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MONTGOMERY ACADEMY “WHERE YOU CAN BE YOURSELF” MONTGOMERYACADEMYONLINE.ORG

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LifeMONTGOMERYACADEMY

188 Mount Airy RoadBasking Ridge, NJ 07920

908.766.0362www.montgomeryacademyonline.org


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Most students attend Montgomery Academy because the traditional public school setting was not able to meet their individual needs. We are equipped to appeal to the more unconventional student by offering a more unconventional format in which to learn. While we do use textbooks and employ the more traditional styles of teaching, these are not the only, nor the primary, means of educating. Whenever and wherever possible, hands-on experiential techniques are used. Building models, dioramas, exploring the campus environment, role playing, field trips, cooking, and other hands-on methods are used regularly. Our classrooms and halls reflect what is being studied, drawings, murals, reports and projects are all proudly displayed.

Life Space Interview techniques are also used to encourage dialogue between staff and students. Montgomery Academy does not use a behavior modification program (i.e., no rewards, punishments). The consequences should be natural and logical, and tied to a skill that the child needs to develop. For example, if a student becomes angry and tears a bulletin board, the student is required to repair the bulletin board and apologize to the other children that may have been impacted by their actions.

The Life Space Interview technique lets the students use their own words through writings and dictations to increase their skills and knowledge. They develop a functional, purposeful, and meaningful approach to the use of language as an expressive tool. We know that the students we teach are growing up in a world filled with video games, television, and email- and find they are frequently disconnected as a result. At Montgomery Academy students are actively involved in their own learning and urged to connect and communicate with us, their families and each other.

Admission to Montgomery Academy usually begins when the prospective student’s school district furnishes the appropriate student records for a preliminary screening. These records are reviewed by our admissions team and an intake interview is scheduled if the student appears to be a good

A Message from Mr. Anthony Gebbia

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candidate for our program. The intake meeting involves the student, parent(s) or guardian, a representative from the school district and members of our professional staff. Acceptance is determined by the collective assessment of how the particular student’s needs can best be met and if the student and his/her parents feel that Montgomery Academy is the appropriate fit.

Teaching to the “whole student” is how we continue to address the needs of those who attend Montgomery Academy. Learning is experiential, learning is based on personal interests and past experiences. By basing the individualization of the curriculum on the individual we can then introduce the global academic needs of each student. We can address math skills using games. We can teach interpersonal skills through the act of volunteering and then working in the community. We address workplace readiness skills in our Make It Real program. Students get over their fear

of speaking in public by performing in our school music program and performing in front of an audience. Ultimately, our students are learning without knowing that they are learning; and that is because what we do is hands-on and engages each student in a meaningful manner.

If you are interested in seeing our program in action, please contact our main office at 908-766-0362 to schedule a tour or to speak with the member of our staff who is best equipped to answer your questions.

MONTGOMERY ACADEMY CLUB 100 ANNUAL DRIVESupport Montgomery Academy online at http://montgomeryacademyonline.org

Yes! I want to be a member of CLUB 100Enclosed is my gift of $

If giving by check please make payable to:Montgomery Academy Foundation

~ Levels of Generosity ~Neighbor $1 to $99Club 100 $100 to $249 Advocate $250 to $499 Children’s Champion $500 to $999 Visionary $1,000 to $4,999 Mountaineer $5,000+

Montgomery Foundation is a supporting organization to Montgomery Academy, charitable donations are tax deductable under section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS tax code.

Credit Card Gift:◊ VISA ◊ MASTERCARD◊ Please charge my one-time gift of $ ◊ Please charge my gift of $ each month for months

Name as it Appears on Card

Account # CCV

Expiration Date Signature

◊ My company matches gifts and my form is enclosed or is in the mail.


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Cheryl’s Curriculum CornerHere at Montgomery Academy, we have created a curriculum that builds upon each student’s IEP. While we must follow the IEP, our greatest skill is making the learning come alive.

Beyond the goals and objectives, which are the basis of each student’s program, we take those goals and objectives and create authentic experiences on which the learning is based.

The Make it Real program was initially designed to expose students to various career options and experiences. The program gives students ample opportunities to explore their abilities and interests in relation to career acquisitions. It focused on preparing students to be able to make appropriate decisions in various home and work scenarios. Special attention was paid to increasing the student’s self-confidence and esteem while directing them to use appropriate work-related behaviors. Montgomery Academy also offers in-house internships, such as Building Maintenance and Repair, Culinary Arts, Clerical Skills, and Landscape Design.

We see this in how our program is designed to address individual needs and how the individual needs to live within a community of peers and friends. We see this in our use of technology as we attempt to address the individual needs of every student. We do not ask for anything more than a level playing field for our students. We have developed programs like, “Make it Real,” so that every student has the opportunity to have an authentic experience to explore life outside of the daily academics.

In the classrooms, teachers use a multitude of programs and materials to help students understand the curriculum. These may be technology base, hands-on, group-focused, or individualized lessons. We understand that learning takes place in a myriad of ways, and we make every effort to address the many modalities with which our student learn.

One of the aspects of our curriculum that is very important is in getting our students to move away from their comfort zones. We understand that in life and the workplace learning takes place across many modalities. It is our responsibility to help our students understand that there can be many different avenues to a solution. Sometimes we need to work outside of our comfort zone, and that is why we teach students to approach learning situations from many different angles.

We have grown in so many ways thanks to a great dedicated staff. Students who started the program, are now working in jobs in their lives that to some degree was thanks to their early beginnings. Some of these students, now in their adult lives, are working as nurses, teachers, business people, to name a few fields. We believe that our curriculum and our dedication to teaching students across many modalities is essential to future success.

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A Message from Mr. Thomas Nolan

There are many other programs and schools where students can get an education, and I respect the efforts and professionalism of each of those programs. But why is Montgomery

Academy such a special place? Why do we ask parents and schools to entrust us with their most fragile members of their family? What do we offer that is unlike any other program?

We offer a school, “Where you can be yourself.” But what does that mean?

“Where you can be yourself,” is our motto because we genuinely believe in that philosophy. While each student comes to Montgomery Academy with an individualized IEP, we look to provide more than what is written in that document. We provide a home away from home. We believe that you are our extended family, and we treat our students exactly how we would want our children treated.

Students with special needs are much more likely to encounter bullying and be pigeon-holed into a track based on the summation of all of their assessments. We refuse to limit our students by the data found at the end of an evaluation. We see the greater potential in everyone. We will not let anyone’s disability to be a limiting factor on each student’s dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Montgomery Academy celebrates our individual traits and never allows anyone to feel put-down or marginalized.

We are a community of caring professionals who work to create an environment where students will not be singled out because of their unique needs. No one is judged here at Montgomery Academy, and our only measure of an individual is the passion and spirit each student brings to our community.

At Montgomery Academy, we celebrate incremental accomplishments while learning from our failures. We know that school, much like life, is a spiral of repeated lessons each just a little different from the time before. We build upon experiential learning, and we build upon the experiences of each learner.

Montgomery Academy offers exciting and comprehensive summer programs to ensure that we minimize regression while additionally keeping our students engaged and focused. We do this because we do not see summer as an extra program but as a continuation of the regular school year.

Most importantly, we develop an environment to help support the students grow in their interpersonal skills as we all must learn to live and thrive in a community. We purposely organize our day with a starting and ending homeroom to provide time to include group cooperative experiences, gameplay, discussions, and sharing of interests. Our lunchtimes are a community experience where all the adults and students come together to share, not only time for eating but time for developing meaningful rapport in a mutually respectful manner. We have created after school experiences so that students can interact beyond the classroom with adults and peers they may not have regular contact with during their school day. We believe that this provides a unique guided experience where not only the activity is guided by the adults but so are the opportunities for social interactions and peer communications.

Montgomery Academy is a place “Where you can be yourself.” It is what we are best at and of which we are most proud.


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S M T W T F S S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 1114 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 1821 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 2528 29 30 31 July 26 27 28 29 30 31

July 1 First Day of ESYJuly 4 Closed-Independence Day

S M T W T F S July 5 School closed S M T W T F S1 2 3 July 30 Last Day of ESY 1

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 September 2 3 4 5 6 7 811 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sep 2 Labor Day 9 10 11 12 13 14 1518 19 20 21 22 23 24 Sep 3 & 4 School closed/Inservice 16 17 18 19 20 21 2225 26 27 28 29 30 31 Sep 5 First Day of School for Students 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Sep 26 Back to School NightSep 30 Closed-Rosh Hashana

S M T W T F S October S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Oct 9 Closed-Yom Kippur 1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 14 November 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Nov 7 & 8 Closed-NJEA Convention 15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 28 Nov 15 School closed/Staff Inservice 22 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 Nov 27 Early Dismissal 29 30 31

Nov 28-29 Closed-Thanksgiving BreakDecember

S M T W T F S Dec 20 Early Dismissal S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 Dec 23-Dec 31 Closed-Holiday Break 1 2 3 4

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 January 5 6 7 8 9 10 1113 14 15 16 17 18 19 Jan 1 Closed-New Year's Day 12 13 14 15 16 17 1820 21 22 23 24 25 26 Jan 20 Closed-MLK Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 2527 28 29 30 31 February 26 27 28 29 30

Feb 14 & 17 Closed-President's BreakMarch

S M T W T F S Mar 16 Early Dismissal/Staff Inservice S M T W T F S1 2 April 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Apr 10-17 Closed-Spring Break 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 16 May 10 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 23 May 22 Early Dismissal 17 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 30 May 25 Closed-Memorial Day 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

June 31June 22 Early Dismissal

S M T W T F S June 23 Early Dismissal-Last day for students S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Senior Graduation-Held on last day of school 1 2 3 4 5 68 9 10 11 12 13 14 (HS graduation date is subject to change) 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 14 15 16 17 18 19 2022 23 24 25 26 27 28 State testing dates: Grades 3 - 11, April 20 - May 29 21 22 23 24 25 26 2729 30 31 State testing Science: Grades 5, 8, & 11, May 4 - June 5 28 29 30

DLM: Grades 3-8, & 11, April 1 - May 29

Progress Report Periods Report Card Marking Periods Swim Rotation ScheduleEnd of 1st Period-Oct. 8 End of 1st MP-Nov. 12 1st: 9/9-11/4 E1, E2, E3 12:30 DismissalEnd of 2nd Period-Dec. 16 End of 2nd MP-Jan. 29 2nd: 11/11-1/13 E4, E5, E6 School ClosedEnd of 3rd Period-Mar. 3 End of 3rd MP-April 3 3rd: 1/27-3/30 E1, E2, E3 InserviceEnd of 4th Period-May 13 End of 4th MP-June 16 4th: 4/6-6/8 E4, E5, E6

Calendar includes 4 emergency closure days. If deemed necessary, days will be added to the end of the school year. If no days are used for emergency closures, days may be subtracted from the end of the school year.

Montgomery AcademyJuly 2019 January 2020

December 2019 June 2020

August 2019 February 2020

September 2019 March 2020

October 2019 April 2020

November 2019 May 2020

S=20 days T=20 days

S=17 days T=19 days

S=22 days T=22 days

S=16days T=17 days

S=15 days T=15 days

S=21 days T=21

S=18 days T=18

S=22 days T=22

S=16 days T=16

S=20 days T=20

S=17 days T=17

2019-2020 School Calendar188 Mount Airy Rd. Basking Ridge, NJ

Phone: (908) 766-0362 Fax: (908) 766-0936School Hours: 8:15am-2:35pm

Early Dismissal: 12:30pm ESY: 8:30am-12:30pm

Updated 4/29/19

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