What is the Prescriptive Education Program?
The Prescriptive Education Program is an intensive, small group special education program that offers a strong behavioral therapeutic component. The PEC offers a highly structured and individualized school setting within the large complex of Felix Festa Middle School. This makes it possible for students who need a high level of support, guidance, and encouragement to succeed within the Middle School setting.
How is the Prescriptive Education Program different than other Special Education Programs?
The PEC provides a safe, home base in which the students can form close relationships with their teachers, teacher assistants, guidance counselor, school psychologist, and administrative staff (Assistant Principal), which can last for the three years the student may be in the program. In addition, counseling is available on an as needed basis, in addition to the scheduled counseling and parent consultation that is offered by the program.
Must my child have all classes within the PEC?
Often children who need the PEC program are having difficulties managing in classes within Felix Festa Middle School. It usually makes sense for a new student to start with all academic classes to be within PEC upon entering the program. This gives the teachers and psychologist a chance to get to know the student as well as an opportunity for the student to become comfortable in the program. However, opportunities for mainstream experiences become available as students make adjustments to the program.
What other features make this program so special?
Very often students who enter the PEC program have a long and sad history of academic, behavioral, and social failure. Parents often report that the only feedback that they have gotten from school has been negative. As we all know, success breeds success and failure breeds failure. The PEC offers many positive opportunities for students to experience school success. These range from daily feedback about homework completion, special PEC activities to reinforce appropriate behavior, and monthly assembly programs and special lunches during which students are recognized for improvement, cooperation, achievement, and behavioral adaptation. In addition, a daily feedback sheet (i.e., circle sheet) goes home to families letting them know about how their child has performed that day in student specific goal areas. Frequent phone and email communication highlighting both positive experiences or sometimes expressing concerns are part of the communication. In addition, as-needed parent consultation is offered to enhance the consistency between school and home. One of the goals of the program is to create a tight knit, family oriented atmosphere.
What factors help a child to be successful in the PEC?
Students in the PEC need individualized support and guidance. The students who have been most successful in the program have had the benefit of a unified home-school support system. PEC staff are available to help parents develop strategies for addressing home issues related to behavior and homework management. Parents in turn must support PEC staff by assisting their child with homework assignments and by signing correspondence that comes home describing the child's day or week. Participating in parent teacher meetings further enhances the communication between home and school and sends the message to the student that we do work together as a team. In our years of involvement in the PEC, the parent-staff team is the most consistent factor in predicting success for the student.
PEC Staff
Administrative Staff:
Principal………………………………..Dr. St. John mstjohn@ccsd.edu
Assistant Principal..............................Mr. Nicholas Pappas npappas@ccsd.edu
Special Education Chairperson…………..Ms. Shanti Sommers ssommers@ccsd.edu
Teaching Staff: (624-3973)
Teachers…………. .Mr. Bimbo (6th grade English, all grades Math,) gbimbo@ccsd.edu
Mrs. Rodriguez ( 7th grade English, all grades Science,) prodriguez@ccsd.edu
Mr. Arenholz (8th grade English, all grades Social Studies,) narenholz@ccsd.edu
Teaching Assistants………………….Mr. Henion (6th grade), Mr. Failing (7th grade), Mrs. Diener (8th grade)
Ms. Lemire (floater)
Counseling Staff:
School Psychologist. ………………..Dr. Benjamin 624-3973 x5848
Guidance:
School Guidance Counselors................6th grade Mr. Kelly 624-3972 x 5434
7th grade Mrs. Smith 624-3969 x5390
8th grade Mrs. O'Keefe 624-3971 x 5787