Learning Support

The academic support services at St. Johnsbury Academy are unparalleled. All students, regardless of academic level, homework habits, or previous academic challenges, are provided with the resources to excel. We are highly successful in assisting students who require help with organization and study skills, or whose diagnosed learning disability creates the need for specialized assistance, remediation, and classroom accommodations. We offer a Study Skills program for freshmen and upperclassmen in which students learn tactics to successfully approach studying and complete their homework in a supported setting. Our Guided Studies program provides intensive academic support, with emphasis on any remedial needs, to students who have struggled with their schoolwork in the past. Trained support staff partner with faculty in both Study Skills and Guided Studies to help students navigate the pressures of high school and fulfill their academic potential.

 

Additionally, the Academy offers an Individualized Services program staffed by special educators and paraprofessionals.

Learning Center

The Learning Center is located in the Grace Stuart Orcutt Library and is open all day and during conference period. Students are welcome to come in during free periods or study halls to do their homework and/or to receive extra help from the Learning Center staff which includes a full-time mathematics specialist, a writing specialist, and additional faculty members who provide subject-specific guidance and support. Students needing remedial support will also find the help they need here; their teachers actively partner with Learning Center staff to determine support plans. The Learning Center staff works proactively and collaboratively with students and teachers to prevent academic difficulty from turning into crisis. Additionally, the Learning Center is a great resource for students seeking enrichment opportunities. 

 

Structured Study Hall

Our Structured Study Hall program moves many components of our Learning Center into students’ study halls. Students who are assigned to a Structured Study Hall, which is staffed with a professional-level teacher, are able to receive support for current assignments as well as more general support with time management and organizational skills.

Guided Studies

The Guided Studies program provides services to students requiring intensive attention and support. In addition to learning strategies and time management skills, this program provides individual support including remediation and the development and monitoring of classroom accommodations. Guided Studies instructors maintain frequent parent contact, receive daily grades, progress reports, report cards, and deficiency reports, and are responsible for teacher collaboration and contact. They also monitor a student’s need for a daily conference period and classroom accommodations.

 

Features
  • Provides support services to students with educational, behavioral, and emotional needs
  • Provides specialized instructions
  • Monitors students’ progress in class
  • Encourages students to develop confidence in their abilities
  • Teaches students to self-advocate
  • Develops good study habits

 

Focus
  • Self-advocacy skills and learning independence
  • Increase academic skills through direct instruction
  • Increase self-confidence and self-esteem
  • Remediate area of need whether academic, emotional or social
  • Partnership between teachers and Guided Studies staff to develop a program that helps students and hold them accountable for their responsibilities

 

Curriculum
  • Individual or small group remediation/support
  • Intra-personal skills
  • Study strategies
  • Test-taking strategies
  • Organization skills
  • Time management
  • Writing skills
  • Mentoring
  • Behavior management
  • Memorization techniques
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Career planning
  • Goal setting
  • Reading skills
  • Speaking skills
  • Problem solving
  • Self advocacy

Individualized Services

The Individualized Services program is designed for students who require intensive daily support and remediation based on educational, behavioral, and/or emotional needs.

 

A primary goal is to develop caring and capable young people with a strong commitment to themselves and their community. Toward this end, students learn to identify and understand their own abilities and needs so that they may achieve their highest potential in self-advocacy, self-esteem, and independence.

 

Outside of the classroom, students in the Individualized Services program are encouraged to participate in the many after-school programs offered at the Academy. They may also participate in clubs, activities, and school-sponsored events. 

Student Support

The Student Support Team is an interdisciplinary team that supports the St. Johnsbury Academy community in all areas of student success. These include, but are not limited to, academic progress monitoring, mental health and wellness, and attendance. As part of our culture of caring and respect, all faculty and staff can recommend a student to the Student Support Team. The team meets bi-weekly and initiates recommendations and/or action plans; progress is monitored as long as necessary.