Our Mission: Alexsander Academy 1090 Powers Place Alpharetta, GA 30009 Maya Mehanna, Education Director: mehanna@alexsanderacademy.org Stefanie Smith, Executive Director: smith@alexsanderacademy.org 404-839-5910 770-777-0475 Alexsander Academy is a place where all children will be academically challenged regardless of the differences they may have. The children at Alexsander Academy need to have the basic skills for functioning in an academic environment. Our children will: * be challenged to learn and achieve. * be in a small, nurturing environment with a certified teacher that takes their individual learning differences and sensory needs into consideration. * have the social opportunity to learn in a classroom of their peers. Our Philosophy: Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way. -Booker T. Washington This quote defines the philosophy at Alexsander Academy. We believe every child can learn when taught based on their individual needs and by using multiple methods of teaching. Children do not fit into a one size fits all type of curriculum. We believe every child can learn when taught based on their own learning style and when that learning style is reflected in an individualized curriculum. Our belief is that that each child has something to teach and something to learn from each other. We believe this is an excellent symbiotic relationship for our children, fostering teamwork and self-esteem and helping to create an optimum learning environment. We want our children to be excited about learning and to have the confidence in their own abilities to continue that quest for knowledge, even after they leave our environment. Our Students: The students at Alexsander Academy may have sensory processing issues, autism, Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD, LD, emotional/behavioral needs, and auditory processing and/or communication disorders. However, these issues don t define the child. Each child is an individual. It is important that children know that they have something to teach as well as something to learn. By meeting each child s academic, sensory, emotional, and behavioral needs, children are able to reach their maximum potential and feel good about it! Through individualized programming in each of these important areas our children learn to believe in themselves and know they are capable. This is the goal at Alexsander Academy. Our Program: Alexsander Academy serves students in grades 2-8. Each classroom will serve 8-10 students with one certified teacher and one assistant at maximum capacity. The program is designed to challenge every student to achieve academically with the accommodations necessary. The school s curriculum is based upon the state s curriculum (Georgia Performance Standards), but is tailored to meet the needs of each individual student. The class will work as a whole on math and reading with each child or groups of children working on an individual curriculum based on their IEP goals. The academic program of Alexsander Academy is geared toward constant assessments and making changes as needed to meet the needs of the students. Parents are intricately involved in the IEP process and success of the student. Collaboration between parents, staff, and students is a vital part of the program at Alexsander Academy. Alexsander Academy is a non-profit organization that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, or religion.
The school day runs Monday-Friday from 9:45-3:15 with after school tutoring and before and after care offered (based on availability). In partnership with Atlanta Pediatric Therapy, speech and occupational therapy will be offered after school. Atlanta Pediatric therapy files insurance and accepts Medicaid. Therapy schedules and payments are handled between parents and the therapy clinic. Therapy times need to be confirmed with school personnel to schedule to use of the space. In order to provide consistency and academic success, a summer session is offered as well. The summer session allows the students to explore the curriculum in different ways and to prepare them for the upcoming school year. Summer session is included in tuition for students whose parents have committed to the school year by the deadline, have signed the yearly contract and have made payments according to the payment schedule. Summer session slots not filled by Alexsander Academy students will be open to the public. Admission Policies: Application forms are available on our website or can be obtain from school staff. There is a $100 application fee for new students. Students will take placement testing to determine where they are functioning academically. Minimum academic functioning level needed for each grade is as follows: For 2 nd grade - Reading and Language Arts: letter recognition needed. Some basic knowledge of letter sounds. Math: basic number sense and ability to count. Good for students who have been in one on one learning environments to be able to generalize their skills to new environments and people as well as learn the ability to use classroom skills. For 3 rd grade - Reading and language arts: basic phonics and some sight word recognition. Beginning reading skills. Math: basic addition and subtraction facts. Basic number sense. Good for students who have been in one on one learning environments to be able to generalize their skills to new environments and people as well as learn the ability to use classroom skills. 4 th grade - Reading: basic 3 rd grade reading level fluent reader with minimal comprehension skills (can read but struggles with understanding what they read). Math: addition and subtraction facts, multiplication facts, basic number sense and place value. Language Arts: basic noun and verb concept and ability to construct a simple sentence with support as needed (with visual aid if necessary). For 5 th grade - Reading: basic 3 rd grade reading level fluent reader with minimal comprehension skills (can read but struggles with understanding what they read). Math: addition and subtraction facts, 2-3 digit addition and subtraction, multiplication facts and basic division concepts, basic number sense and place value. Language Arts: basic noun and verb concept and ability to construct a simple sentence with support as needed (with visual aid if necessary). For 6 th grade - Reading: 3 rd grade reading level fluent reader with basic comprehension skills (can read but struggles with higher level reading skills) concepts, 2 digit multiplication and division, basic number sense and place value Language Arts: basic grammar concepts and ability to construct (with visual aid if necessary) basic sentences around one topic.
For 7 th grade - Reading: 3 rd grade reading level fluent reader with basic comprehension skills (can read but struggles with higher level reading skills) facts and concepts, 2 digit multiplication and division, basic geometry sense (lines, shapes, comparing shapes), basic number sense and place value Language Arts: basic grammar concepts and ability to construct basic sentences (with visual aid if necessary) around one topic For 8 th grade - Reading: 4th grade reading level fluent reader with some abstract comprehension skills (starting to have higher level reading skills) facts and concepts, 2 digit multiplication and division, geometry sense (lines, shapes, comparing shapes), strong number sense and place value Language Arts: grammar concepts and ability to construct basic sentences (with visual aid if necessary) around one topic After placement testing, parent(s) and their child will be interviewed by a staff member from Alexsander Academy to determine if this placement is appropriate for the child. All pieces of the admissions process will be taken into consideration for making the placement decision. **We understand that testing can be a scary and intimidating thing for the child (and the parent!). At Alexsander Academy, our testing is to see what your child can do in an optimal situation so we can get a base line of what their academic functioning level is at the time. All the accommodations and supports that your child needs will be incorporated to help your child be successful in this environment. The interview is a get to know you and you get to know us interview and is informal. This will give everyone time to ask questions of each other, including the child if they wish. The interview can be scheduled before the academic testing to help your child feel more at ease. We also encourage you to bring your child to the school or place of testing to meet with us so they feel as comfortable as possible. The testing and informal interview, along with the application information and question sheet will be used to determine if we ALL believe our environment is a good fit for your child. ** School Calendar: School Day: 9:45 3:15 Monday - Friday To see the full school calendar, please visit our website or request a copy of our calendar handout. Tuition: Tuition is based upon the support level that the student needs in the school environment. This will be determined during placement testing and the interview. Though we do provide individual support, Alexsander Academy is not a one-on-one program. All students must be able to independent for at least portions of the school day. Students must be potty trained. Being trip trained and having occasional accidents is reasonable for our 2 nd grade students. We will work with parents to move these students toward independence. The staff has the final determination on the placement level of students. As a general rule, students on the autism spectrum usually fall into level I or II. A student with sensory processing issues or ADHD could fall anywhere from level I even to a peer tutor level depending on how much support they need academically, socially and behaviorally and how much sensory support is needed. Students whose main issue is learning but are otherwise behaviorally and socially on grade level usually fall at level III or IV. The more support the child needed to be in a school environment, the higher the tuition will be for that child. The goal at Alexsander Academy is to work to move all students to greater independence thus to less expensive tuition levels. In some circumstances, a student may be placed in between two levels if the staff feels it is appropriate. This is a staff decision and will be done on a case by case basis.
Support Level I - $26,500 Students who need more one-on-one support to perform academically. Students who need support to perform daily routines in the classroom. Students that demonstrate behavior that requires more one-on-one support. One-on-one support DOES NOT mean the student has an assigned staff member. Total one-on-one support is not offered at Alexsander Academy. Support Level II - $19,000 Students who can manipulate academic materials (by writing or typing for example) independently. Students who need some support to perform daily routines in the classroom. Students that demonstrate behavior that requires some one-on-one support. Support Level III - $16,500 Students who can manipulate academic materials (by writing or typing for example) independently. Students who need minimal support to perform daily routines in the classroom. Students that demonstrate behavior that require more one-on-one support only on an occasional basis. Support Level IV - $14,500 Students who need learning support and who would benefit from a small class environment with staff that understands learning differences. No independence issues. Any behaviors are managed well by interventions set forth by parents and staff. Peer tutor - $7,500 Students on grade level without behavioral issues. Students who can be independent socially and would benefit from an opportunity to be in a small environment with a caring and supportive staff. Students at this level benefit greatly from being peer models. These students typically gain tremendous self confidence being in a role of leadership and being the one that the others all look up to. This is especially true for students that have always felt different or broken compared to their peers. Parents are required to sign a contract for the entire school year. Parents will be responsible for paying for the entire school year even if the parent decides to remove their child during the school year. Extenuating circumstances may arise, such as a family relocating out of state that would make it impossible for the student to continue to attend Alexsander Academy. These circumstances will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Every effort will be taken at Alexsander Academy to work with parents and students to ensure that the student s needs are being met. We encourage parents to talk with school personnel should issues or concerns arise. Any questions on the tuition policy should be directed to Stefanie Smith, Executive Director of the school. Parents can pay tuition in full and receive a 5% discount or parents can pay in four equal installments. Payments can also be made monthly as long as the quarterly amount is received in full by the quarterly due date. Alexsander Academy does not charge finance charges. Please see the tuition payment schedule for due dates, discount dates and summer session information. As is true for all schools, Alexsander Academy participates in fundraising activities to offset costs and keep tuition as low as possible. Parents may reduce tuition through independent direct fundraising. Parents will receive 1/3 (one third) of the total amount raised directly off the student s tuition. Through fundraising you can also satisfy the volunteer requirement for parents of students at our school. For more information on the volunteer requirements please see the parent hand book or school staff for more information. Parents are NOT required to fundraise or donate extra money on top of tuition at Alexsander Academy. Alexsander Academy is also approved by the Department of Education to receive SB 10 funding. In addition, the school participates in
HB 1133 scholarship funding. This program allows taxpayers to redirect tax dollars to help provide scholarship money for private school education. For more information on this program please visit www.georgiasso.org or speak to Stefanie Smith. **PLEASE NOTE: Due to IRS regulations, parent(s) may be issued a 1099 form for the amount of deducted tuition due to direct fundraising. Please see Stefanie Smith, Executive Director, for questions. Academic Overview: The academic program of Alexsander Academy is designed to challenge every student to achieve academically with the accommodations necessary. The school s curriculum is based upon the Georgia Performance Standards, but is tailored to meet the needs of the students at Alexsander Academy. The class will work as a whole on math and reading with each child or groups of children working on an individual curriculum based on their IEP goals. The academic program of Alexsander Academy is geared towards constant assessments and making changes as needed to meet the needs of the students. Reading During Reading instruction, students focus on the following: Decoding skills Vocabulary development Fluency and reading with expression Reading comprehension with a variety of genres Language Arts During Language Arts students focus on the following: Grammar and mechanics Spelling Fluency and organization in written expression with a variety of genres Creativity in writing Research skills Mathematics The mathematics class focuses on developing the students foundational computational and problem-solving skills necessary for their future success in math. At the beginning of the year, students are assessed to identify weaknesses in their mathematic abilities, and instruction is geared to reviewing the necessary concepts and skills. As teachers progress through the mathematics curriculum, there is the constant spiraling of material. Teachers use a variety of instructional approaches in teaching mathematics, including the use of manipulatives, chants and rhymes, daily drills, games, and mathematics technology. Science Developing students with experience in scientific inquiry, problem solving, and reference skills is an essential part of the science curriculum at Alexsander Academy. Activities, experiments, and real-life application will be used to help students learn the science curriculum. Social Studies Geography skills are an important component of the Social Studies curriculum at Alexsander Academy. Geography skills will be taught starting in 4 th grade and will continue through 7 th grade. The rest of the curriculum is based off of the Georgia Performance Standards. A variety of instructional strategies are used in familiarizing the students with the social studies curriculum.