ACADEMICS
At Marvelwood, we offer a customized curriculum that engages students of varying skill sets and learning styles. Marvelwood academics are thoughtfully and intentionally designed to be experiential, active, and hands-on. We believe that it is not memorization, but rather understanding and inquiry that will support our students throughout a lifetime of learning and discovery.
LEARNING SUPPORT
The mission of the Marvelwood Learning Support program is to provide the support and tools that students with learning differences need in order to experience academic success, increase self-confidence, and acquire strong learning and self-advocacy skills needed in college and beyond. Students at every level of ability are encouraged to participate actively in their studies, practice self-advocacy, and accept guidance from the professionals with whom they interact every day. Our faculty collaborate closely with all other departments at Marvelwood to ensure that the skills students adopt in the Learning Support class support the mainstream class curricula in a timely, informed, and seamless manner. We aim to identify and remediate weaknesses in basic skills, to support a student's efforts in content classes through the use of specific learning strategies or assistive technology, and to fill in the gaps which may present an impediment to success in college preparatory coursework. Ultimately, the goal of the Learning Support Department is to use a scaffolded program model to gradually move students toward full independence, where they use all the skills and resources at their disposal without teacher prompting to achieve and maintain academic success. The newly-refurbished Clark Center for Learning Support houses our Learning Support program.
A student’s placement in the Learning Support program is determined by a psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation that families have shared with the school, prior history in school, parent input, and teacher recommendations. There is an additional fee for enrollment in Learning Support Programs.
We offer optional Learning Support programs for a wide range of academic challenges including those related to:
• Executive function skills
• Language-based skills (reading, writing, verbal expression)
• Dyscalculia
• Dysgraphia
• Dyslexia
• Processing speed
• Working memory
The newly-refurbished Clark Center for Learning Support houses our Learning Support program.
| Support Program | Program Details |
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Strategies I
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One-on-one tutorial support for students with learning differences and academic weaknesses in multiple areas. Students in Strategies I meet individually with their teacher on a daily basis, focusing on academic support for content classes, preview and review of homework, use of assistive technology, and instruction/strengthening of reading, writing, organizational, and study skills.
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Strategies II
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Small-group support designed to improve and support students' overall achievement as they move toward increased academic independence. Students meet daily with a teacher in groups of no more than four and focus on organizational and time management, metacognition and self-awareness, language and math skills, learning theories, and stress and anxiety management.
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Orton-Gillingham
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Students with dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges receive intensive 1:1 Orton-Gillingham language training. Orton-Gillingham (OG) a diagnostic, prescriptive, and multi-sensory approach that varies widely from individual to individual. Students work with highly-trained OG specialists who are able to professionally assess what each student needs in terms of skill-building. O-G tutoring also includes Strategies II programming.
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Connections Program
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In the Connections Program, students work collaboratively with a coach to strengthen social-emotional competency skills. In one-on-one and group settings, the coach and students explore topics including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Each student has an individualized program that is designed around the student’s strengths and challenges. The coach works with the faculty and staff to maximize the level of support that the student is provided. Our goal is for all students to develop skills that will enable them to feel connected to and a valued part of the Marvelwood community as well as the social world in which we live.
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Study Hall
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All students have supervised study hall Sunday through Friday from 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Students work in their dorm room or dorm common rooms with faculty on duty as an active presence to guide and offer direct support. Students who benefit from closer supervision are enrolled in Supervised Evening Study Hall in the library. Students may also elect to work in the library.
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Health & Wellness
Marvelwood's commitment to wellness reflects the School's understanding that a healthy mind and body enhance success factors in academics and in life. The School continually adapts its programming to reflect the changing needs of adolescents. As a school community, we strive to educate the whole student and understand the value of providing students with the knowledge, guidance, and support necessary to make informed, educated, and healthy life choices.
Health & Wellness Programs
Health Services
Counseling Services
Wellness Programs
Enrichment Classes
Elective Classes: Meditation and Yoga
Health Services
Marvelwood's Health Office is in the center of campus and provides a full range of on-site health services to students. The nursing staff offers a friendly and warm environment, with full confidentiality. The Health Office is a dispensary. Our medical director is Dr. Roman Alder of New Milford Pediatrics. Telehealth appointments with Dr. Alder and other specialists can be arranged through the Health Office.
Counseling Services
The Marvelwood School’s Counseling Department is committed to serving Marvelwood’s diverse campus community by providing students with support and education for their personal and academic success through confidential counseling, psychiatric consultation, outreach, and prevention services.
Our on-staff school counselors work to respond to and support students' ongoing individual development. Counselors assist students in working through normative developmental hurdles, fostering adaptive solutions, and developing a strong sense of self. In addition, counselors work closely with parents. Counselors are available to provide brief psychotherapy and other interventions directly to students utilizing motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral strategies. Dr. John Ewing provides medication consultation and management, as needed.
Wellness Programs
Incorporated into daily life at the School, students have a multitude of opportunities to focus on their personal well-being and their role as a community member.
Enrichment Classes
• Freshman Academy
• Etiquette and Social Skills
• Female Empowerment (junior girls)
• "The Mask You Live" (junior boys)
• Life After Marvelwood (seniors)
• Nutrition
• Mindfulness and Stress Management
• Global Citizenship
Elective Classes: Meditation and Yoga
Meditation and Yoga work together by bringing body, mind, and spirit into a state of harmony and balance. In this elective, students learn tools to manage stress and cultivate a practice that revitalizes the body, calms the mind, and deepens self-awareness.
