St. Columb's EC - The Church

St. Columb's Episcopal Church (St. Columb's dot org) with Celtic Cross

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Our Lady of Walsingham

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  Heritage School

Heritage School
School Phone: (601) 853-7163
E-mail: heritageschool@stcolumbs.org

WHAT IS HERITAGE SCHOOL?
Many concerned parent come to Heritage School because their child is not experiencing success in a regular classroom. Heritage School was establed in 1971 to provide an alternative learning environment for children with learning difficulties.

We are a private, non-profit specialized school accredited through the State Department of Education to offer instruction for learning disabled and ADD/ADHD students from first through eighth grade. Accreditation assures parents of two things. First, our program is geared to meet the same basic goals as the public school system. Second, it allows for an easier transition for our students should they re-enter the public school system.

HOW DOES THE STATE MAKE THE DETERMINATION TO ACCREDIT OUR SCHOOL?
It conducts a yearly audit of our curriculum, our records, and the credentials of our teachers. Last year, while many larger private schools in the state had deficiencies, Heritage School had none.

WHAT MAKE HERITAGE SCHOOL DIFFERENT?
When you enter the school, a number of differences are apparent. One is the smaller class size. We have a student-teacher ratio of 9-1. This ratio allows for a great deal of one-on-one instruction. It also allows for students to work at their own pace and successfully master the concepts taught.

Since we are non-graded, student are placed at their current functioning levels in each subject area. This way our students are able to progress to their fullest potential in every subject.

Along with regular state adopted teaching programs, our teachers use a variety of programs designed for children with learning difficulties, such as Touch Point Math, Handwriting Without Tears, and Project Read. These programs use multisensory techniques which help the students understand and master the concepts taught. In our 30+ years of experience, we have found that our students learn readily when taught by caring teachers who use the right programs in a small class setting working at their own pace.

In addition to their academic needs, we also recognize that before our students come to Heritage, they have often experienced setbacks and failure. Their self-esteem and social skills may be suffering. We work on building self-esteem by giving praise and offering the students many opportunities for success both academically and socially. We help students acquire appropriate social skills and encourage these skills through the use of positive rewards rather than punishment. The last hour of each Friday is known as "Fun Friday," when students are rewarded for their efforts during the week. A video and popcorn or a water balloon fight are examples of Fun Friday activities.

We at Heritage School know how special your child is and how much he or she has to offer. We hope to give your child the opportunity to show his or her unique talents and to develop to his or her fullest potential.

WHAT ELSE IS UNIQUELY EFFECTIVE ABOUT MY CHILD'S EDUCATION AT HERITAGE?
Your child is often tutored, 1-1, which according to research is the most effective method of instruction (Wong, H., The First Days of School, 2001).

BUT HOW DOES A TEACHER TUTOR SEVERAL CHILDREN?
Our students are grouped according to their ability to master teaching objectives associated with different grade levels. That is why your child may rotate from room to room and be in different grade levels for different subjects, or be individually tutored in certain subjects. Once your child successfully completes the lesson objectives, research has shown that the special needs child greatly benefits from a break from the demands of learning. What may require little energy for the regular student can require great energy and perseverance for a special needs child. These "play" breaks (computer time, et.) helps them move to the next task with greater ease and more opportunity for success.

HOW DOES THAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAPPENS IN OTHER SCHOOLS?
Students are usually grouped according to age and are expected to function at chronological grade level in all subjects. The special need child expends a great deal of energy on a continuous basis, with little reward in areas in which he or she might be experience difficulty.

WHEN MY CHILD'S REPORT CARD COMES HOME, HE/SHE HAS ALL GOOD GRADES. IS EVERYONE GIVEN GOOD GRADES?
Everyone is given the grade they earned, but it is easier for the Heritage School child to earn good grades and to feel "good about themselves", because they are learning at the grade level at which they can succeed.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IF MY CHILD COMPLETES HIS/HER EDUCATION AT HERITAGE?
Of those children who left Heritage last year at the eighth grade, all, with one exception, were tested and placed at grade level. One was placed at 10th grade level. For those who went to middle schools, all were tested and placed on grade level. Two of our students received special honors in language skills at their new school

WILL MY CHILD'S "SPECIAL NEEDS" END BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AT HERITAGE SCHOOL?
Sometimes after successful work at Heritage, parents will feel that their child has graduated away from having to have special instruction. Although their special needs will continue, your child will have learned how to manage his/her needs better and many of the frustractions and behavioral problems will be minimized because of the environment at Heritage

Thank you, from our staff, for caring about "special needs" children. We are dedicated to seeing that every child placed in our care succeeds to the best of his/her ability, academically, emotionally and socially. We applaud our parents for making it happen for their children. God bless.