SCHOOL NEWS
Successful Pandemic Learning at Conservatory Prep Schools Teachers in Classrooms Instruct Students at Home
B
y March of this year, when educational remain in place, including term papers, class, and institutions closed down due to the COVID 19 school performances, PE, music, art, theater and yes, pandemic, Conservatory Prep Schools in Davie even dance. Group activities, even under COVID, will had already shifted to an innovative virtual school include color war, cooking competitions, and a senior program. A full curriculum of real-time learning for social hosted by a DJ. the schools’ 6th-12th graders provided what principal The school’s staff of 20 teachers and volunteers Wendy Weiner called, “a seamless transition from (all certified teachers themselves), will supervise on-site education. Students completed their studies as 25-30 middle and high school students, providthe school remained true to our philosophy of highly ing an extraordinary level of student supervision. personalized teacher-student interaction.” Conservatory Prep has also hired a staff psychologist, Conservatory Prep will begin the 2020-2021 school Dr. David Krasky, Psy. D., to provide weekly group year virtually and will only bring students into the counseling with every age group to help students deal school building when it is safe. But its program is with normal stressors as well as those related to the unique; rather than relying on packets, videos, and pandemic. He will hold bi-weekly meetings with parassignments to be done in isolation, instructors will ents, who are also invited to a weekly virtual Parent teach from their actual classrooms at the school to Breakfast with Dr. Weiner. students attending from home. The goal is to come as At Conservatory Prep, students adhere to their close to a real school-day experience as possible, and regular schedule, moving from class to class on the to enable teachers to provide constant supervision Zoom platform, with plenty of time to socialize durand interaction. ing breaks. Lauren Gold, the mother of a now graduWith this approach, according to Dr. Weiner, ated senior, recalls that this past year, “I would hand “Conservatory Prep can ensure an uninterrupted my son his lunch every day and he would scoot back school year without closings due to COVID-19 surges, to his computer to eat with his friends.” So, while the should they occur.” The school’s nationally accredphysical format of teaching may have changed at this ited curriculum and its academic requirements will school, the academic and social aspects of educa-
tion have not. Conservatory Prep, which caters to twice exceptional students who are gifted with a learning disability, offers both middle school and high school curricula and is nationally accredited. Students with an IEP or 504 plan qualify for a McKay Scholarship of $5,000 to $20,000. In addition, families with income under $80,000 qualify for a Family Empowerment Scholarship of $7,000 plus. The school has produced a podcast with more information about its virtual program. A limited number of spaces remain. Those interested may visit online at conservatoryprep.org or call Principal Dr. Wendy Weiner at 954-680-5808.
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