Special Education:
The Mill Creek School
For more than 30 years, Mill Creek School has
been a place where young people have had the
chance to experience success in school. Emotional
or social concerns, difficulty adjusting to a
mainstream school environment or patterns of
self-defeating behavior may have created a roadblock
that seriously affected the student's academic
or social development. Mill Creek School is a
place where adolescents learn to trust and express
their feelings, make choices and handle peer
pressure, and establish satisfying and meaningful
relationships while getting back on track academically.
Mill Creek is a comprehensive, coeducational
secondary school licensed by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education. Coursework is offered
from grades 7 to 12 for emotionally and socially
troubled adolescents ages 12 to 20. Students
attend during the day as an alternative to their
home school.
To learn more, choose a link
below or scroll down the page:
The Student Who Needs Mill Creek School
The
inability to succeed in school can stem from
several causes at once. A student may have a
history of academic failure, poor motivation
or school avoidance. He or she may struggle with
disorganized thinking, anxiety, overwhelming
feelings of depression or avoidant behaviors.
Some
students come to us with identified learning
differences and the frustration that accompanies
such difficulties. These feelings often lead
to patterns of avoidant behavior or self-destructive
thoughts or actions such as substance abuse,
difficulty with authority figures or school refusal.
For a struggling adolescent, the most inviting
thing about Mill Creek is its peaceful, supportive,
intimate atmosphere.
A Rich and Varied Program
The academic
program at Mill Creek is unusually varied for
a school its size. An enrollment of approximately
55 – 60 pupils insures an
intimacy that enables staff and students to
get to know each other well. The staff maintains
high standards and expectations of student
achievement -- no one "slides through" the
program. The transcripts and diplomas issued
are honored by all of the schools and post
secondary programs students transition into
after they leave Mill Creek.
Services and Programs
Services at Mill Creek School include:
- A full academic curriculum designed
to challenge students ranging from average
to gifted in ability including foreign languages,
advanced math courses and a variety of lab
sciences. In addition to the low student/teacher
ratio, the curriculum is highly individualized
and flexible to meet each student's needs.
Students can enjoy a number of creative arts
courses from improvisational music to visual
arts.
- A Learning Center provides focused
assistance for those students who need greater
individualized attention. In this setting,
problems of learning differences and specific
academic and social concerns are addressed
working one-to-one with students.
- Family counseling is designed to
educate the entire family about issues such
as limit setting, conflict negotiation and
communication skills. It also addresses home
issues such as running away, controlling anger,
and dealing with anxiety and depression. This
service is offered to any family wishing to
make use of it.
- Parent's Group is a forum to learn
better ways of communicating with teens and
to provide support and information about adolescent
problems. This group is for parents only and
meets one evening each month.
- Career and transition counseling provides
vocational testing, assistance with college
and job searches and life skills that are necessary
outside of school.
- Group counseling helps teens learn
to deal with conflicts and addresses social
issues within the school and home.
- Consulting psychiatric services offer
a board-certified psychiatrist to evaluate
students; complete medication consultations;
assist families and students as needs arise.
- After-school program is offered to
students who choose to take advantage of individual
tutoring or who wish to get back on track academically.
- Summer program enables students to
complete needed credits and continue with instruction
without too long an intermission. This program
also provides continuity and structure for
students with learning and academic deficits.
- Home visits , when necessary, are
available to teach parents the skills needed
to cope with a teen or to help a student who
is having difficulty leaving home to attend
school.
- Liaison services connect Mill Creek
School staff with the student's home school,
as well as outside agencies and therapists.
More Than a School
Mill Creek students are exposed to many
social, recreational and cultural events. Staff
and students often take advantage of the rich
cultural resources offered in the area including
museums, theaters, parks and historical sites.
This allows students to experience the things
they are studying. Other activities may include
bowling, skating, hiking, picnicking, bicycling
and parties.
Graduation is the most moving and
meaningful single experience at the school.
To see the faces of students who have achieved
what many of them thought impossible and whose
lives have become filled with challenges and
plans rather than pessimism and conflict, brings
real joy to everyone.
A Specially Trained Staff
Working with
challenging students requires exceptional skills.
Mill Creek School teachers are educators, as
well as perceptive and sensitive individuals.
They bring interest, humor and sensitivity to
what they do, as well as an ability to relate
warmly to students. Mill Creek teachers have
completed training in special education, as well
as certification to teach one or more secondary
subjects.
A key role of each teacher is to serve
as the advisor or case manager to a small group
of students. Responsibilities include scheduling,
providing support, interventions, communicating
with parents, school districts and therapists,
arranging for planning meetings or crisis interventions,
and being the adult most available to and most
informed about the student in the school. Faculty
meetings are held regularly to review the progress
of each student, to modify planning and to
insure that the student's individual needs are
being served.
How to Apply
Admission to the program
at Mill Creek begins with a referral from a
school district or other public agency, a mental
health professional or a family member. All of
the relevant educational and clinical records
are submitted to an admissions committee.
The
next step is an interview with the prospective
student and his or her family. The interview
is designed to determine if the program is
compatible with the applicant's needs and the
likelihood of success for the student. If the
Mill Creek staff, the student and family agree
that this may be an appropriate placement, the
student is invited in for a two-day
visit before a final decision is made.
Tuition Fees
Tuition for most students
is paid through reimbursement by the school
district in which they reside. Reimbursement
eligibility is reviewed during pre-admission
to assure that adequate funding is available.
To obtain information about current fees and
reimbursements, contact the school's
office at (215) 471-4900, x100 or send a fax
to (215) 471-9639.
|
