Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley
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About UsAll children need a special place where they feel secure, a nurturing place that encourages them to dream and believe that they can become what they want to be. All children deserve a special place where they can experience the joy of learning. That special place is Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley. Like other communities, the Lehigh Valley has its share of at-risk children- young people who are at risk of educational failure because of the limited English proficiency, poverty, community factors, truancy, academic difficulties or economic disadvantage, as well as exposure to substance abuse, family instability or developmental disabilities. The difference in the Lehigh Valley, however, is that Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School offers at-risk children an educational therapeutic program which prepares them to function in and achieve at age-appropriate levels in other school settings and to be mentally healthy and resilient children.
VTCS CURRICULUMThe curriculum of Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School follows the Pennsylvania State Education Standards for Kindergarten through Grade 3. To achieve these standards in reading and math teacher use the Scott Foresman Reading Series and the Scott Foresman Mathematics series. Students’ progress in reading is assessed by using Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Individual Student Performance Profile and Let’s Go Learn: Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment (DORA). Students’ math progress is assessed by Let’s Go Learn Diagnostic Online Math Assessment (DOMA)
 Academic Program
Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School’s educational program is a traditional model used at the elementary school level throughout Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Academic objectives are specific to each grade level and are further adapted to each student’s achievement level, development and learning style. The charter school embraces the philosophy of a “developmental practice” which is proven, appropriate choice for primary-age children. The Charter School uses traditional teaching methods based on a well-constructed curriculum taught by trained, certified teachers who lead the students through material using a developmentally appropriate practice. “Learning-by-doing” is embraced at the Charter School. Because young children are doers and explore the world around them to learn how things work, students are encouraged to participate in the process of doing and thinking.
Therapeutic ProgramVitalistic Therapeutic Charter School’s program is holistic, offering various expressive therapies and developmental services within the educational curriculum. Such an approach increases learning opportunities for each student. Students must have a feeling of well being to enter fully into the learning process. Thus, each child has an individualized mental health program. The teaching and counseling staff within each classroom uses an integrative approach to merge educational strategies and mental health interventions to enhance the learning experience of each child. The mental health program is a critical, unique component of the school. A treatment team composed of a board certified psychiatrist, human service professional and direct-care counselors designs and maintains individual treatment plans. Art and music therapies, as well as a group and individual counseling, are part of a child’s ongoing schedule.
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