We're excited to reveal the new name for our collective programs for the 2025-2026 school year: Spark.
This new name will encompass our Academic Topics classes, our supportive Tools Services, and our enriching Tools for Living class. Why Spark? We believe it perfectly captures the essence of what these programs offer:
A spark of inspiration, a spark of knowledge, and a spark that ignites personal potential.
Teachers: Kimya Knecht and Tiona Watts
Welcome to Tools for Living! In this class, we focus on building essential life skills that empower students for independence and success. We offer hands-on, explicit instruction in ten crucial functional areas:
Executive Functioning
Housekeeping & Maintenance
Etiquette
Personal Finance
Personal Hygiene
Health & Safety
Employment
Post-Secondary Pathways
Functional English
Functional Math Skills
Ready to dive deeper into what each area covers? Explore the details here!
Peer Mentor Application: Link
Teachers: Kimya Knecht, Tiona Watts, Sara Massaro, Angelo LoRusso, Suzanne Tyler,
Jen Hoag, Natalie Kaiser
Tools Services works hand-in-hand with our Tools for Living class, with each building skills that support the other.
In Tools Services, students receive essential small group support in areas like Speech & Language, Social Skills, and Occupational Therapy. This class structure ensures students get these vital services without being pulled from other classes.
Beyond this support, Tools Services significantly expands opportunities for hands-on vocational skill practice. This equips students with practical, real-world experience that will directly enhance their future employment prospects and foster independent living skills.
Want to learn more? Click here!
Peer Mentor Application: Link
Teacher: Tiona Watts
Description: Our Science and Social Studies class is specially designed for students with unique learning styles, focusing on teaching them important life skills. In Science, your child will learn about living things (Life Science), how things work around us (Physical Science), and our planet and beyond (Earth and Space Science). For Social Studies, we'll explore how our government works, learn about different places (Geography), understand events from the past (History), and discuss what's happening in the world today (Current Events). Through fun, hands-on activities, students will develop strong thinking and problem-solving skills that will help them grow both in school and in their daily lives.
Teacher: Kimya Knecht
Description: Welcome to Topics in English! This classroom is designed just for students who learn in unique ways. We're all about helping your child shine in reading and writing.
Here's a peek at what we'll be doing:
Building a strong vocabulary with words they'll use every day.
Diving into fun, short stories to boost their reading comprehension.
Encouraging creative writing where they can express themselves freely.
We believe every child learns at their own pace, so we personalize lessons to fit their needs. Our goal is to make learning fun and help them grow in confidence and skill!
Teacher: Kimya Knecht and Tiona Watts
Description: The Topics of Math class is a program designed to help high school students learn important math skills they'll use in their daily lives. It's a supportive and engaging environment where students can build their understanding of math and how to apply it in real-world situations.
In this class, students will explore key areas of math, including:
Building blocks of math: Students will master math facts, which are essential for more complex math problems.
Solving real-world problems: They'll work extensively on word problems to improve their ability to use mathematical reasoning and strategies to solve everyday challenges.
Time skills: Focus will be on telling time accurately and calculating elapsed time.
Money math: Students will learn to count money, understand budgeting, and make smart financial choices.
Calendar skills: They'll also learn to calendars effectively to manage their schedules.
Understanding data: The class will cover reading and interpreting graphs, helping students understand how to get information from visual data.
Through fun, hands-on activities and real-life examples, the Topics of Math class aims to give students the math tools they need to live independently and succeed in their daily lives. Our goal is to build confidence and competence in each student's math abilities, preparing them for a smooth transition into the community.