Center School has been named an All Kinds of Minds School of Distinction!

What exactly does it mean to be an All Kinds of Minds School of Distinction? All Kinds of Minds (AKOM) is a non-profit organization that translates the latest research from neuroscience and other disciplines on how children learn—and vary in their learning—into a powerful framework that educators can use in the classroom. The institute’s mission is to help students who struggle with learning measurably improve their success in school and life by providing programs that integrate educational, scientific and clinical expertise.

Center School teacher Joanne Roark is an All Kinds of Minds national faculty member, and she helps to oversee how methods are implemented here. The faculty see the AKOM process as integral to Center School’s diagnostic teaching methods, small group instruction and cooperative team approach. The faculty hold “child study meetings,” providing teachers with an opportunity to share observations, look for patterns and examine more carefully how students can use their strengths and affinities to leverage their weaknesses. Report cards have been redesigned to better reflect each child’s strengths, needs and successful strategies . Parent discussion groups are held regularly, focusing on topics like, “Learning about Learning: How can we help our children learn”?

We are pleased and honored to have received this prestigious designation.

Center School is Celebrating 20 years!

Twenty years ago, Center School was founded by Kathy Hunt and Sue Floyd, two mothers of children who had reading challenges, who felt that the educational community was not treating their children like they were as bright and capable as children who learned to read in traditional ways. They put their heads together, gathered teachers from the Temple Lab School (which was closing its doors) and created a school that centers on the child and how he or she learns. Center School was born.

Now, twenty years later, Center School is flourishing in its own building in Abington, with a full staff of teachers and support staff that make it an ideal environment for children who learn differently. Congratulations Center School!