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Our Philosophy
OUR MISSION
To prepare students with language-based learning disabilities for higher education by providing a world-class school which embeds literacy remediation and technology into all aspects of the curriculum.
OUR VISION
- Every teacher is a teacher of reading and writing
- High academic standards supported through authentic exhibitions of learning
- An academic advisor for every student, who also serves as the students advocate and case manager
- Instructional, assistive, and collaborative technology is embedded throughout the school culture
- A devotion to strengthening the psychosocial and emotional health of every student
- Senior year internship which is part of a senior portfolio
- All parents are true partners in their children’s education and their voices are part of our collective conversation
- All staff development anchored in empirical evidence and consistent with best practices and educational research for students with language-based learning disabilities
- Development of the Learning and Technology Institute at Chelsea School which will focus on staff-development, outreach education, and researc
LITERACY
The mission of the Chelsea School Literacy Program is accomplished through our four principles: Profile, Plan, Program, and Performance. Each student’s profile is reviewed and a specific plan for that student’s literacy development is made. Students are placed into one level of our three-tiered reading tutorial program. The three tiers focus on varying aspects of decoding, encoding, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, and are highlighted further below. All teaching is research-based and guided by best practice. Performance is continuously monitored and assessed in order to guide continued instruction.
In addition to remediation, student access to assistive technology is a key element in the Chelsea School program model, particularly as it applies to students accessing age-appropriate reading material across all content areas. Students use Kurzweil 3000, WordQ/SpeakQ, Inspiration, and Soliloquy Reading Assistant as ways to accommodate their disabilities and help their learning.
Click here for Chelsea School Literacy Program
Summer Reading
Chelsea also institutes a summer reading program for all students. Please click here for more information.
SOCIAL SKILLS
Groups address self-awareness and self-esteem, improving critical thinking skills and facilitating the importance of interacting with others in a positive and respectful manner.
Sessions work on enhancement of social skills as an aspect of a student’s personal growth.
All middle school students participate in social skills groups which culminate in exciting outdoor education activities such as camping, caving, traversing obstacle courses, etc.
Please click on a thumbnail below to see a larger photo of some of our social skills groups in action!
STUDY SKILLS
Study and organizational skills are emphasized throughout the Chelsea School curriculum. Middle and upper Division students receive on-going reinforcement in a structured classroom setting that employs organizational and study skills training through core curriculum classes, tutorials, and advisory.
ADVISORY
Purpose:
- To provide students with academic, organizational, and social support, in order to facilitate success throughout the course of the day
- To establish and maintain a positive relationship between Chelsea School and students’ homes concerning each student’s academic and social growth
The Chelsea School day begins with a 15-minute advisory period. Each student is assigned an advisor who may remain with the student for multiple years. The advisor is the student’s most important contact person in school. The advisor assists the student in planning and modifying the schedule of classes and with individual, school-related problems. The advisor also helps facilitate the student’s learning in areas of study skills, literacy, and self-awareness of learning profile. Another key role of the advisor is to maintain regular contact with parents in order to report on school progress and update school news.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
At Chelsea School we believe that along with embedded literacy skills throughout the curriculum, specialized and advanced technological literacy must be fostered in our students.
Technology at a glance: Dennis (Class of 2009)
Dennis, who reads at a fourth grade level, has been assigned to read a chapter in the novel Animal Farm. He has to read the chapter and answer a critical thinking question by writing a paragraph. To accomplish this, he will be using two embedded software systems: Kurzweil™ and Inspiration™. Kurzweil™ reads text that has been scanned into a computer and then allows the student to manipulate that text, with full audio playback, and compose text with the same audio capabilities. Inspiration™ is software that creates visual organizers.
Dennis uses some time in advisory that day to scan the chapter into the computer. He can now read along with the chapter while listening to it or he can create an mp3 audio file of the chapter to take home. Dennis reads the chapter in Kurzweil™ by adjusting the reading rate and the tracking bar that keeps his place on the line. He can look up new words using the audio dictionary or break words down into color-coded syllables right on screen. Once Dennis has read through the chapter he takes a look at the critical thinking question. He types the question into a new word-processing file inKurzweil™ so that he’s sure he understands what it’s asking. He knows that before he begins this paragraph, he’d better get organized. He opens Inspiration™ and chooses a web as his graphic organizer template which he uses to fill in his main idea and details. He then prints out a copy of this full-color visual model to use a reference.
Finally, Dennis is ready to type up his paragraph. He goes back to Kurzweil™ to usethe word-processing features so he can listen to what he types. With his graphic organizer in hand, he types and listens to his paragraph. He can hear immediately when something doesn’t sound right, be it an error in grammar or spelling. He uses the spelling and dictionary tools, as well as a word prediction feature to help him get his thoughts on paper. When he’s satisfied with the edited final result, Dennis prints out a copy of his paragraph to hand in to his teacher.
