North Hills Prep
Elementary School
At North Hills Prep, we believe in creating a positive learning environment that builds academic progress, emotional growth, and social development. By addressing specific challenges faced by our students, this educational approach helps them overcome barriers to learning and reach their full potential.
Our elementary school program utilizes a specialized educational approach designed to assess the unique needs and challenges faced by our students. Emotionally dysregulated children often have difficulties understanding how to regulate their emotions, maintain positive relationships, and cope with stress, while reluctant learners often lack the motivation or develop negative attitudes towards learning.
In this type of educational setting, the primary goal is to create a safe and supportive atmosphere that promotes the social, emotional, and academic growth of these students. Teachers and support staff are trained to understand and respond to the specific emotional and behavioral needs of each student, employing various strategies and interventions to help them succeed.
A key aspect of our program is individualized instructions. Teachers assess each student’s strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, and interests to tailor the curriculum and methods accordingly. This personalized approach helps engage students and makes learning more meaningful and relevant to their lives.
Additionally, our educational programs incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies to help students develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. SEL activities may include group discussions, role playing, conflict resolution exercises, and mindfulness practices, all which aim at improving students’ emotional wellbeing and interpersonal skills.
Collaboration between teachers, parents, and mental health professionals is crucial in elementary education. Regular communication and coordination ensure that all stakeholders are working together to support the students’ academic and emotional needs. This will involve implementing behavior support plans, and counseling services, and offering additional support resources as needed.
The North Hills Prep elementary programs are designed to allow each child to participate in their transitional, academic, social, and behavioral growth with the individualized support that meets them where they are, which is paramount in their overall success in school and life.
Elementary
Curriculum
North Hills Prep’s elementary program serves students in grades first through 5th grade. The elementary curriculum, aligned with the California State Framework and content Standards, is designed to provide a supportive and inclusive learning environment that addresses their unique emotional and educational needs. The program focuses on fostering emotional well-being, building social skills, and promoting academic growth.
The curriculum is tailored to meet the individual learning needs of each student. It includes a mix of hands-on activities, visual aids, and multisensory approaches to engage students in their learning. The curriculum is flexible and differentiated to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. It focuses on building foundational skills in reading, writing, and mathematics while also incorporating subjects like science, social studies, art and music to provide a well-rounded education. The curriculum also includes regular opportunities for students to engage in community service projects, promoting empathy and civic responsibility.
Research based intervention programs such as MobyMax, IXL, and STAR-Phonics are also used to improve language arts and math skills and to minimize gaps in learning.
To ensure the success of the program, one crucial aspect is the ongoing professional development for teachers. This ensures that educators are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively teach and support these students. In addition to the academic training, our teachers are getting the most up-to-date, evidenced based practices in the area of behavioral management techniques, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and trauma-informed practices they can employ in the classroom.
Language Arts
The language arts curriculum for elementary students focuses on creating a supportive and engaging learning environment while addressing their unique needs and challenges. The curriculum aims to develop their language skills, foster a love for reading and writing, and enhance their communication and social-emotional development.
Math
The math curriculum centers around building foundational math skills while incorporating strategies to maintain emotional well-being and success in learning. Individualized instruction, use of concrete manipulatives, multisensory learning and real-world applications are all utilized to ensure their success.
Social Studies
The social studies curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the world around them while taking into consideration their unique emotional needs. The curriculum aims to foster their emotional well-being, promote social skills development, and enhance their understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and perspectives. The curriculum focuses on teaching students about different cultures, traditions, and historical events to foster empathy, respect, and appreciation for diversity. This may involve learning about different holidays, exploring multicultural literature, and engaging in projects that highlight the contributions of various cultures.
Science
The science curriculum incorporates hands-on, experiential learning to actively engage students in the scientific process. It integrates various teaching methods and accommodations to cater to different learning styles and abilities. The curriculum also emphasizes the development of social and emotional skills through collaborative projects and group activities.
Physical Education
In elementary we promote cooperative PE games to help our students learn to communicate and respect each others opinions. We do this with activities like team sports practice such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball. We promote hand eye coordination and kinestetic movements with activities that include bouncing the basketball across the court, Simon says, and ping pong, and red light green light.
Electives
We offer art and technology for elective classes. We use several different mediums of art which include canvas, paint, clay, and recycled materials. We promote strengthening of motor skills through the use of cutting, molding, and painting.
Technology is also a part of our class schedule. We strive to teach our students researching techniques and positive and responsible ways to use the internet. We also utilize basic coding techniques as well as keyboarding and typing skills.
Letter From North Hill Prep's
Elementary School Teacher
In 1992, I took a teaching assistant position at a nonpublic special education school in Los Angeles working with children mostly identified as having emotional disabilities. A few months later, I was offered the Lead Teacher position of that classroom. I remained at that same school for 23 years as I climbed the academic ladder. Sadly, that school closed in 2015. I had a decision to make regarding my future in education. Would I go into the public-school sector or stay with the only thing I knew, nonpublic school. The Help Group offered me an easy answer. I was offered and accepted a role as Principal of elementary and middle school at Village Glen. After working for a year and a half as the principal of students with autism, my heart remained with students that had been identified with emotional disabilities. Not wanting to leave the Help Group, I was graciously offered a position back in the classroom working at North Hills Prep. I have been at NHP for six years in the elementary school. I know that I have found my home once again.
Jason Winburn
Elementary Teacher
North Hills Prep
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