Our first priority in our school, as with our campus, is relationship building, with all students, to earn trust in the educational setting that has perhaps been lost or injured as a result of previous adverse experiences with academia.
Our ultimate goal is to re-engage students in enjoying learning again, so they may transition to self-directed, life-long learners by the time they leave us to go wherever is next for them.
We offer face-to-face, experience, certified, teacher-driven learning. Our teachers and staff are experts in the field, with additional, extensive training in the areas of autism, behavior, social-emotional, mental health, and trauma. Despite COVID-19 challenges, we are ON SITE with our students, every day, supporting them through their unique learning experiences.
We offer personalized instruction, supported by student created learning plans. Students identify their future vision, then are assisted in identifying what learning needs to happen to get them there. These learning opportunities can be achieved through many methods, including projects, experiential learning, internships, and much more.
Our students’ individualized projects allow them to engage in their areas of interest. A few examples of individualized projects include bike repair, computer networking certification training, interior design, bee keeping, and nerf gun modification.
Individualized learning plans help guide students’ internship choices, which provide an expert in the field, mentoring the student in hands-on learning. While some modifications have been made during COVID-19, we do have some internship sites still active, a couple temporarily moved to on-campus mentoring, and one virtual mentor.
Each student works on an autobiography, which is expanded into an auto-ethnography throughout their time with us. This allows multiple types of writing and methods of expression to be utilized to create a personalized project of self discovery, self-reflection, and future projections which help build their self-confidence.
Shortly after students arrive at Novitas, they are given a screening assessment in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. This allows the students to focus on skills that will maximize their growth in learning, by strengthening underpinning skills. Student “grow” from wherever they are, whether advanced, remedial, or on target!
Mathematics takes on new forms here, as it applies to the real-world, instead of being siloed in the four walls of a classroom. Students have multiple methods of math practice and application available to them. While remediation is offered, we also offer extended opportunities, such as advanced mathematics, and even some dual/concurrent credit opportunities for those that are ready and willing (with the benefit of our support!)
Our mastery-based-learning allows students to show proficiency in an area they perhaps already know, without having to repeat an entire course. This is especially beneficial who students who perhaps because of attendance, or life circumstances, were just short of finishing credits at their previous educational environment, and just have a bit more learning to prove to earn a spot on their permanent transcript.
Our methodology of a DIFFERENT TYPE OF LEARNING helps students break past patterns, actually learn, practice, and apply executive functioning skills while they are with us, so they are ready to apply those skills to their next learning setting and be more successful, with a LOT more tools under their belt! Statistically, our students are much more successful than a typical traditional high school student, because they learn to understand themselves, their strengths, their weaknesses, what unique needs they may have, and thus, what supports they need, and how to use, obtain, or advocate for those supports in all future endeavors.
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