
BY HOPE CAITLIN WETTER, STORYTELLER/WRITER
“Unlocking a child’s learning potential” has long been a staple motto of The Joy School, but what does it really mean? For former TJS student Libby, it meant needing to be taught in the way she learned – not the other way around.
Struggling with math, Libby was diagnosed with dyscalculia, a learning difference that affects an individual’s ability to learn, understand and do math. “It wasn’t clicking with her,” said her mom, Anna. “She needed it presented in a different way, which is how we ended up at TJS. The Joy School teaches the way kids learn.”
One of the biggest advantages of The Joy School is our ability to be flexible. Due to small class sizes, our teachers have the ability to meet the needs of the student and adapt accordingly – they are truly able to take the time to unlock their students’ learning potential.
Now at Episcopal High School, Anna says that not only did Libby leave TJS with math as her favorite subject, but TJS also gave her the strategies necessary to continue being successful at school. “The Joy School taught her that you can’t build off of what you don’t know. She now has the confidence to advocate for herself and ask her teachers ‘I didn’t get it that way, is there another way to show how me how to do this?’”
When it comes to The Joy School’s curriculum, we know that there is no “one size fits all” program. We believe students should be taught in a way that makes the most of their strengths while addressing their learning differences. In the words of our Head of School, “we fix what we can fix and give them strategies for the rest!”
To learn more about TJS and our mission, visit our website at www.thejoyschool.org or sign up for an admissions tour at www.thejoyschool.org/tours
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