Mission

The Shire School  provides a therapeutic, developmental, multi-sensory education to children with learning, attention-deficit, social and language disabilities. Students are taught through individually tailored approaches with an emphasis on physical movement and experiential learning.

Guiding Principles

A Nurturing Environment: The Shire School will provide a safe, loving, environment where students can learn and develop at a healthy pace and where their strengths and weaknesses will be understood and integrated into their educational goals.

Academic Integration of Therapeutic Professionals: Speech, occupational and sensory motor therapists/professionals will participate and be relied upon for evaluation and development of student curriculum, working with each teacher, aide, staff, and family.

Intimate Class Size:  Average class size is six children, with a minimum of one teacher and aide.

Movement and Sensory Integration: Each school day will incorporate extensive movement as a means to develop neural pathways and enhance learning.

Social and Relationship Development: Teachers and therapists assist students in developing and enhancing social skills and the children have both guided and unguided opportunities throughout the day to relate to their peers.  Learning how to relate to others with confidence is a high priority. 

Parent-teacher consultation: Teachers and staff are partners with parents in the process of educating their children and are committed to a high level of communication and collaboration between the school and families.

Thematic Education: Curriculum is thematic, based on the belief that children learn best when material is presented within a relevant and holistic context.  Regularly scheduled field trips provide students the opportunity to expand their unit study and learn about the world in which they live.

Parent Involvement and School Community: Building relationships between staff, board and student families is a high priority.  Students and parents benefit from a strong sense of school community and the school is better able to function with a high level of parental involvement.
Parents are asked to contribute time each month to help defray costs of running the school.