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WHAT MAKES STAIRS ACADEMY SPECIAL?

PEDAGOGY

PEDAGOGY

  • Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck)
  • Blended Learning / Flipped Classrooms (Eric Mazur)
  • Mastery Learning (Benjamin Bloom and Fred S. Keller)
  • Responsive Classroom – responsive to students’ social emotional needs (NEFC) (CRS)
  • Restorative Circles – an approach to discipline that seeks to heal, rather than punish (Center for Restorative Justice)
  • Universal Design Learning (Dr. David H. Ross)
  • Backwards Design (Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins)
  • Learning By Design (Klantzis and Cope)
  • Constructivism, Project Based and Experiential Learning (Kolb, Dewey, Piaget)
  • Differentiated Instruction & Assessment (Carol Ann Tomlinson)
  • Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) – Writing taught within each discipline (Thaiss and Porter)

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

  • Physical Education
  • Health & Nutrition
  • Walking trips to local parks and community resources
  • Exercise breaks to avoid sustained periods of sitting
  • Games, dance and other physical activities built into lessons throughout the day

LITERACY

  • Writing Across the Curriculum – Writing taught within every subject
  • Subject area nonfiction
  • Real world & online resources
  • Morning Family Read – Parents and family members come into the classroom, sit and read a fun book with their child (Multilingual) – 20 minutes at the beginning of the school day
  • Book Club – strengthening the love of reading
  • Visits to the Brooklyn Public Library
  • Audio-visual technology to support students with multiple learning styles

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

  • Will be aligned to the current NYS Standards for Learning
  • Will be unpacked by teaching staff using Karin Hess’ “Cognitive Rigor Matrix”
  • Will be enhanced by arts immersion, technology, blended learning and other educational innovations

ADVISORY

  • Every student has an advocate to help them navigate the learning process
  • Advisors “check in” with students every morning and afternoon
  • Advisors help students develop social & organizational skills crucial to success
  • Advisor is communication bridge between the school and families

SCHOOL CULTURE, CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT & DISCIPLINE

At STAIRS ACADEMY, we endeavor to create a positive, inclusive, challenging and diverse school culture. Strategies that will support this culture are:
  • Responsive Classroom – Revolves around four Key Domains: Engaging Academics, Positive Community, Effective Management and Developmental Awareness
  • Restorative Practices – Centers around positive relationships for community building and restoring relationships when harm has occurred. Students are co-creators of classroom expectations / take ownership of their education
  • Variances of Difference – Involves understanding, respecting and planning for multiple intelligences, strengths and deficiencies, while avoiding ablest attitudes
  • Collaboration – Administrators collaborate to effect strong leadership and direction; staff members collaborate with each other and families; students collaborate with each other to make learning social
  • Special Events – Arts Exhibitions, Family Movie Nights, Outdoor Festivals,

TECHNOLOGY / STEM / STEAM EDUCATION

  • Computer Science
  • Coding & Robotics
  • Digital Media Arts:
    • Music & Tech
    • Graphic Design
    • Digital Photography
    • Video Editing
    • Digital Animation

A.C.E. CLUB

ACE CLUB (Academics, Choice & Extension) 3:00 – 4:30pm Academic Support + Extension 4:30 – 6:00pm Arts, Technology, Athletics and Life Skills

Life Skills taught:

Financial Literacy
Clothing Design / Sewing / Re-styling
Food Growing / Composting
Cooking / Nutrition / Meal Preparation
Coding, 21st Century technology skills
Entrepreneural / Business Studies
Cultural activities (i.e. African drumming circles, Latin Music & Dance, Chinese Traditional Lion Dance)
Multi-language literacy instruction
WEEKEND ACERS Social learning activities that continue the learning over the weekend, involving students and families, promoting community involvement, in parks, libraries, local businesses, organizations and other community resources.

SUMMER ACE ACADEMY Academic Support for those who need remediation, combined with exciting extension and enrichment activities, for all students, to promote growth, prevent rollback, bridge the classroom with the real-world experiences and provide extended learning through the summer, enabling students to become life-long learners.

SERVING AT-RISK-STUDENTS

STAIRS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL will develop and apply consistently a procedure to identify and educate at-risk-students, including ELLs, SWDs and the economically disadvantaged. In all instances, we will adhere to all student protection, parent consent and notification requirements, due process provisions of relevant statutes and regulations consistent with guidelines set forth by New York State and the NYC DOE.

Our ACE Club, Summer ACE Academy, Advisory program and support services will help incoming transfer students transition to the new culture and catch up academically if needed. Students who are out for long periods of time, due to travel, illness or injury, will benefit from our online instructional resources.

STAIRS ACADEMY will provide direct services, monitor classroom interventions, inform / involve parents and coordinate the implementation of IEP’s, in conjunction with the NY Committee on Special Education (CSE). Among the options which the school may offer are: curriculum or instructional modifications within a regular or CTT classroom; support programs and targeted clinical instruction; speech-language services; counseling; family support and involvement sessions; and assistive technology.

ARTS

  • Arts Immersion: Arts teachers and classroom teachers work together, incorporating visual art, dance, drama and music to enhance education with projects and activities that create connections and engage all learners.
  • Arts instruction: throughout the day and in our ACE Club extended day program.
  • Music: Vocal, Instrumental (modern band, woodwinds, drumming, percussion)
  • Visual Arts: Fine Art, Arts & Crafts, Sewing, Graphic Design ● Dance – Modern, Jazz, African, Ballroom, Creative Movement
  • Drama: Acting, Spoken Word, Poetry and Story Telling
  • Digital Media Arts: Music Technology, Digital Photography, Story Animation, Video and Graphic Design