Academic Support Program

AC A D E M I C S U P P O RT P RO G R A M S TAF F Andrea Adams, M.Ed. Department Chair and Academic Learning Specialist Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a Master of Education Degree from Meredith College with a certification in Reading for grades K-12. Andrea has worked with a variety of grade levels for more than 20 years and is passionate about helping all students not only develop the skills and tools to become successful learners but also develop a love of learning.

Jennifer Benik, B.S. Academic Learning Specialist Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She has a certification in Early Childhood Education-Primary Education. Jennifer has experience teaching with a variety of students across several grade levels for more than 25 years. Her drive to help children succeed in school and her passion to praise effort as well as outcome is what she enjoys about working in the Academic Support Program.

Elizabeth Hardin, M.Ed. Academic Learning Specialist Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Education from the University of Virginia.

She has certifications in the Wilson Reading System and Making Math Real.

Elizabeth has experience working specifically with students who have dyslexia.

She is passionate about helping children understand how they best learn and giving them the tools they need to succeed in the future.

Lena Olsen, M.A. Academic Learning Specialist Lena holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She has teaching certifications for Middle and Upper Grades in both North Carolina and Colorado. Lena loves to foster the development of critical thinking skills and dynamic resilience in learners to help them become thoughtful leaders in the classroom and beyond.

Wendy Schwarz, B.A. Academic Learning Specialist Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from the University of California-Irvine.

She holds a NC teaching license in the areas of Middle Grades Math, Academically Gifted Instruction and Special Education Instruction. She has over 20 years of teaching experience in the classroom and as a private tutor.

AC A D E M I C S U P P O RT P RO G R A M 919-782-3331 | stdavidsraleigh.org |

@stdavidsschool

IN TRO DUC T I O N The St. David’s School Academic Support Program prepares all young men and women for college and life through differentiated instruction at a variety of levels of support. Students are provided the skill development they need to succeed in the vital areas of faith, virtue and knowledge. Each child is taught to recognize their God-given gifts and how to utilize them both inside and outside the classroom.

Academic Learning Specialists provide targeted instruction to support the academic, social and emotional needs of students. They are trained in meeting the needs of diverse learners and have experience working with students to achieve their greatest potential. Research-based strategies are utilized to foster the development of students’ skills in the areas of reading, writing and executive functioning.

The program offers three tiers of assistance in the form of in-class accommodations, small group support and one-on-one academic support. The services provided by the Academic Support Program are designed to meet the needs of support for all students. While there is an additional fee for the one-on-one academic support, in-class accommodations and small group support are provided at no extra charge. Please contact Andrea Adams, Academic Support Department Chair, at aadams@sdsw.org or 919-782-3331 x379 for further information.

3 TIE RS OF S U PPO RT T I E R 1 : I N - C L A S S AC C O M M O DAT I O N S St. David’s offers limited accommodations based on the documented needs of the student. These are decided upon each year after a careful review of the student’s psychoeducational testing on file in the Academic Support office, as well as the student’s use of the accommodations in the classroom during the year.

Individual work with an academic learning specialist is not provided. In-class accommodations are facilitated at no additional charge.

MA KING A DIFFER ENCE

“

ASP teaches me ways to study and learn material differently because I don’t learn like everybody else.

Lower School Student

The greatest benefit for me is with writing. It is helpful to discuss ideas, organize them, and then be able to put them on paper with my learning specialist.

Middle School Student

I appreciate ASP because it gives me a long one-on-one session with a teacher that can help me understand content better.

Upper School Student

ASP at St. David’s has been essential for our children. When slight learning differences have made the academic rigor of the curriculum a bit much for us, the support offered by this program has helped us navigate through. Our children have benefited greatly from the one-on-one attention they received from their well-qualified support specialists. Sometimes the assistance needed has been as simple as helping with organization, and sometimes it has been as complex as helping to recognize unique strengths and challenges when an assessment does not go as planned. There is no doubt our children are learning how to be better advocates for themselves as a result of their participation in this program.

”

Middle & Upper School Parent

T I E R 2 : S M A L L G RO U P S U P P O R T St. David’s offers five-week sessions of small group academic support for students in the Lower and Middle Schools. Students work on grade-level specific learning strategies and practice using those strategies within their core subject areas. No psychoeducational testing is required. Lower School students work with a specialist in a 1:4 teacher to student ratio, while Middle School students work with a specialist in a 1:8 teacher to student ratio. Small group support is offered at no additional charge.

T I E R 3 : AC A D E M I C S U P P O R T P RO G R A M St. David’s offers an individualized academic support program for students with a documented learning disability, ADHD and/or identified area of weakness. Highly trained learning specialists work with students twice a week to provide curriculum-based services consisting of academic skill-building and strategy intervention. Parents receive regular communication with their child’s learning specialist as the team works together to foster progression towards the academic goals of the student. Students work with a specialist in a 1:1 teacher to student ratio. Documentation of a complete psychoeducational evaluation is required. The cost of the Academic Support Program is $5,200 per year.

“ “

” ”

IN TRO DUC T I O N The St. David’s School Academic Support Program prepares all young men and women for college and life through differentiated instruction at a variety of levels of support. Students are provided the skill development they need to succeed in the vital areas of faith, virtue and knowledge. Each child is taught to recognize their God-given gifts and how to utilize them both inside and outside the classroom.

Academic Learning Specialists provide targeted instruction to support the academic, social and emotional needs of students. They are trained in meeting the needs of diverse learners and have experience working with students to achieve their greatest potential. Research-based strategies are utilized to foster the development of students’ skills in the areas of reading, writing and executive functioning.

The program offers three tiers of assistance in the form of in-class accommodations, small group support and one-on-one academic support. The services provided by the Academic Support Program are designed to meet the needs of support for all students. While there is an additional fee for the one-on-one academic support, in-class accommodations and small group support are provided at no extra charge. Please contact Andrea Adams, Academic Support Department Chair, at aadams@sdsw.org or 919-782-3331 x379 for further information.

3 TIE RS OF S U PPO RT T I E R 1 : I N - C L A S S AC C O M M O DAT I O N S St. David’s offers limited accommodations based on the documented needs of the student. These are decided upon each year after a careful review of the student’s psychoeducational testing on file in the Academic Support office, as well as the student’s use of the accommodations in the classroom during the year.

Individual work with an academic learning specialist is not provided. In-class accommodations are facilitated at no additional charge.

MA KING A DIFFER ENCE

“

ASP teaches me ways to study and learn material differently because I don’t learn like everybody else.

Lower School Student

The greatest benefit for me is with writing. It is helpful to discuss ideas, organize them, and then be able to put them on paper with my learning specialist.

Middle School Student

I appreciate ASP because it gives me a long one-on-one session with a teacher that can help me understand content better.

Upper School Student

ASP at St. David’s has been essential for our children. When slight learning differences have made the academic rigor of the curriculum a bit much for us, the support offered by this program has helped us navigate through. Our children have benefited greatly from the one-on-one attention they received from their well-qualified support specialists. Sometimes the assistance needed has been as simple as helping with organization, and sometimes it has been as complex as helping to recognize unique strengths and challenges when an assessment does not go as planned. There is no doubt our children are learning how to be better advocates for themselves as a result of their participation in this program.

”

Middle & Upper School Parent

T I E R 2 : S M A L L G RO U P S U P P O R T St. David’s offers five-week sessions of small group academic support for students in the Lower and Middle Schools. Students work on grade-level specific learning strategies and practice using those strategies within their core subject areas. No psychoeducational testing is required. Lower School students work with a specialist in a 1:4 teacher to student ratio, while Middle School students work with a specialist in a 1:8 teacher to student ratio. Small group support is offered at no additional charge.

T I E R 3 : AC A D E M I C S U P P O R T P RO G R A M St. David’s offers an individualized academic support program for students with a documented learning disability, ADHD and/or identified area of weakness. Highly trained learning specialists work with students twice a week to provide curriculum-based services consisting of academic skill-building and strategy intervention. Parents receive regular communication with their child’s learning specialist as the team works together to foster progression towards the academic goals of the student. Students work with a specialist in a 1:1 teacher to student ratio. Documentation of a complete psychoeducational evaluation is required. The cost of the Academic Support Program is $5,200 per year.

“ “

” ”

AC A D E M I C S U P P O RT P RO G R A M S TAF F Andrea Adams, M.Ed. Department Chair and Academic Learning Specialist Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a Master of Education Degree from Meredith College with a certification in Reading for grades K-12. Andrea has worked with a variety of grade levels for more than 20 years and is passionate about helping all students not only develop the skills and tools to become successful learners but also develop a love of learning.

Jennifer Benik, B.S. Academic Learning Specialist Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She has a certification in Early Childhood Education-Primary Education. Jennifer has experience teaching with a variety of students across several grade levels for more than 25 years. Her drive to help children succeed in school and her passion to praise effort as well as outcome is what she enjoys about working in the Academic Support Program.

Elizabeth Hardin, M.Ed. Academic Learning Specialist Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Education from the University of Virginia.

She has certifications in the Wilson Reading System and Making Math Real.

Elizabeth has experience working specifically with students who have dyslexia.

She is passionate about helping children understand how they best learn and giving them the tools they need to succeed in the future.

Lena Olsen, M.A. Academic Learning Specialist Lena holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She has teaching certifications for Middle and Upper Grades in both North Carolina and Colorado. Lena loves to foster the development of critical thinking skills and dynamic resilience in learners to help them become thoughtful leaders in the classroom and beyond.

Wendy Schwarz, B.A. Academic Learning Specialist Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from the University of California-Irvine.

She holds a NC teaching license in the areas of Middle Grades Math, Academically Gifted Instruction and Special Education Instruction. She has over 20 years of teaching experience in the classroom and as a private tutor.

AC A D E M I C S U P P O RT P RO G R A M 919-782-3331 | stdavidsraleigh.org |

@stdavidsschool