Nurturing Confidence.

Realizing Potential.

Center School: Realizing Your Child’s Potential

Center School sees the potential in every child for achieving academic success. That’s why, for almost 30 years, we have helped children who learn differently to become proficient and to move successfully to the next level. Whether your child is in first grade or eighth grade, we will help realize his or her true potential through proven educational methods and personalized instruction.

Founded by two mothers whose own sons have dyslexia, Center School creates an environment where challenges are understood, each child’s strengths are celebrated, and individual needs are addressed.

CENTER SCHOOL’S MISSIONCenter School’s mission is to provide children who learn differently with a personalized education to realize their potential and reshape the way they view themselves and their future.

CENTER SCHOOL’S PHILOSOPHYIt is our belief that every student is capable of academic, social and emotional growth, so we are dedicated to designing instructional programs which foster each child’s optimal development through the use of small group instruction. This involves ongoing diagnosis of the strengths and needs of each student, appropriate instructional placement and a team approach to working with the students.

Our objective is to retain the excellence of our proven program while integrating the best of current research and practice. We work to enhance the academic, social and emotional coping skills needed for future success.

The Lower School (grades 1 to 5) program is multi-faceted, reflecting our commitment to educating the whole child. A large portion of each day is dedicated to reading and language development. Small group learning and individualized instruction form the core of this program. Writing is taught using a systematic approach allowing students to view writing as a step-by-step process, ensuring a solid foundation in writing skills. Math is also an area of focus in which each student’s needs are individually addressed through multi-sensory and hands-on learning. Each teacher is certified by the state of Pennsylvania and most have graduate degrees.

Art, physical education, and Mindfulness and Movement are offered to promote engagement in extra-curricular areas. All students also receive violin instruction from an instructor certified by the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Importantly, Center School’s faculty places strong emphasis on building a sense of community, enhancing executive function, and developing individual strengths and interests. Classes are structured to help students become better organized and develop good work habits. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the self-advocacy skills and strategies they need to become independent and confident learners.

Center School creates an environment where challenges are understood, each child’s strengths are celebrated, and individual needs are addressed.

Classes are structured to helpstudents become better organized and develop

good work habits.

Lower School

As in the Lower School, Middle School classes (grades 6-8) offer a multi-faceted curriculum that includes the Arts, Physical Education, Health, and Music as well as instruction in Learning Styles and Executive Functions. Each teacher is certified by the state of Pennsylvania to teach his/her subject area and most have graduate degrees as well.

Middle School students start the day in homeroom and then travel to their various teachers each day. This is consistent with our foremost objective: preparing our students for success in high school and beyond. Besides the relevant subject matter, classes emphasize organization and time management skills and study strategies.

Recognizing the importance of developing increasingly independent students, Center School teachers create learning environments where our Middle School students feel connected, competent and in control of their particular learning style. An advisory system teaches students how to work together, set goals, and celebrate their strengths and interests. Students also are taught effective strategies for learning to utilize their own personal success. This self-knowledge enables them to self-advocate at Center School and when they enter high school.

Center School creates an environment where challenges are understood, each child’s strengths are celebrated, and individual needs are addressed.

Recognizing the importance of developing increasingly independent students, Center School teachers create learning

environments where our Middle School students feel connected, competent, and in control of their particular learning style.

Middle School

Curriculum OverviewA comprehensive academic program is provided for Center School students in first through eighth grade. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students and reflect the best of current research. Students receive explicit instruction in academic, organizational, and study skills to provide them with the strategies they need to become and confident learners. In Middle School, an advisory system teaches students how to set goals and celebrate their strengths and interests.

Center School’s curriculum is language-based, recognizing the role that language plays in academic success. Using the Pennsylvania Core Standards as a guideline, full curriculum instruction is offered through a structured, multi-sensory approach based on students’ needs and designed to address each child’s learning needs through small group instruction. Curriculum can be adjusted to be taught at an appropriate pace for a student’s individual level of learning.

Reading is the cornerstone of the curriculum at Center School, and much of the day is dedicated to building literacy skills. The reading curriculum is language-based, multi-sensory, sequential, and structured to be cumulative. Direct instruction and explicit modeling are used to provide students with the tools necessary to develop sound comprehension skills. Material is chosen at the child’s instructional reading level.

Lower School:In the Lower School, foundational, vocabulary, and comprehension skills form the foundation of the curriculum. The foundational skills of phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency are explicitly taught in Wilson Fundations®, Wilson Reading System®, or the Orton-Gillingham Approach. They are also incorporated into weekly spelling and reading lessons. Reading is taught in small group settings and focuses on the development of vocabulary and comprehension skills. Groups are created based upon students’ instructional levels. Various frameworks are used for reading instruction which include the Directed Reading Thinking Activity and components of the Reading Workshop and Balanced Literacy Approach.

1st and 2nd Grades Students interact with a variety of texts to gain an understanding of text structure. Vocabulary is emphasized to develop language and reading skills, and comprehension is explicitly taught.

3rd Grade Students continue to interact with the text and understand text structure more deeply. Vocabulary continues to focus on sight word recognition and acquisition and use. More comprehension skills are introduced as students begin to engage more deeply in the reading process.

4th Grade Students begin to move away from sight word recognition, and vocabulary development and usage is emphasized. Comprehension begins to focus on critical thinking and inferential skills.

5th Grade Students continue to develop spelling skills with a greater emphasis on word structure. Students’ vocabulary continues to develop on a deeper level, and comprehension, while still explicitly taught, begins to become more analytical in nature.

Therapy Dogs In the Lower School, students are able to spend time with therapy dogs from Nor’Wester Readers. This builds self-confidence, independence, and enhances the educational environment. Each class is assigned a personal dog which stays with them throughout the year. The dog visits the class once a week for the entire year. Each child is able to spend individual time reading to the classroom’s personal dog to practice fluency.

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Middle School:

As students enter Middle School, a greater emphasis is placed on independent reading and development of the reading process. Novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction stories are incorporated to provide a transfer and application of learned comprehension skills. Vocabulary is studied and interpreted in order to deepen language skills and comprehension. Foundational skills are well developed, and interpreting and analyzing literary genres, elements, and devices become the core of the student’s learning. Determining and analyzing the author’s purpose is studied more deeply as it relates to points of view of characters and/or narrators.

6th Grade Students continue to develop and build reading skills and strategies in order to determine central ideas, build vocabulary, and interpret figurative language. Citing textual evidence is emphasized to support analysis of the text. Orton-Gillingham techniques are utilized through vocabulary acquisition as a means to clarify the meaning of unknown words.

7th Grade While utilizing reading comprehension strategies, students track two or more central ideas over the course of a text. When seeking textual evidence, students provide several references from the text to support analysis of explicit plot points. Students closely analyze the interactions of characters as they represent the events and varied points of view.

8th Grade Throughout reading, students determine their own central ideas of a text by citing several key pieces of explicit and implicit evidence to support their claim. An emphasis is placed on analysis of the author’s purpose for writing a specific text and how the author introduces conflicting viewpoints. Rigor increases in preparation for high school.

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Orton-Gillingham Approach, Wilson Reading System®, and Wilson Fundations®

Orton-Gillingham is a diagnostic and prescriptive approach to reading instruction for students who have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing often associated with dyslexia. It incorporates multi-sensory techniques along with the structure of the English language. This multi-sensory education incorporates auditory, kinesthetic, and visual means. Orton-Gillingham is used for more intensive and individualized instruction. Wilson Reading System® is a research-based reading and spelling programs for all ages. Its multi-sensory, structured curriculum is based upon phonological-coding research and Orton-Gillingham principles. Wilson Reading System is used for groups of approximately five students. In both programs, students receive instruction in:

• Phonemic awareness • Decoding and word study • Sight word recognition • Spelling • Fluency • Vocabulary • Oral expressive language development Wilson Fundations® provides research-based materials and strategies essential to comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting. This program is geared towards students in grades K-3. Students receive instruction in critical foundational skills which emphasize:

• Phonemic awareness • Phonics/ word study • High frequency word study • Reading fluency • Vocabulary • Comprehension strategies • Handwriting • Spelling

All new students are assessed to determine their need for placement in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading System®, or Wilson Fundations®.

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The writing curriculum in Center School focuses on a direct approach to teaching writing. In all grade levels, Step Up to Writing by Maureen Auman, a research-based explicit, systematic approach to writing instruction, is used as a resource to guide teachers in creating curriculum. Skills are sequenced, clearly instructed with examples, then modeled with guided practice. A common writing language is developed among all grade levels. In each grade, students learn and understand the importance of the steps of the writing process, and independence in applying them is taught.

Narrative, Opinion/Persuasive, Informative/Explanatory, and Research writing are taught in all grades levels. Grammar is clearly and explicitly taught in each grade, building and extending upon each skill from year to year in order to improve knowledge of the structure of the English language and use it effectively to convey meaning. Public speaking is incorporated into each grade through the use of presentations and, in eighth grade, graduation speeches.

Lower School:

In the Lower School, students begin to learn the steps in the writing process and receive continuous guidance and support. Emphasis is placed on proper sentence and paragraph structure. Students are guided in responding to prompts and topics.

1st & 2nd Grade

Students learn proper sentence structure and begin to focus on a topic when writing. Students write multiple sentences about a topic.

3rd Grade

Students learn to plan, revise, and edit with support as part of the writing process. Paragraph development is taught to include a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding statement.

4th Grade

Paragraph development is studied more closely, and multiple paragraph writing is introduced. Students continue to plan, revise, and edit in order to strengthen writing. Students learn about transitions in writing and begin to explore informal and formal language.

5th Grade

Students write in multi-paragraph form, and rewriting is introduced into the writing process. Students expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning and reader interest, and write with an awareness of style.

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Middle School:

In the Middle School, writing is further developed, and organization in writing is stressed. Students add voice to all genres of writing. Writing informally shifts to writing formally. All steps of the writing process are utilized with support from adults being gradually released as students enter eighth grade. Sentence patterns become more complex, and precise words and details are used to convey clarity in writing.

6th Grade

Students continue to write in multi-paragraph form and work towards writing a five paragraph essay. Adult and peer support is given in the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.

7th Grade

Students develop writing skills through consistent use of the steps within the writing process. As students learn more about the structure of essays, the idea of a thesis statement is introduced.

8th Grade

Students enter eighth grade with a clear understanding of the writing process and the structure of a five paragraph essay. While writing continues to focus on specific genres, writing in response to literature to show comprehension is incorporated in preparation for high school.

The math curriculum in Center School is developed using a variety of methods to address students with or without a specific learning disability in math. Supplemental material pulled from Pearson’s Envision Math in lower school and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Big Ideas Math in middle school are incorporated respectively with numerous teacher-created materials and interactive media to develop a curriculum that focuses on computation skills, problem solving, and real life, practical applications. A full learning experience is reinforced through the use of manipulative materials to engage students in active learning. Numbers and operations, algebraic concepts, geometry, and measurement, data, and probability are incorporated to provide a well-rounded and sequential curriculum.

Lower School:

1st and 2nd Grades

• Manipulation of Numbers in 1’s and 10’s • Visual Interpretations of Addition and Subtraction • Basic Geometric Concepts including Fractions • Introduction to Measurement and Data (Time and Money) 3rd Grade

• Multi-digit Arithmetic and Fractions • Representation of Problems Using the Four Operations. • Application of Shapes, Angles, and Fractions • Utilization of Various Concepts and Tools for Measurement

4th Grade

• Application of Place Value Concepts to the Four Operations, Fractions, and Decimals • Word Problem Concepts • Identification of Geometric Concepts including Polygons • Compare and Convert Units of Measurement 5th Grade

• Utilization of all Operations for Numbers up to Billions and Decimals • Introduction to Algebraic Concepts • Geometric Concepts including Classification of Triangles and the Coordinate Plane • Interpretation of Measurement and Data including Volume

MATH

Middle School:

6th Grade

• Interpretation of Fractions including Ratios • Application of Equations and Expressions • Application of Geometric Concepts in the Real World including Circles • Introduction to Statistics

7th Grade

• Ratio and Proportional Relationships • Utilization of Algebraic Concepts with Graphs • Visualization and Representation of Geometric Concepts • Identification and Calculation of Probability and Permutations

8th Grade

• Application of Rational and Irrational Numbers • Analysis of Expressions, Equations, and Functions • Application of Formulas to Shapes; Pythagorean Theorem • Interpretation of Bivariate Data

MATH

Lower School:

The Lower School uses TCI’s Social Studies Alive! as a foundation for their curriculum and incorporates a variety of strategies for students. Students in the primary grades are exposed to social studies content through the discussion of big ideas focusing primarily around community. In intermediate grades, instruction builds on the big ideas of primary grades with a focus on specific content to include government and history.

1st Grade My Family and Community • Schoolwide Behavioral Guidelines • Families’ Needs and Wants • Map Skills • Families and Holiday Traditions

2nd Grade My Community • Citizenship Within Three Types of Communities • Consumerism • Geographic Features and Uses of Our Environment • Pennsylvania History (including local Native Americans)

3rd Grade Our Community and Beyond • The Responsibilities of Leaders and Citizens in the Community (Philadelphia) • Resources, Goods and Services • Geographic Physical and Man-made Features and Citizens Effects on Our Environment • United States and World Culture

4th Grade Regions of Our Country • Principles, Ideals, and Leadership in Government • Pennsylvania’s Government and Economy • Geographic and Man-made Features of Regions and Their Effects on Community • The Effects and Impact of Pennsylvania and United States History

5th Grade America’s Past • The Role and Responsibility of the United States Government • Economics in United States History • Geographic and Man-made Features of Regions and Their Effects on Community • The Settling of the United States from Native Americans to the Civil War

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STUDIES

Middle School:

In the Middle School, a wide variety of resources are used to help students understand social studies concepts. Elements from Prentice Hall’s World Studies: The Ancient World and McGraw Hill’s Discovering Our Past: The History of the United States are incorporated with numerous teacher-created materials and interactive media to develop a comprehensive and coherent curriculum. There is a focus on the interaction between culture and geography on each other. Students will learn the development of laws and governments by analyzing and critiquing historical documents from each time period. As students move through Middle School, more specific content is studied in order to develop skills needed for high school.

6th Grade Ancient Civilizations: Geography, History, and Culture and Their Effects on Modern Culture • The Beginning of Human Society/The Fertile Crescent • Egypt • Greece • Rome • Indus River Valley • China

7th Grade Early American History: The Historical and Political Effect on America’s Expansion • The First Americans • European Explorers • Colonial America • The American Revolution • Uniting a Country • US Expansion • The Spirit of Reform and The Civil War

8th Grade 20th Century United States: The Voices and Agents That Brought About Lasting Change • The Industrial Age • Rise of Urban Cities and the Progressive Era • Age of Imperialism • WWI • The Great Depression • WWII • The Cold War Era • The Civil Rights Movement

SOCIAL

STUDIES

Lower School:

In Lower School, students explore science concepts through the use of Delta Science Modules, comprehensive kits that allow students to investigate key science topics through a combination of hands-on activities and content area reading. Students begin to investigate life, earth, and physical science topics throughout their time in Lower School. These exposures serve as a foundation to a deeper study as students enter Middle School.

1st and 2nd Grades Life Earth • Life Cycles: Seeds to Plants, Butterflies to Moths • Weather Watching • Phases of the Moon

3rd Grade Life Physical • Plant and Animal Growth and Adaptations • Differentiating States of Matter

4th Grade Life Physical • Origin of the Solar System • Electrical and Magnetic Energy: Constructing Electrical Circuits

5th Grade Life Earth • Biomes: Building an Environment • Weather’s and Climate’s Effect on the Earth to Understand Life Cycles Physical • Force and Motion: Simple Machines

SCIENCE

Middle School:

In Middle School, students continue to explore science concepts through the use of Delta Science Modules. Each year, students focus in on one concentration of science in which they learn a wide range of topics within that area to make sense of science concepts on a larger scale. Students continue to expand their scientific inquiry skills through the use of the scientific method during labs and experiments. Teacher-created materials and interactive media help to further complete the curriculum.

6th Grade Earth • The Scientific Method • Earth Structures, Processes, and Cycles • Evolution of the Universe

7th Grade Life • Organisms and Cells: Basic Cell Structures and Their Functions • Theory of Evolution • Genetics: From Genes to Proteins

8th Grade Physical • Chemistry: Physical and Chemical Changes of Atomic Structures • Physics: Kinetic and Potential Energy; Electric Currents

SCIENCE

STEM

STEM is based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. The students experience curriculum that is engaging, multi-sensory and reflects the fundamentals of STEM instruction. The program prepares students for the integrated STEM demands and provides opportunities to research and experience STEM careers. Students who do not require Wilson®, Orton-Gillingham, or have graduated from Wilson® and Orton-Gillingham participate in the STEM program. Topics covered include:

• Computer Coding • Fashion Technology • Bridge Design • Statistics • Business • Sports and Exercise Science • Nutrition • Financial Literacy • Money Management • Engineering Process • Stock Market Analysis • Parachute Design • Environmental Science

Health

The health curriculum is introduced in fourth grade and continues through eighth grade. Features from the Pennsylvania Core Standards are incorporated into the curriculum along with components from McGraw-Hill Teen Health and teacher-made activities and materials. Students are taught to identify, recognize, explain, and analyze concepts of safe and healthy living. Health class is instructed for one semester.

4th Grade • Healthy Beginnings and Nutrition

5th Grade • Body Systems and Puberty

6th Grade • First Aid and Safety • Drugs and Alcohol

7th Grade • Health Problems and Prevention

8th Grade • Dating Guidelines • Sexual Education

STEM

HEALTH

Physical Education

Lower School:

In the Lower School, classes are devoted to skill development and fun activities with a focus on cooperation and good sportsmanship. The program includes:

• Games which reinforce skill development, fundamentals of movement, spatial orientation, and eye-hand coordination. • Learning basic skills of team sports such as football, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, and wiffle ball. • Skill instruction in throwing, catching, kicking, shooting, batting, basic sports strategies and rules, formation, and creating plays.

Middle School:

In the Middle School, classes emphasize developing teamwork, understanding how to manage fitness needs, and learning the skills necessary to compete in lifetime sports effectively. The program includes:

• Fitness is fostered through exercise such as weight training and rope climbing. Students develop an understanding of how to manage their fitness needs on a daily basis, staying fit through a variety of activities. • Teamwork is promoted through cooperative games and developed to create a positive environment. • Strategies are taught for lifetime sports such as football, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, and softball.

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Art

The art curriculum at Center School provides opportunities for students to develop skills necessary to perceive and respond to visual arts, to gain an understanding of them as an essential aspect of human experience, and to cultivate an ability to make aesthetic judgments. At Center School, a Discipline-Based Arts Education (DBAE) model is used. DBAE is a framework that ensures all students receive a rigorous study of the visual arts. DBAE presents a sound art curriculum including the following components: Art Production, Art History, Art Criticism, and Aesthetics. Each grade level works in a variety of media to explore the principles and elements of design in both three-dimensional and two-dimensional art work. Every year lessons build upon the former year, forming a foundation for understanding artistic principles. Many units in art are approached in an interdisciplinary manner with teachers from different classrooms teaching the same subject matter to reinforce learning. These components of the art program create a well-rounded art curriculum. Attention is focused on the following elements:

• Color Theory • Line Types and Directions • Shapes • Genres: Portrait, Still Life, Landscape, Abstract • Composition and Balance • Patterns • 3-Dimensional Works

Music Center School offers Lower School students violin, taught in the Suzuki method. This world-renowned method, developed by Japanese violinist Shin’ichi Suzuki, has at its core a belief that everyone is capable of learning in the right environment.

In Middle School, students further develop their music skills through a variety of musical exposures. Students receive music instruction for two semesters throughout their time in Middle School.

ART

MUSIC

Mindfulness and MovementMindfulness and Movement is a unique classroom-based program using various modalities to help children develop a sense of intrinsic self-worth. The program incorporates elements of highly respected programs including Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance, and MindUP™: Brain-Focused Strategies for Learning-and Living. The program is offered to students in grades four through eight for a 12-week cycle.

Guidance Center School’s guidance program upholds and supports our mission and philosophy and is integral to the success of our students. School-wide effective educational programs address students’ needs while enhancing their strengths allowing our students to take advantage of our research based curriculum.

Student academic, social, and emotional progress is monitored through a collaborative approach during child study meetings. The child study team, which includes the counselor, Assistant Head of School and the student’s team of teachers, is a vehicle that is used to continually reevaluate the strategies and accommodations that aid in optimal student progress. Learning profiles include accommodations, interventions, and strategies to leverage the students’ strengths and affinities in order to bypass challenge areas.

In Lower School, guidance lessons focus on the school’s theme and social skills. In Middle School, learning styles and executive functions are the core of guidance lessons.

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Leadership

Opportunities are provided to students in Middle School to develop leadership skills which are an integral part of being a Center School student.

Safety Patrol

The Safey Patrol at Center School allows students the opportunity to learn about rules, safety, and communication by providing a safe environment through monitoring hallways and bus arrival and dismissal.

Student Council

The Student Council at Center School is an extracurricular activity lead by the 8th grade student body with the purpose of impacting the school community. Through various fundraising activities, the Student Council raises money to benefit Center School and various organizations within the local communities. There are four main representatives in the Student Council: president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. All other students serve as public relations support through involvement in marketing the various events which are hosted monthly.

The Student Council at Center School promotes collaboration, leadership, and community building experience.

LEADERSHIP

After School Programs

Sports

Center School offers opportunities for students in grades four through eight to participate in competitive team sports including soccer, basketball, and softball. Center School’s gym teacher and coach teaches the basics of each sport during practice which is held three times a week so students are prepared to meet the competition head-on during after school games.

Drama

Students in grades four through eight can participate in the drama program which culminates with the performance of a play in April. Students also are exposed to theater activities including games that spark creativity, encourage working together, practice listening and focusing, and foster confidence.

Art

Fun and creative projects will allow each student to relax and re-focus at the end of a busy school day. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum of eight students, giving your child a chance to interact with other children and on a one-to-one basis. Art projects include ceramics, painting techniques, 3D sculpture, and much more!

Tutoring

Center School offers after school tutoring taught by Center School’s certified and experienced teachers. All sessions are 60 minutes. Tutoring is available in the following areas:

• Orton Gillingham • Reading • Writing • Math • Homework • Study Skills • Executive Function Skills

AFTER

SCHOOL

PROGRAMS

2450 Hamilton Avenue | Abington, PA 19001

Visit us at www.centerschoolpa.org or call us today at 215.657.2200.

Let’s discover how we can help your child learn!

From the moment you walk through our door, you’ll experience our warm, welcoming environment and helpful staff. Schedule a visitand experience our school.Meet our teachers and students who make Center School agreat place to thrive and learn!

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