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Ten Reasons to Consider Franklin Academy
I
hope that you will carefully review the information
on our website.
If it seems that your child fits the profile
of students we serve, I encourage you to consider
the combination of factors that make it possible for
Franklin Academy to offer such an unprecedented
educational opportunity.
1.
Our Distinctive Mission
Franklin
Academy was founded with a very specific mission -
namely, to provide students with nonverbal learning
differences the academic and social skills to become
life-long learners, to pursue college and career
goals, and to enjoy fulfilling lives.
We believe that by focusing solely on the NLD
population we have the opportunity to bring
together students who possess similar strengths,
share common interests, and face comparable
challenges.
2.
Experienced Administrators and Teachers
No
other group of professional educators has logged as
many hours with NLD students as the Franklin Academy
faculty. Teachers
are organized by teams that are led by learning
specialists, counselors, and residential deans, and
the school invests significant time over the summer
and during the school year for on-going professional
development and programmatic improvement that builds
on an ever-stronger foundation of practical
experience.
3.
The Boarding School Advantage
We
believe that a boarding school is a superior setting
for improving social skills.
What is learned in the classroom about human
interactions is practiced and honed in many
different venues across campus.
With one adult for every two students on
campus, there are many opportunities to seize the
"teachable moment."
The goal?
We expect our students to become responsible
and independent young adults.
4.
Safe Environment
The highest priority from the very beginning has
been to create a school community where every
student feels safe, connected, understood, and
supported. And,
if the school environment is right, then the
prospects for academic success in the classroom
improve dramatically.
This is why we expect every teacher and
student to live by the Franklin Academy Code of
Conduct. This
Code inspires and sustains a community that is
both physically and psychologically safe.
5.
Life Skills Curriculum
Franklin Academy's academic program is designed
for students who exhibit an auditory learning style
preference. The
curriculum is project-based, utilizing a teaching
methodology that incorporates hands-on, real world
applications, and we strive to personalize and to
match teaching strategies with each student's
learning needs.
Although course content is fairly
traditional, the emphasis is on the mastery of skill
sets that target important academic and life tasks.
6.
A Thoughtful Schedule
We
deliberately structure the academic day, the
weekends, and the school year to give our students
the time they need to develop and practice important
life skills while maintaining focus and coping with
change. Features
of the Franklin Academy schedule include a later
start to the academic day, predictable transitions,
frequent breaks to address fatigue, classes on
Saturday morning, special intersession courses and
travel options, and timely vacations to relax and
reconnect with family.
7.
Cherished Friendships
Our
students identify with each other and enjoy the
solidarity of belonging to a natural peer group.
They live and learn together, and friendships
blossom. The
positive impact of this transformative experience
should not be underestimated.
Simply stated, having friends helps to build
self-esteem, and feeling good about oneself becomes
a key to unlocking the potential of every student
with nonverbal learning differences.
8.
Successful College Admissions
We expect that most of our graduates will go to
college. Thus,
we employ a full-time college counselor.
Our sophomores and juniors take the PSAT, and
Franklin Academy is a test center for SAT and ACT
examinations. Our parents share impressions about individual colleges that they visit
with their son or daughter, and alumni provide
feedback regarding their college experiences.
To date, Franklin seniors have gained
admission to more than sixty different colleges and
universities.
9.
NEASC Accreditation
The
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
recently granted Franklin Academy accredited status.
Accreditation means that our school meets the
criteria for those standards of excellence by which
the "educational community assures the high
quality of each member school."
NEASC commends Franklin Academy for creating
an academic program and residential community that
completely matches its mission.
10.
Continuing Innovation
Franklin Academy offers a model program to serve
students with nonverbal learning differences. An
on-going assessment of student performance parallels
a continuing critique of curriculum, teaching
strategies, and college admissions in a never-ending
quest to serve our students more effectively.
As a consequence of our comprehensive
self-study for accreditation, we forged an ambitious
institutional action plan that we are now
implementing.
I am proud of the school that we have created.
As an educator with more than thirty years
experience in independent schools, I feel blessed to
be working with such a wonderful population of
students. Indeed,
I have never before encountered any group of
students with as much "upside" potential.
Perhaps one day I might be calling out your
child's name and placing in his or her hands a
well-deserved Franklin Academy diploma.
What a triumphant and celebratory occasion
that will be!
Sincerely,
Frederick
Weissbach
Headmaster
Franklin Academy's
Revised Strategic Plan and Timeline
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