This morning, Santa Clarita’s newest charter school welcomed almost 200 7^th,8^th, and 9^th graders for the start of its 2010-2011 academic year.  The Albert Einstein Academy was approved by the William S. Hart School District in April and school officials have rushed to prepare for the students.

“We’re very proud to give parents another choice in public education.  We look forward to giving their children the tools they need to succeed in a 21^st century world.” said Edward Gika, the principal and one of the founders of the school.

One tool the school is focused on offering their students is knowledge of foreign languages.  This year, the Albert Einstein Academy is offering multiple languages including Hebrew, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Mandarin.

Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking news alerts delivered right to your inbox

Last week the students attended an orientation and retreat, giving the students an opportunity to get to know each other before they started in the classroom.

“We’ve brought together students from public schools, private schools, places in the San Fernando valley, and all districts in Santa Clarita.  We have students from different backgrounds and learning environments.  We wanted to give the students an opportunity to get to meet each other and become a community.” said Rabbi Mark Blazer who submitted the original proposal for the school to the Hart School District.

The Albert Einstein Academy has plans to add 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade in the coming years.  Eventually, they hope to add Kindergarten through 6^th grade.

The school is located at 28141 Kelly Johnson Parkway.

The public is invited to a Grand Opening celebration on September 12 to enjoy music, food, tour the school and learn about the newest edition to Santa Clarita’s educational system.  For more information, click here.