Ave Maria_ About

About Ave Maria

Acceptance Protocol:

A parent and teacher questionnaire is filled out and sent in to Ave Maria Prep.
Any pertinent testing data is sent to Ave Maria Prep along with IEP’s, if available.
Parents and student have an interview with administration using the above information
Administration uses an interview sheet which collects information about services needed as well as information for the “Individualized Learning Plan.”
In some cases, more testing and other data is needed
Decision is communicated to parents based on the above information.

Acceptance Criteria:

Ages 10-22, with some exceptions for younger students
Students with special learning needs
Learning issues are the primary criteria for acceptance. In some cases students have a secondary disability. If this disability can be accommodated as well, student will be accepted.
A student’s data must illustrate that he or she is able to work within the State approved curriculum, with the adjustments and accommodations which can be made at Ave Maria Preparatory School.

Class size:

Class size is between 12-15 students.
Low ratio remediation will be provided each day for 45 minutes in Reading and Mathematics for students who need it.

Learning Strategies:

Learning strategies will be taught to all students as a mechanism for them to become independent learners in college and in the work place. These strategies have been tested through active research in collaboration with Barry University and continue to generate research through Ave Maria University.

Some of our research based learning strategies:

The Three Day Memory Plan

Day One: Gather information from notes, questions at end of Chapter and headings
Day Two: Put information in webs and graphic organizers. Use classical music, make tests, use flashcards, Tape key words.
Day Three: Use classical music while going over supports in day two.

Skills for Test Taking:

1. Do easy questions first.
2. Do a memory data dump in white space on paper.
3. Use easy questions and data dumps to answer hard questions.
4. When desperate and clueless in multiple choice, choose the longest answer, or ‘C.’
5. When desperate and clueless in True/False, mark longer questions false.
6. Construct essays like “Big Mac’s.” Turn the question into a statement for the top and bottom buns. Put main idea in the meat, at information for pickles, slaw, etc

Organizational Strategies:

T – Talk to yourself about what needs to be done
I – Take an inventory of what you need, like pencils, books, charts, rulers, etc.
M – Make chunks of time into 7-13 minute segments for study
E – Energy should fit difficulty of task
N – Notice what other students are taking home.
E – Eliminate what is useless in your backpack.
A – Act slowly while you think about what to take home
T – Track teacher for visual clues about what to take home

Social Skill Strategies:

Attention Strategies:

Curriculum:

AMU Prep follows the Sunshine Curriculum but is in compliance with demands of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Students are challenged cognitively through the school’s curriculum, alongside of accommodations and teaching methods, tailored to abilities and deficits of individual students.
The curriculum is non-graded, following a program of continuous progress. Students are not held back as they wait for other class members; they are grouped at their level and are challenged to move accordingly.
The school provides a college preparatory curriculum at a pace and fashion which will inspire confidence in the students
Student may elect a college or vocational program or both.
The vocational program will include business courses as well as experience in local opportunities, to include business management, child care, medical assistance, marine life, tourist provisins, airport management, etc.
The Reading program includes a research based multi-sensory program along with a literature and skill series.
The mathematics program provides a sequential and securing order of progression, along with hands on sensory experience.

Fine Arts Therapies:

Ave Maria Preparatory School acts within the research models produced by the University of Wisconsin in regard to utilizing the whole brain in learning and developing “brain elasticity” in regard to compensating for deficits in neurological functioning.
The use of the Fine Arts of Drama, Music and Visual Arts, opens the creative side of the brain, relaxing the parts of the brain most often taxed in learning.

Pet Therapy:

The school will provide Pet Therapy weekly, as another avenue to provide relaxation and nurture in the learning environment.

Speech/Language Therapy:

This therapy will be provided in a prescriptive fashion, not only for students who qualify for small ratio therapy, but also for whole class participation in this aspect of the program. Ave Maria Preparatory School believes that language therapy can enhance cognitive functioning, and is thereby important for each student.

Occupational Therapy:

The principles of occupational therapy assist student with more proficient sensory integration. This is most necessary for students whose sensori-neural function is delayed, but also for students with ADD and Aspergers Syndrome. However, in addition to the low ratio therapy sessions, all students will receive some degree of this service.

Team Meetings:

Regularly scheduled team meetings will be held to discuss student needs as well as progress. The protocol for these meetings will be according to the medical model of the “grand rounds” used by the Masters in Exceptional Student Education program used by Ave Maria University.

Medical Resources:

Eric Q. Tridas, MD, is the medical director of the school. His expertise in assisting students with learning problems has national recognition.
Ave Maria Preparatory School uses the assessment instruments of Dr. Mel Levine, along with other selected instruments. Dr. Levine’s constructs and demystification procedures are also used in the program.

Location: