Posted by Mrs. Wilson
If you are familiar with our school, you already know how nurturing and supportive our environment is for our students and families. We feel that when students feel safe and cared for, they take the risks necessary for growth and learning. This is why we work so hard to create a place where kids and families want to be!
We take a fair amount of time during the admissions process learning about your child and your family (read: Test Drive All Saints Catholic Academy – Admissions Process). We screen students to determine the best placement for their success (read: How All Saints Catholic Academy Screens Students). Once we make this determination, a decision is made and the student is placed. Teachers work to familiarize themselves with your child’s unique learning style and help him or her reach his or her maximum potential. It’s a lot of work – but so worth the effort!
There are times that as students progress through the classrooms here, that a learning difference pops up. Perhaps a student is struggling a bit more than what we might consider typical. This leads to a meeting with the parents, classroom teacher(s), the appropriate division head, and often, the Head of School. We discuss the challenges the student is facing and what accommodations have been attempted. Sometimes, we are able to create an in-house student support plan with accommodations that are feasible for our staff. Other times, we decide as a team that an educational evaluation might be necessary to determine if there is a learning difference, or disability.
Since All Saints Catholic Academy is not a federally funded school, our access to student support services is somewhat limited. Thanks to our relationship with Lamoille South Supervisory Union, we are able to partner with them for the evaluation. All Saints Catholic Academy walks its families through this entire process, start to finish. Initially, it usually involves gathering data and scheduling observations and an initial meeting with the entire team, including the special educator from Lamoille South. The next step is the scheduling of the evaluation. Historically, Lamoille South will evaluate at All Saints Catholic Academy, which is favorable since our students are most comfortable in this environment. Once the evaluation has been completed, another meeting is scheduled with the entire team to review the results. The special educator from Lamoille South will offer suggestions and accommodations to best suit the student’s learning style, based on the results of the evaluation. It is important to note, however, that Lamoille South does not provide any of the suggestions or accommodations; their relationship with All Saints Catholic Academy is strictly consultation and evaluation.
All Saints Catholic Academy then develops a plan, incorporating the suggestions and accommodations made by the special educator. There are often several adjustments that can be made in the classroom and with instruction and assessment. While our teachers are not special educators, they are well-equipped to handle basic accommodations. Occasionally, more specialized accommodations are suggested and parents may need to contract with a tutor or literacy or math specialist. We keep some names on file to assist with this and the school is always willing to provide a space for this extra assistance.
There are times when the support required of All Saints Catholic Academy is medical rather than educational. Students can be affected by a wide range of medical considerations from all types of allergies to broken bones to asthma. The school wants nothing more than for your student to be safe at all times and we want to assure you that we have all the necessary plans in place to ensure this safety. We create medical action plans for our students who need them. We take great care in establishing these plans, customizing the plans as necessary. For example, students impacted by allergies have a fairly generalized plan, not requiring several steps. A student with a more unique medical concern requires a more unique and specialized plan. This process is a bit more involved, and we like to include the parents, teachers, administration, office staff, and sometimes trustees for input and planning purposes. We do this to create the most comprehensive and safe plan possible and we value the input and perspective of all involved.
At the end of the day, we strive to provide the best possible experience for your child and your family. We work to support your child through the different phases and stages of his or her time here. We consider the partnership between school and home vital to creating the best possible experience. The road to eighth grade can be bumpy at times, but you can consider All Saints Catholic Academy the seatbelt, keeping everyone secured!
____________________________________________
