Guiding Tomorrow's Hearts and Minds

The St. Matt's Experience

The Learning Center

The Learning Center is a resource for all members of the St. Matthew's community. In partnership with teachers and parents, the Learning Specialist and School Counselor provide additional academic and emotional support for students. In order to support the success of every student and class at St. Matthew's, Learning Services provides information, communication, and support for parents as well.

Students use the Learning Center for individual and small group support, as well as enrichment opportunities. Class tests and standardized tests may be taken in the Learning Center by students with extended time or alternative setting accommodations. Support for faculty includes differentiation strategies, assessment development, social-emotional learning and progress monitoring. Parent education, support and communication is also a large part of learning services.

LEARNING SPECIALISTS

Director of Learning Services Laurie Cribb and Learning Specialist Tyler Saks work as an extension of the classroom to help identify need, provide direct intervention to support individual learning, and provide alternative testing accommodations. They also interpret outside evaluations and hold Student Support Team meetings with parents and teachers.

Our philosophy is that early identification and intervention is critical to supporting the well-being and development of children pre-k through 8th grade. We do this through benchmark assessments and monitoring, monthly grade-level meetings with teachers and administration, as well as partnering with parents and the School Counselor, Christina Johnson. Academic intervention will vary depending on need, for example, learning specialists may push-into a class or pull-out a small group of students in order to support a learning plan.

Please contact Laurie Cribb for information about the student referral process.

The School Counselor

The school counselor works with teachers, parents, students, and administration, to assist in identifying strategies and best practices to promote student social/emotional progress. She is available to any parent or teacher for dialogue or questions about an individual student.

She provides ongoing teacher and parent education, and receives and interprets the results of any outside educational assessments provided by the family. The school counselor meets regularly with all teachers to foster collaboration that promotes emotional growth and success.

Our school counselor is also available to students for one-on-one short term counseling in regards to academics, or social/emotional concerns.