Education
The communities of Berlin, Green Lake, Markesan, Princeton and Ripon, along with the surrounding area, offer an exceptional variety of educational opportunities for students from 4-year-old kindergarten to college. Local schools provide students with top-notch educators, facilities and programs to prepare them for life in a global economy.
Public schools in the Berlin Area School District include Clay Lamberton Elementary School (K-5), Berlin Middle School (6-8) and Berlin High School (9-12). Their vision is to create quality students with a global perspective, educated to their fullest potential, and respectful to all. With a motto of “Children: Our first priority,” they emphasize the formation of strong relations with parents and the community to aid in preparing children to compete in the 21st century marketplace. The 2011-2014 Strategic Plan will guide the district in providing a comprehensive educational program that stresses lifelong learning and successful occupational, civic and personal growth. Two private schools offer alternatives. St. John Lutheran School educates children through 8th grade with a small teacher to student ratio and All Saints Catholic School focuses on a Christ-centered education, academics, morals and values.
For decades, most people associated America’s small towns with one-room schoolhouses, and, true to that image, Green Lake is a ‘one-roof’ schoolhouse. Students from 4-year-old kindergarten through 12th grade attend school in the same building, encouraging a family-friendly, community atmosphere. With the challenges of a new world economy, Green Lake has chosen to become the first 4K–12 International Baccalaureate World School in Wisconsin. IB encourages a deeper understanding of subjects and active participation in the learning process. The district also recently adopted the Earth Partnership in Schools, integrating outdoor activities into all classes. Connecting students with the lake and its place in the world, The Green Lake Global and Environmental Academy—a lake-centered charter school—opened in 2008 to 7-8 grade students.
Markesan is a rural district whose citizens have been strong supporters of public education, passing a referendum in 1998 to build a new high school addition and to remodel the former high school as a middle school. Markesan District Schools are “opening doors for kids.” Markesan Elementary School and the combined Markesan Middle/High School offer state-of-the-art technology facilities and resources to assist students in becoming lifelong learners and contributing citizens. College-level classes are available at the high school, providing students with a head-start on their futures. Fine arts, athletics and co-curricular activities flourish in Markesan, helping to round out a well-balanced education.
The Princeton Public School District educates children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district makes community and family involvement a major priority, and the community views the school as a gathering place. Small class sizes, classroom collaboration between grade levels and strong curriculum helped earn Princeton a two-time School of Promise Award. Students can participate in multiple extracurricular activities, and hands-on learning at school forests, gifted and talented programs, and non-traditional and specialized learning opportunities give children the chance to excel. School-to-work programs, exploratory class offerings, a distance-learning lab and personalized career guidance ensure that students will be prepared for the future. St. John the Baptist Catholic School provides a quality Catholic education for children in 4-K through 8th grade. Aside from the basic curriculum, students attend religion, physical education, music and art classes.
The Ripon Area School District serves approximately 1,800 students. The school district provides a half-day, 4-year-old preschool program at community sites and K-12 classes at four newly built or remodeled schools. Ripon’s vision statement affirms that, “as one of Wisconsin’s outstanding school districts, we are a vibrant, engaged community of lifelong learners that challenges and inspires students to reach their full potential, achieve success and contribute to the local and world community throughout their lives.” In addition to the public schools, the school district has three charter schools to provide more choices for parents and students. The Ripon Exploration and Application Charter High (REACH) School is a 9-12 grade school for hands-on learners. Crossroads Academy provides self-paced learning programs for at-risk, 6-12 grade students, and Quest Elementary School is a project-based learning charter school for students in grades 3-5.
Those looking for higher education need not look far. Ripon College boasts a strong national academic reputation and is ranked in the top 15 percent of colleges in the nation by the Princeton Review. Moraine Park Technical College is nearby in Fond du Lac with a regional center in Ripon. They offer more than 100 different career options, and classes are taught by industry-experienced instructors. Also in Fond du Lac, the UW-Fond du Lac offers courses that are the basis for more than 250 majors. Six buildings surround a two-acre lake, and a $13 million renovation was completed in 2000, transforming the campus into a state-of-the-art facility.
In addition, the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service (UWEX) maintains an office in Green Lake County and is staffed by educators offering programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Community Development, Family Living and 4-H Youth Development.
The communities of Green Lake Country are well-prepared to provide learning opportunities to all ages. Friendly, welcoming staff at local schools will be happy to arrange tours of facilities and interviews with personnel. Whatever your aspirations, you will be assured of readiness for the challenges of the ever-changing global economic climate if you take advantage of the many educational opportunities awaiting you.
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