School an Ally for Students with Learning Challenges
By Amy Matisek, Internal Communications Manager
The Dyslexia advantage. To staff at ALLIES (Academy for Literacy, Learning and Innovation Excellence), their job is to make sure students know their true gifts. “We’re here to support learning struggles, but also to help students know they are so much more as a child,” shared Rebecca Thompson, principal.
The Dyslexia advantage. To staff at ALLIES (Academy for Literacy, Learning and Innovation Excellence), their job is to make sure students know their true gifts. “We’re here to support learning struggles, but also to help students know they are so much more as a child,” shared Rebecca Thompson, principal.
Chase Vaughn is one of those students. The fifth-grader returned to ALLIES for the new school year Aug. 3. Two years ago, when Chase was a third-grader at Odyssey Elementary School, staff recognized his challenges and recommended he transfer to ALLIES. “We weighed the pros and cons, and decided it was the best choice for Chase to move to ALLIES,” stated Heather Vaughn, his mother. Today, the Vaughn family wouldn’t trade that decision for anything. “We couldn’t ask for better teachers,” she shared.
Inspiring scholars with language-based learning difficulties and characteristics of Dyslexia, ALLIES is a tuition-free, public school that instructs students in grades 2 – 5 with their Take Flight Program. The program addresses components of reading such as phonemic awareness, fluency and basic comprehension, and is taught alongside core classes. The school has made a tremendous difference for Chase. “The biggest change with our son has been in his confidence,” remarked Chase’s mother.
While some students like Chase were back for another year of learning, others were just starting their journey at ALLIES. Treysten Kunnary, second-grader, is one of the new students. “Our family has a history of Dyslexia, and for Treysten, learning hasn’t been fun,” shared his mother, Tamara Kunnary. “I hope my son can start coming home from school happy. A lot of kids who struggle with Dyslexia don’t have a school like this. Services are either hard to find or expensive.”
The 2018-19 school year marks a milestone for staff and students of ALLIES as they finally have new brick and mortar. Last year, the school operated in modulars beside OES. “Every year we will learn more and expand what we are doing,” shared Thompson. ALLIES is currently serving 114 students in their new facility.