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We focus on gifted education methods in our teaching. Gifted education begins with getting to know our young people as individuals. Our philosophy is that children should have a choice in what they want to learn, but be guided by expert teachers along the way. At Gifted Microschool, students also have the freedom to voice their ideas as they partner with their teachers to work through learning goals and standards. Teachers continually assess academic progress of each student by partnering with them instead of giving continuous paper assessments, which in many neurodivergent children are a cause of anxiety and overwhelming pressure.

Teachers provide acceleration and remediation where needed, enrichment and differentiation, social and emotional support in a positive classroom environment because they understand the various needs of the gifted child.  We acknowledge that taking time to  build a community of caring and trust helps to foster a love of learning and allows children (and our teachers!) to flourish in their unique, neurodivergent ways. Gifted and curious learners will excel academically, emotionally and socially in our learning environment because we understand their needs and how to adjust learning with them.

We believe in –

• Encouraging questioning and critical thinking

• Fostering a growth mindset

• Understanding that we all have areas of strength and areas we struggle in

• Teaching the whole child – academically, socially, & emotionally

• Teachers & staff being models and coaches for children

• Valuing differences

• School being a secular and inclusive environment

• Learning as individuals, small groups, and as a learning community

Student Traits –

We are looking for learners who would benefit from:

• A small class size

• Individualized instruction

• Moving through subjects at their own pace

• Enrichment and finding meaning in their learning

• Their curiosity and creativity honored

• Building a bond with their teachers who get to know and understand them

• Social and emotional support beyond the standard classroom

Gifted Identification –

We recommend gifted identification results to help us better understand your child’s needs, but they are not required, nor does your child have to score at a particular level. They just need to be children who would benefit from an education developed for gifted learners. (The Gifted Collective offers gifted identification testing.)

Special Needs –

Special needs children, as well as twice-exceptional children, are welcome! We just need to ensure they are a good fit and we can meet their needs. All prospective children go through the application process to see if they are a good fit. If a student requires additional support, and is seen as a good fit, we are happy to work with the family and ESA system to make sure the support (and funding for the additional support) is available. 

Behavior Policy –

Our behavior policy is outlined in our Family Handbook. In summary, we believe that minor behavior concerns with a child is an opportunity for that child to learn and grow. We also believe that consistent disruptions, disrespect, and threatening behavior run contrary to the learning environment we have established and are not to be tolerated. We reserve the right to withdraw enrollment of a child at any time for behavior concerns whether it is from the child or a parent/guardian.