, offer an equal opportunity for quality public education and “are a catalyst for all children to have an equal shot at life.”

After two weeks of summer school and orientation, students started the school year on Sept. 4 in the new building, which boasts two computer labs, three science labs, performing arts studio, a gym with two full basketball courts and acts as a cafeteria and auditorium that can fit up to 500 guests in the bleachers, and a suite for college advisory services and alumni support team. 

“I’m really happy to be a part of the first graduating class from this new building” said Tieyana Samuels, a senior at Newark Collegiate Academy, who cut the ribbon at the ceremony.  Samuels has transitioned through three separate buildings in her time as a student at Newark Collegiate Academy.  “This new home is really beautiful,” she said.

“It’s hard to believe that a building can make such a difference, but overall, the feel of the school day is remarkably different,” said Faith Blasi, a founding teacher at Newark Collegiate Academy.  “Even students have expressed to me that everyone seems more positive and productive.”

Newark Collegiate Academy is one of five schools in Newark in the TEAM network. TEAM has grown from 80 founding students at its flagship middle school, TEAM Academy, in 2002 to more than 1,800 students in elementary, middle and high school. TEAM is part of the nationally acclaimed Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) network.

Recognized at the event were TEAM Schools’ partners, friends, and community leaders who made the construction and financing of the high school possible.

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