General Information Fact Sheets
We are proud to present the substance of Serendipity’s Therapeutic School. General information includes the details of the current program (number of classrooms, staffing model, etc.), and the features that contribute to a trauma-informed facility. We describe how referrals and admissions are handled. We share the various roles within our multi-disciplinary program staff.
Foundational Practices Fact Sheets
At its core, Serendipity holds beliefs about the environment that must be created and sustained if our students are to risk learning new skills and revising their world views. These beliefs come from the RE-Education tradition. We believe in offering equitable and inclusive access to opportunities and by doing so, working to reduce the external barriers of racism, classism, sexism, and intolerance. We also believe in thoughtfully aligning resources with needs. This is accomplished through a Multi-tiered System of Supports. While most schools use an MTSS structure, Serendipity has adapted this model to be effective with a population of learners who all demonstrate heightened and complex levels of need. Lastly, we believe in supporting continuous development of skills and capacities in the adults that execute our mission. The Coaching Model serves our needs in this area.
Education Fact Sheets
Serendipity provides individualized instruction and adaptive learning opportunities to students of all abilities, giving those who have struggled in traditional classroom settings the opportunity to experience academic engagement and success as part of a collaborative school community. Serendipity’s goal is continuous improvement in all academic and social/emotional/behavioral learning. By tailoring our curriculum and instruction to each student’s individual learning needs, we are able to help our students achieve academic gains, often for the first time.
Mental Health Fact Sheets
The therapeutic services offered at Serendipity integrate clinically designed interventions into the structure of a school day, allowing immediate and constant access to support. When special education and mental health treatment are blended, all intervention strategies (academic, social, behavioral, emotional, and physical) can be collaboratively planned and executed through a shared understanding of each child’s holistic strengths and needs. Serendipity’s model of case management adheres to our belief that partnering with our families, school districts, and other team members greatly enhances the success our students realize.
Transition Readiness Fact Sheets
Serendipity’s transition services create a bridge for young people between the K-12 special education system and the world beyond the classroom. By helping students acquire necessary skills of independence, we prepare them to become productive and contributing members of the adult community. In addition to independent self-care skills, however, transition readiness depends on effective communication skills, the ability to self-advocate, and the demonstration of resiliency. Life Skills instruction is therefore offered to all students. Opportunities to cultivate leadership, appropriate self-expression, and pre-employment skills are offered as students become ready to participate.
Wellness Fact Sheets
Serendipity’s Wellness programs seek to develop lifelong health awareness and habits, which are important to all young people and even more critical for students already at risk for health challenges resulting from traumatic or adverse experiences. We recognize that wellness depends upon many factors, including the skills and knowledge to maintain health, a wholesome diet, regular exercise, access to the outdoors, and the experiencing of joy. Achieving progress in academic competencies, treatment goals, and transition readiness is directly enhanced when students are also addressing their health.