As a school for gifted students, we serve students with multi-exceptionalities that require additional support. The gifted profile also includes a high frequency of students who have intensities and overexcitabilities (sensory, psychomotor, emotional, imaginational, intellectual, and social). While Mackintosh refers families for outside support services as part of meeting the students' needs, Mackintosh is committed to offering substantial support through learning and social-emotional support.
We sometimes partner with outside professionals and experts to support your child’s development. In order to best meet the needs of your child, we ask that you share all pertinent testing with the school. This testing will remain confidential, but will support us in developing Classroom Accommodation Plans (CAP) when appropriate. A copy of a child’s test results should be given to the school, either at the beginning of the school year or as soon as parents get a copy if done during the school year. Parents should give a copy of the testing to the front office and not to the classroom teacher. Testing will be date stamped, placed in the student's confidential file, and shared with the child’s teachers and the Learning Specialist, as appropriate.
In consultation with the Learning Specialist, teachers will review all testing and recommendations within two weeks of receipt and annually at the beginning of each school year. To the extent possible, recommended classroom accommodations will be put into effect immediately. If testing results include a diagnosis of a learning difference, the Learning Specialist will work with the Teachers, Parent(s) and outside professionals as needed to develop a formal Classroom Accommodation Plan (CAP.) The CAP will provide a written record of specific accommodations needed within the learning environment required to best serve the student’s unique needs. Once the Parent(s) signs and returns the Classroom Accommodation Plan, accommodations will formally go into effect, with the Learning Specialist supporting classroom teachers in its implementation. Classroom accommodations will automatically transfer from one year to the next. Review of the CAP will occur annually to determine if there are any necessary changes based on new information, past experiences or normal child development. If a CAP is modified in any way, a new copy will be provided to parents for review and signature.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) and support is integrated into all our classrooms at Mackintosh Academy through the intentional and ongoing use of the framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile. The Learner Profile attributes of communicator, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-taker, balanced and reflective are particularly relevant to helping our students respect themselves and others in their school community, resolve differences in a responsible way, and develop the growth mindset necessary for social-emotional health as well as academic success.
Mackintosh Academy’s commitment to social-emotional learning and support is enhanced further by the services of an onsite, part-time counselor. The Mackintosh Academy counselor designs and implements SEL classes for all students; runs issue-specific small student groups; and provides short term, one-on-one counseling and crisis intervention, as needed. The counselor works closely with classroom teachers and learning specialists in developing plans to address the social-emotional needs of students. The counselor also serves as a liaison with a student’s outside mental health professionals, offers advice and recommendations to parents, and makes referrals for outside mental health services when necessary. The Mackintosh counselor does not provide mental health therapy to our students.