Manhattan Charter School (MCS) is a high performing charter school located on the Lower East Side in New York City, committed to providing every child with the tools and support necessary for success. Manhattan Charter School 2, a replication of MCS, is expanding on the work already being done at MCS and believes that by working together more students will achieve high academic levels. MCS has 270 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and MCS2 currently has 96 students in kindergarten through first grade. MCS2 will grow by one grade each year to reach the same size and make-up as MCS. There are no more than 24 students in each class because we believe much of our success is due to our small school size, and intimate school culture and learning environment. Each school’s principal greets every student by name and knows every family. This intimate environment creates a community of collaboration, communication and accountability for both students and teachers. MCS focuses on providing a rigorous curriculum of core subjects to help students achieve high academic levels. All students receive music instruction each and every day. Other enrichment programs include French, Art, and Physical Education. The majority of students are minority, live in the neighborhood, and qualify for free lunch. Through its work MCS is demonstrating that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed when given equal access to quality education.