It is our philosophy at CBA that all students have the capability to learn. We have carefully trained classroom teachers who can provide academic support for all children accepted our program. These teachers are further supported by both district-provided and in-house special education teachers. We employ our own special education teacher at the Middle and Upper School levels to ensure that our students have the utmost opportunity to shine and succeed within our rigorous academic programs.
In both our Intermediate and Upper School, exceptional learners with IEPs that include a foreign language exemption have the opportunity to spend an entire period, five days a week, working on whatever foundational skills they may need help with while the rest of their classmates engage in foreign language class. Like all of their peers, our exceptional learners in our Intermediate School have the goal of building Upper School readiness. While their path to readiness may be different, we believe they are no less likely to succeed and flourish in our program with the proper support, which we ensure.
CBA carefully considers the application of every student who seeks an education through our school. The existence of an IEP is not seen as a detriment and does not act as a deterrent when considering acceptance. That said, the admissions panel will be honest with families about whether or not CBA is the best academic choice for your child. If we do not feel that we are capable of best serving your child's needs, we will be honest with you regarding this during admissions discussions. It is our responsibility to ensure that we do not make promises we cannot keep with regard to serving your child's need. We value our exceptional leaners as equal members of our school community.
Building Aide: Mrs. Kari Smith
Mrs. Smith grew up just outside of Albany, New York. She studied special education and elementary education at the College of Saint Rose. She then spent many years working with individuals who struggled with a variety of both cognitive and physical disabilities. Following that phase of her career, Mrs. Smith worked in management positions within residential homes dedicated to people with varying forms of learning differences and disabilities. After taking some time off to raise her five children, currently ranging in age from high school to transitional kindergarten, she felt a deep desire to return to her roots in education. Her true passion is being in the classroom. She has worked as a lead teacher and assistant teacher, and she is excited to now be joining the Canterbury Brook family as our in-house aide, a position that will allow her to work with all of our students and help especially those with learning differences to meet their goals.