New Way Academy Lower School

 

Strong Academics and State of the Art Remediation

The lower school serves children in kindergarten through grade six. The program provides grade level curriculum based on Arizona State Standards while intensively remediating areas of individual need. Teachers view each child as unique with strengths and talents as well as academic, attention, or other challenges. Instructors are specially trained to provide evidence based instruction using methods that incorporate knowledge about learning and the brain. The faculty partners with families to build student confidence, organizational skills, social competency, and academic success.


Unique Needs of This Age Group

Lower school teachers recognize the importance of early intervention for young students. Early intervention provides a strong foundation for learning and reduces complications that occur when a student's needs are not addressed during the early grades. This age group has the advantage of increased brain plasticity, which can be optimized with effective teaching. Students learn best when the academic content is presented in a structured but hands-on and experiential manner. Learning follows a gradual progression from concrete to abstract.


Enriched School Experiences

  • • Field trips

  • • A six thousand plus volume library and book fairs

  • • Sports teams including flag football, basketball, and track

  • • School clubs such as chess, art, and Tae Kwon Do

  • • SMART Boards© in all classrooms

  • • Computer technology

  • • Garden

  • • Spacious play areas adjacent to park greenbelt

  • • Student centered events including a Bike-a-Thon and pep assemblies


Structure and Schedule

Students are assigned to a homeroom class of six to twelve students according to age, social maturity, and learning style. The school day is divided into morning homeroom, six academic class periods, and afternoon homeroom. A student's prescribed schedule includes math, reading (core curriculum or reading intervention), an additional literacy class, writing instruction, art, physical education, and unit studies for social studies and science. Depending on individual needs, occupational and speech-language therapies might be included in the daily schedule at no extra cost.