Learning Support and Student Wellness
At Maybeck, the strength of our community depends on the wellness of every community member. To that aim, we place strong emphasis on supporting the mental, physical, and emotional health of students, and empowering them to access the learning supports that will help them thrive.
Learning Support
Our goal is to support all forms of diversity, including the various learning needs of our students. Our teachers go the distance in offering added support during office hours, and we meet weekly to celebrate the successes of students and troubleshoot when students might need added support. While we strive to ensure that all learners can participate meaningfully in our academic program, we have added support for students with learning differences to ensure that they have a fair and reasonable opportunity to succeed and find joy in learning. Our Director of Learning Support offers individualized support in executive functioning, self-advocacy, and strategies for effective studying, test-taking, and learning.
Families of students with learning differences or other conditions that affect their academic experience should alert the school during the application process or as soon as the condition has been diagnosed, to determine what accommodations the school can provide.
The Director of Learning Support will oversee the process of developing an accommodation plan. This plan will be necessary if a student later wishes to apply for extended time on SATs and other standardized tests. To be eligible for special accommodations, the family must submit a report written by a qualified learning specialist or psychologist and completed within the past three years.
This evaluation should include the following:
The specific difference or condition that has been diagnosed
A recommendation for specific accommodations, with an explanation of why the difference requires each accommodation requested
Relevant educational, developmental, and medical history of the student
Thorough documentation of the techniques or methods of evaluation
Test results and subtest scores
The professional credentials of the evaluator (license, certification, area of specialization)
Because of Maybeck’s small size, we have limited resources available for students with learning differences. Many students flourish at Maybeck simply because the small classes make the learning environment more focused and personal. Often, students with learning differences benefit from working with a tutor, who can provide additional support.
Other possible accommodations include providing extended time on tests or allowing the use of laptops for note-taking and in-class writing assignments. All accommodations are be made on a case-by-case basis and are reviewed annually. For students that require more significant modifications, prospective families are encouraged to speak directly with our Director of Admission and/or our Director of Learning Support to determine rightness of fit.
Counseling and Wellness
We have a professionally trained and licensed counselor available to students and families to provide counseling on a short-term basis. This resource is aimed at supporting the social-emotional wellbeing of students, to bolster their educational experience at Maybeck. Counseling services may include the following: individual counseling, small group counseling, conflict mediation, crisis assessment, classroom presentations, and support to families regarding community resources.
Our counselor supports families with referrals to providers in the community when necessary, and collaborates with external providers to ensure the well being of students. All students can speak with the Counselor at their own request, or may be referred by a parent, guardian, or Maybeck staff.
The content of counseling sessions is legally protected by the right to confidentiality, except as allowed or required by law. Exceptions to confidentiality include disclosure or reasonable suspicion of 1) abuse of a minor or dependent elder 2) risk or plan to harm oneself or 3) risk or plan to harm others. Note that meeting with a counselor is not intended to be a substitute for psychotherapy with a licensed mental health practitioner.