At Bronx Charter School for Children, Director Karen Drezner says she and her staff are working to create an environment that "fosters natural curiosity in children and helps them learn through discovery and discipline." That means lots of art projects, class trips such as a visit to a working farm, and a daily morning meeting where children exchange news about baby siblings and their pets. The school has a homey feel: Walls are covered with student art work: a giant painting of monkeys and hippos in a jungle scene, charming self-portraits, and water color landscapes.

Opened in 2004, the school plans to add a grade each year until it serves children in grades kindergarten through 5th grade. Across the street from a public middle school, IS 149, the charter school is housed in a pleasant red brick building with white interior walls and plenty of light. Class size is manageable, and the students, who wear light blue or white tops and dark blue pants or skirts, seem happy and engaged. The school uses some traditional approaches: "readers" or anthologies to teach reading and worksheets to drill children in math. But the director, who taught at a Jewish religious school in Brooklyn and was assistant principal at the Harbor Science and Arts Charter School in East Harlem, also has a progressive bent.

"I don't buy into the idea that urban kids need a back-to-basics curriculum," said Drezner. Rather, she hopes to give the children of the South Bronx the same "rich learning experiences" that children in wealthy neighborhoods have. In a similar vein, she encourages teachers to exercise their professional judgment and to try different techniques. "I don't require teachers to stick to the script," she said.

Classes run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for 190 days are year -- 10 more than the standard public school year. There is no gym, but the school has a small multipurpose room used for "movement" classes. There is a full-time gym teacher. Children also go out to a playground in a public park nearby.

Parents sign a contract agreeing to make sure their children show up on time, eat breakfast, do their homework, limit television viewing and get at least nine hours of sleep.

Special education: The school has an "inclusion philosophy," which means children receive special education services both in their regular classroom and during "pull-out" periods.

Admissions: A lottery is held in April.  Priority is given to District 7 residents. There is an open house for prospective parents in February. About half the children come by bus. The school has a waiting list of more than 500 children. (Clara Hemphill, June 2006)