STUDENT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Student Educational Services

Student Educational Services provides services to the students at NCS in a variety of capacities. It is our desire to provide a Christian education to students and to serve those students whose needs can be met within the classrooms on campus. While we fully recognize that we cannot meet every child’s needs, we do seek to provide services to those children who can function in a traditional classroom with some support

The scope of SES has grown to meet the needs of students at every age and stage. Most of the time SES vendors work with families through direct pay from the family to the vendor. A few of the vendors work with us to provide consultative services for those times when a teacher needs more information as to how to help a child in class. Each vendor is professionally and educationally qualified to provide the services described. The vendors are able to work within our Statement of Faith, are fingerprinted and certified The following provides a description of service provided through Student Educational Services

Outside Services

Southwest Human Development: NCS partners with SWHD to provide support for teachers in the early education program, Preschool and Mini Crusaders SWHD provides a coach that works with the classroom teacher Teachers are provided suggestions to increase student engagement and success in the early education classroom. No students are worked with directly, the teacher is provided the support to better understand student needs. Parents are supported through the education provided by the teacher.

AzEIP: NCS works with Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) This statewide interagency system of supports and services helps us with children through age 3 with identified developmental delays or disabilities and their families. AzEIP partners with community providers like NCS to support families.

Contact the Director of Early Education for information regarding the services mentioned above.

SES Facilitators on the NCS Campus

Professional Tutors: NCS has worked with several tutors to provide academic support for children in the K - 12 program. Our tutors ascribe to our Statement of Faith and provide background checks or fingerprint clearance cards as they work on campus. A few of the programs like The Barton Reading Program and other programs help to support student achievement. Tutors work on a “pull out’’ basis with students, providing academic support for those needing individual assistance on an occasional basis as well as reading instruction through the Barton program. Contact the principal for a list of Professional Tutoring Services we have worked with on campus

Student Tutors: Our high school students involved with the National Honor Society often agree to provide tutoring services for our elementary students at a very reasonable rate Please check with the elementary principal for a list of student tutors if you might be interested in services for your child. Contact our Guidance Services Director, Maggie Kipp, for more information. mkipp@ncsaz.org cpfitzinger@ncsaz org

DIBELS and PELI: NCS provides screening through DIBELS and PELI testing for students as we continue to provide excellence in reading education at NCS. These screenings provide information for teachers on growth in reading processes. Contact your grade specific administrator for more information.

Barton Tutoring: Barton Tutoring provides reading tutoring through the Barton Reading Program This systematic and phonological approach to reading has a verifiable positive impact on students struggling to read in the first years of school. Parents may use the materials for their own child on campus, they can trade services with other parents for tutoring or parents can utilize a paid tutor. The program must be used on campus as it is a site licensed program and training in the program is available Students will be pre and post tested at each level of Barton Tutoring prior to moving on to the next level. Contact Colleen Pfitzinger for more information.

Outside Assessment Services

School Districts: Washington Elementary School District (WESD), Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD), and Northwest Christian School (NCS) works directly with the districts surrounding it to provide academic testing as well as information on academic support from the Gifted Program to students with learning disabilities. Each district provides TAP meetings, follow-up testing when appropriate and consequent information on student needs. The relationships with the districts are positive. Districts only provide testing when parents request the information, NCS does not initiate these conversations. For more information contact the high school guidance counselor, Magge Kipp for the high school program with GUHSD. mkipp@ncsaz.org For the K – 8 program, please contact Melissa Burkert, the NCS liaison for testing services with WESD. mburkett@ncsaz.org

Academic Testing and Services: There are times when parents prefer to use direct pay or insurance to cover the cost of academic testing as the school and family work together to determine the scope of a child’s needs in school. NCS works with a number of off-site services that provide testing and information on student learning abilities Contact your grade specific administrator for a list of providers.

Services Available at NCS or Near NCS

Occupational Therapy: School based: NCS partners with Cornerstone Pediatric in both consultative services as well as school based services for children with identified needs. For questions about the process for involvement with school based OT at NCS please contact one of the principals. Contact Cornerstone Pediatric for more information. kirsty.chris.stclair@gmail.com

Speech and Language: Building Blocks, Inc provides speech and hearing assessments at NCS followed up with services on campus for those students with identified needs. The program is direct pay as the speech therapist works with students in the SES classroom during the school day. For questions about the process for involvement with speech, language and hearing with school based services at NCS please contact the elementary principal or early education director. Contact Building Blocks for more information. buildingblocksspeech@gmail.com

Counseling: NCS works with a variety of counseling services on campus. For a list of services available at parent cost please contact your grade-specific administrator.

Vision Therapy: NCS works with Accent Eye Care to direct students with identified needs for vision therapy. This program provides screening and services for students who struggle with vision and tracking Contact Accent Eye Care for more information. Dr. Aleta Gong 602-547-3255.

Northwest Christian School: Elementary Program

It is our goal that all students find academic success at NCS. For elementary students we have provided the necessary tools for academic readiness and success for the next school year online. Research has shown that academic student engagement over the summer break can provide the skills needed for greater success the next school year We encourage you to have fun with your kids this summer On those days that you have some free time please consider using some of these academic activities to keep their skills sharp for the next school year.

Summer Success Boosters

Go to our website www.ncsaz.org and navigate to the Elementary Program to access the Summer Success Boosters. These activities were created by our teachers for each incoming grade from kindergarten through fifth grade. On the website there is a tab for each grade level. Each grade level tab has resources to help sustain engagement over the summer and prepare for the upcoming school year. These activities provide families the tools needed to assist with the grade that their child will be entering in the fall. Academic content varies by grade level. Information for how to implement the various components is included in the introductory page at each grade level.

Spanish 3rd – 5th Grade

You and your student are able to practice Spanish during the summer Whether you have a rising third, fourth or fifth grader, we have created a website to simplify your child’s self-study NCS students can review what they have already learned in cycle 1 or practice what they will be learning, cycle 2, in the upcoming year. You need only to visit www.quizlet.com and search for NCS Elem Spanish. Once at the site, students can work openly or create their own username and password.

● 3rd Grade – NCS Elem Spanish (cycle 1)

● 4th Grade – NCS Elem Spanish (cycle 2)

● 5th Grade – NCS Elem Spanish (cycle 3) *Apple users there is a free app for Quizlet.

IXL, VMath, RAZ Kids and Reading Rangers

If your child participated in IXL in our kindergarten through second grade program this last school year, or VMath in our third through fifth grade program, you can continue to enjoy the opportunity to have your children practice their understanding of math concepts and practice math facts through the end of July The login information that was used during the school year is available to students through July of this school year. If your child participated in RAZ Kids or Reading Rangers they may continue with their login information through the end of July to help practice reading.

Summer Reading Program for Students Entering 1st – 5th Grade

The NCS Summer AR Reading Program will be available on campus from Tuesday, June 6th through Thursday, June 29th, 2023. Your children may read and then test on campus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the month of June to earn points and prizes for fun on campus in the next school year These prizes include, but are not limited to, our school T-shirt and pizza lunches Check out our NCS Elementary Summer AR Reading Program information on our website

Northwest Christian School has worked to identify a reading program that brings value to struggling readers on campus. NCS has identified, through reputation and practice, the Barton Reading and Spelling System to meet that need.

NCS has invested in 8 levels within the Barton program for supporting students in early reading systems There is a campus administrator, Hillary Allion, who provides information on Barton tutors and the use of the materials and monitors who is currently getting tutoring through the Barton program Barton tutors on the Northwest Christian School campus can be parents, high school students, grandparents, volunteers, teachers and/or aides. The program is scripted and allows for a pre-test and post-test at the end of each level. This testing helps to assure all students are progressing before moving to the next level within the Barton program.

There is no cost to a tutor to use the Barton materials The materials are available to be used on campus by request of the campus administrator of the Barton program Tutors may request payment by parents, agreed to before tutoring begins, or volunteer at the discretion of the tutor. Each tutor must be able to sign the Statement of Faith for NCS and have a fingerprint clearance card that is current or agree to a background check. All tutoring will occur in a public place on campus, like the picnic tables, or in a classroom with a camera. This allows for protection of the tutor and the student Barton progress is best seen when the tutor meets with the student twice a week for 45 to 60 minutes each time

The elementary principal may give approval for Barton tutoring to occur during the school day. No other tutoring will be allowed during the school day. The tutor and the classroom teacher will agree to meeting times. The tutor will be provided a place to work, either in the tutoring room in the NCS Early Ed building, in the library or at a table outside After school, the tutor may be given space in a classroom with a camera or in one of the other rooms provided Students tutored with the Barton Tutoring Program will typically need tutoring for a year or two to see the value and retention of the Barton Reading and Spelling System

Often teachers or parents misunderstand who will benefit from Barton tutoring. The following provides information on who best will benefit from the Barton program and when the program is not a fit for students.

The Barton System was designed for students of any age who have, or are suspected of having reading issues mirroring the signs of dyslexia Students with dyslexia struggle to easily and accurately decode words when reading, despite being taught phonics. They also are slow and inaccurate readers and often miss the oral reading fluency benchmarks, and have always struggled with spelling – especially when writing sentences, stories, and compositions.

The Barton System has been used successfully with children as young as 5 years of age who are in kindergarten. Yet nothing in the Barton System will offend a teenager or an adult. This is not a “teach yourself” system. A student must work with a tutor.