The Summit Magazine Fall 2022

Faculty Teams Up to Support Student Growth

By Tanya Bricking Leach

Giving children opportunities to be extraordinary and establishing a culture of academic rigor is part of the day-to-day work at The Summit.

Take, for example, Lower School math and reading programs where the instructional approach ensures students are learning at an appropriate pace. The work is led by a robust staff, including classroom teachers, specialists, the Lower School counselor and four educational assistants.

Math Mastery

“Our two math specialists work closely with teachers to analyze data from pre-unit and post-unit assessments to determine where students are in terms of learning the material and concepts,” says Mike Johnson, Lower School director. “We can be intentional about what we’re teaching and how we’re teaching it.”

That kind of critical approach gives educators a chance to set priorities. It positions them to adapt instruction in areas where students struggle. The teaching teams use “roundtable time” to identify students who could benefit from specific support. In the math department, their response might be to pull students out of the classroom to work on a challenging concept one-on-one with a math specialist. Other students might need accelerated instruction to keep them progressing. Having the right people available at the right times allows educators to take a data informed approach to meeting the needs of each child in the Lower School.

Literacy and Learning

The Summit has a reputation for producing accomplished writers. By the time they get to upper grades, students have experience creating written works in a variety of styles, such as short stories, essays, opinion pieces and research papers. Their teachers have provided constructive feedback along the way, a level of instruction that might not happen at larger schools, according to Mr. Johnson.

Included in Summit’s literacy instruction for younger students is a focus on phonics, or the ability to “decode” challenging words to improve comprehension. Using the same roundtable method of discovery, two reading specialists work with classroom teachers to identify students who need to improve specific skills and then address those gaps. As always, students who could benefit from more challenging lessons are also identified.

“A focus on phonics and reading fluency is like building math skills,” Mr. Johnson says. “If you don’t master the foundational skills, you can’t progress. Phonics mastery ensures students can decode challenging words quickly without losing context and interrupting comprehension.”

A Commitment to Children

Mr. Johnson believes that what sets The Summit apart from other schools is its resources. There are enough teachers on staff to give students the individual attention they need to excel, and they have the tools to do their jobs.

“The administration has committed the resources we need to be successful with every child — whether they’re struggling, or they’re at grade level, or they need acceleration,” he says.

Mr. Johnson also emphasizes that The Summit builds resilient students with its focus on character education through the Leaders of Character program. And the school’s pillars go beyond academics to include spiritual, artistic, social and physical learning.

“There are so many opportunities for kids to experience excellence,” he says, “and that breeds success.”

To support academic excellence at The Summit, consider a gift to the Five Pillars Fund. Contact Lauren FlowersNeal in the development office to learn more.