SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS

At SCH Academy, we believe in providing a unique, personalized educational experience for each enrolled student. We challenge our population of creative problem-solvers to develop not only academic skills but also competencies of the mind and self-reliance; yet, we do not expect them to do it alone. Thus we provide a unified and integrated Educational and Counseling Services (ECS) team to support our students’ overall well-being and social, emotional, and educational development in all five divisions of the school.

Educational and Counseling Services faculty and staff bring expertise in education, psychology, and child and adolescent development to all aspects of school life, including individual student needs, school climate, interaction with families, and school policy decisions. We believe that every SCH student deserves to access the curriculum, and we maintain a strengths perspective at all times rather than focusing on perceived deficits.

Counseling Services

The school psychologists provide whole grade, whole class, or small group interventions to students in all divisions. Additionally, individual short-term counseling is provided to students who self-identify or who are referred by parents, faculty, or administrators. When a student’s needs are such that it cannot be met within SCH, the school psychologist, division head, or other ECS team member will make a referral to a qualified and vetted outside professional who can provide the service. We then also liaise with these professionals to ensure continuity of care.

The school psychologists and reading specialists provide incidental and ongoing consultation to parents around a variety of questions. Staff also provide resources to parents as needed, including educational workshops, morning coffees, and book discussion groups. Parents who wish to access any type of support for their child should contact the divisional psychologist.

Educational Services

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Members of the Educational and Counseling Services team collaborate with division heads to provide direct service and consultation to students, parents, and faculty. ECS faculty conduct group and as-needed individual assessments to be sure that each student is where he or she needs to be and is progressing academically.

Early identification of learning challenges, appropriate intervention, and partnership between school and home are important to academic success at SCH Academy. If any learning differences or disabilities have been identified previously, parents should contact the divisional psychologist prior to a new student’s arrival in the fall.

We also liaise with CORA, which is contracted through the City of Philadelphia, to provide very limited services. We currently use CORA for speech pathology (screening and group therapy), educational groups (such as reading and writing support, executive functioning support, and counseling services), and psychoeducational testing.

Other Upper School educational services at SCH Academy include the Student Resource Center (SRC) and Student Academic Support (SAS). Watch the video for student testimonials about the SRC!

Medical Care

MEDICAL CARE at SCH

The school nurses provide comprehensive medical care to SCH students and are responsible for the dispensation of all medications during school hours. They provide health instruction in the classroom, health counseling to students, faculty, and staff as needed, and implement and monitor compliance with state immunization laws.

Here at SCH, we have two Nurses Offices. One serves the Lower and Middle School, and is located just inside the main entrance of the McCausland Lower School. The second serves Upper School students in the Wissahickon Inn, and is located on the second floor above The Exchange.

CONTACT SCH NURSES

SCH Medical Director & Pediatrician
Heather Lubell
p: 215-493-8040

Lower & Middle School Nurses
Anne Stout and Eileen Stumpf
p: 215-247-7247

Upper School Nurses
Kim Elgart
p: 215-754-1621

Accommodations

SCH Academy recognizes that even within a population of very high-achieving students, there will be the need to accommodate various learning styles and needs. Teachers and administrators work to provide a variety of activities, assignments, and assessments to allow success for a wide range of learners. In addition, students may qualify for and receive specific individual educational accommodations in their classes.

Academic & Educational Testing Accommodations

Official Accommodation Plans (OAP) FAQ

Where is the psychoeducational evaluation report and OAP stored?

The privacy of students and their families is very important to SCH Academy. Once an evaluation report is received, it is kept in a locked, confidential file separate from the student’s academic file. Only one copy of the evaluation will be kept in the files located in the office of the school psychologist; evaluation reports may not be removed from the office where the files are kept. SCH Academy staff members do not make copies of the report for their own student files.

A summary of the OAP as well as one copy of the OAP is kept in the student’s locked, confidential file. A second copy of the OAP is kept in the student’s regular file.

How often is the OAP reviewed?

What accommodations can be provided at SCH through an OAP?

Lower School:
The Lower Schools can provide some flexibility regarding curricular demands, on a grade-by-grade and assignment-by-assignment basis. While the materials and/or approach may be altered, it is still expected that the curricular requirements of the student’s grade level will be met.

Middle & Upper School:

Extended time for quizzes, tests, and exams
Use of laptop computers for note-taking and/or test-taking
Sensitivity to spelling difficulty for in-class writing
Preferential seating
Distraction-reduced testing environment
Extra breaks during extended examination times
Provision of audiobooks to support learning
Use of a cut-out to reduce the visual field

Are there any learning provisions provided to students without psychoeducational testing?

SCH understands that students have different developmental needs at different ages. The following learning provisions may be offered to students in response to individual learning needs and do not require psycho-educational testing:

Lower School:

Assistance with organizational and study skills
Reading and/or math support in small groups delivered by SCH teachers
Reading support in small groups delivered by Elwyn Inc. teachers

Middle School:

Assistance with organizational and study skills
Small group reading and/or writing skills support delivered by Elwyn Inc. teachers

Upper School:

Assistance with organizational and study skills
Additional academic support services in reading and writing are offered by teachers and the Elwyn counselor in the Student Resource Center (SRC).

Are there any accommodations recommended in a psychoeducational evaluation that are NOT provided by SCH?

The following psychoeducational testing recommendations are not accommodated by SCH:

Modification of curriculum
Unlimited time for all school assignments and assessments
Alternative assessment formats
Sharing of teacher lecture notes or offering outlines for class, if not already provided for all students
Use of calculator for all math coursework
Alteration of graduation requirements
Audio/videotaping classes
Upper School foreign language waiver, except in cases of a documented language-based learning disability.

How often is testing needed to maintain an OAP?

Read the School Magazine

What do these emotions tell me I need? How can I take care of myself? These skills are especially important during an age of transition, when bodies are changing, brains are developing, and new experiences are around every corner. By teaching and reinforcing these skills early, our students develop resilience and confidence in their abilities to cope with the hard stuff.

Dr. Sandra Tecosky, Middle School Psychologist

Read article

Click to read the article, "Creating a Culture of Wellness at SCH"

MEET OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

LESLEE FRYE,
Upper School Psychologist

p: 215-754-1604
e: lfrye@sch.org

SANDRA TECOSKY,
Middle School Psychologist

e: stecosky@sch.org

CHIP SCHOFIELD,
Lower School Psychologist

p: 215-261-6969
e: aschofield@sch.org

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Student Support

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SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS

Counseling Services

Counseling Services

Educational Services

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Medical Care

MEDICAL CARE at SCH

CONTACT SCH NURSES

Accommodations

Accommodations

Official Accommodation Plans (OAP) FAQ

Where is the psychoeducational evaluation report and OAP stored?

How often is the OAP reviewed?

What accommodations can be provided at SCH through an OAP?

Are there any learning provisions provided to students without psychoeducational testing?

Are there any accommodations recommended in a psychoeducational evaluation that are NOT provided by SCH?

How often is testing needed to maintain an OAP?

Read the School Magazine

MEET OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

LESLEE FRYE,
Upper School Psychologist

SANDRA TECOSKY,
Middle School Psychologist

CHIP SCHOFIELD,
Lower School Psychologist

HELPFUL RESOURCES

Student Support

SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS

MEET OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

LESLEE FRYE, Upper School Psychologist

SANDRA TECOSKY, Middle School Psychologist

CHIP SCHOFIELD, Lower School Psychologist

HELPFUL RESOURCES

LESLEE FRYE,
Upper School Psychologist

SANDRA TECOSKY,
Middle School Psychologist

CHIP SCHOFIELD,
Lower School Psychologist