Our Treeside Programs

OUR "CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT" APPROACH

Aristotle said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” We agree.

As an organization passionately dedicated to providing whole-child education, we have developed a positive behavior program we call "The Treeside Way."  We explicitly teach students how to become more Respectful, Purposeful, Mindful, and Peaceful.

We  believe our students must be firmly rooted in academics to grow intellectually. However,  intellect is only one aspect of life. We help each child to branch out into the world, to blossom, to grow, and to live a fuller and more fruitful life.

DEVELOPMENT, LANGUAGE, and PLAY-BASED EDUCATION

Kindergarten at Treeside looks different than at most other schools. You will find sandboxes, wooden blocks, water tables, and play stations in our classrooms. Our program inspires every child to grow and learn according to their developmental stage. We provide an environment that is focused less on traditional academics and more on the wonders of language, literature, and science. Guided discovery lays the foundations necessary for reading and math instruction in the first grade while open-ended, imaginative play hones inner forces of creativity and flexibility that become the capabilities for later learning in school, career and life.

SPECIALTY INTEGRATION

We use art, drama, movement, and music not just to enrich academic content, but as an actual method of teaching academic concepts.

VISUAL ARTS 

Our students enjoy the complete integration of the visual arts into their main lessons and core subject areas. Painting, drawing, and modeling, whether illustrating a myth or reinforcing a scientific principle, allows students to link deeper meaning to lesson content, builds focus and encourages creativity. Time spent on visual arts also improves fine motor skills and fuels young imagination.

PERFORMING ARTS 

For each grade, a class play is an important part of our curriculum, with roles chosen to develop each student’s innate gifts and to support curricular themes.  This encourages high levels of speaking and listening which are developed over the years.

NATURE-BASED LEARNING 

We educate each child to see him/herself as living within the context of a whole environment. Whenever appropriate and relevant, students learn outside.  Our school is  “landscaped for learning” where trees and flowers, wetlands, and a garden provide learning opportunities for science, botany, math, and the arts. 

Treeside boasts an organic garden planted and maintained by upper grade students. Treeside students use the garden for science, health, and sustainability education. Children learn about plants, animals, ecology and the world around them through hands-on experiences as caretakers.  They begin to internalize their connection to the natural world and their responsibility to care for it.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING 

We believe that in order for learning to be meaningful and memorable it must be relevant and useful to students. Project-based learning allows for the practical use of knowledge. Treeside students engage in both individual and group projects. Handwork and woodworking projects are naturally integrated into the curriculum by subject.

SERVICE LEARNING 

We educate children to envision and create a productive and peaceful world. Treeside students apply their knowledge and skills in serving others. Their service contributes to a sense of self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and accomplishment. It strengthens qualities of self-discipline, perseverance, patience, and imagination. Each grade participates in at least one service learning project per year.

OUR USE OF TECHNOLOGY 

We view technology as an art form and mode of expression. It never takes the place of the teacher. 
Limited and purposeful use of technology begins in Kindergarten with basic keyboarding, internet safety, and literacy practice.

LOVE & LOGIC

We use the Love and Logic approach to behavior both in the classroom and school wide.

Love and Logic is a philosophy of behavior management that allows students to learn from natural consequences instead of punishments. The philosophy is based on relationships and respect, shared control, and decision making. It teaches children more effective ways of managing and understanding their thoughts, emotions and actions.

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Treeside ensures a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students regardless of ability and circumstance in accordance with Federal and State Law. We are dedicated to the early identification of and service to students regarded as a special population such as Special Education, 504, English Language Learners, High Achieving Students, and the homeless.

FINDING STRUGGLING STUDENTS

Treeside educators use the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to identify students who are stuggling to meet academic and/or behavioral expectations.  If a student is not progressing toward mastery of the Utah State Standards or is struggling socially, behaviorally, in communication or with motor skills, the teacher will follow the three-tiered system of support:

• Tier One (Prevention) includes high-quality classroom instruction delivered by highly qualified teachers and regular assessments of all students to monitor their progress toward reaching grade-level benchmarks.
  
  

• Tier Two (Selected Structured Intervention) includes targeted group intervention in class or outside of the classroom for students who are not meeting grade level benchmarks. During Tier Two students may be referred to the Student Success Team (SST).
  
  

• Tier Three (Intensive Intervention) includes more intensive and possibly individualized intervention for students who continue to be at risk. SST members identify the specific academic areas of need for low achievers and plan interventions that are monitored and reviewed at subsequent meetings. At this level, a student may be referred for Special Education eligibility assessment (with parental permission) according to IDEA.

By using methodologies influenced by Waldorf education, Treeside has the tools necessary to effectively educate children with disabilities in a full inclusion classroom and the least restrictive environment. For our students with mild/moderate and or moderate/severe learning disabilities, we use strategies which support students’ abilities to process and retain information, build social relationships, and organize effectively for learning.

Our approach makes accommodations easier than might be possible in a traditional classroom because of our differentiated and holistic approach to meeting the needs of each student.  Treeside educators help students with special needs to meet grade level standards, scaffolded and modified if needed, as set forth in individual plans. This is facilitated by Treeside's practice of looping, allowing students with IEPs the advantage of working to achieve their goals with the same teacher for consecutive years minimizing instructional time lost during transitions between grades and assimilation. Students demonstrate what they know through formal and informal testing, portfolios, oral presentations, and projects without being impeded by special needs.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

We strive to identify students with special needs as quickly as possible.  When a new student comes to Treeside, we ask if the student has a current IEP. If an IEP is in place, records from the previous school will be requested and special education services will begin immediately in accordance with the existing IEP. The IEP team will then determine whether to adopt the existing IEP or convene a meeting for the purpose of constructing a new IEP.

As a public school we adhere to all state and federal laws and regulations regarding special education including, but not limited to, requirements outlined in the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules (USBE-SER II.A.) as well as, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Executive Director will oversee the special education department, closely monitor special education caseloads, and follow special education caseload guidelines from the USOE. We will further meet the needs of Special Education students through:

• Properly licensed teachers and highly trained paraprofessionals work with individuals and groups
  

• Auxiliary service providers, including but not limited to, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists work with individual students as needed
  

• Students are educated in the least restrictive environment possible
  

• Educators and parents work together to develop timely and thorough Individual Education Plans
  

• The Special Education Director will closely monitor and oversee that all students receive accommodations and services as indicated in the student’s IEP

504

Any student who has an objectively identified disability that substantially limits a major life activity is eligible for accommodation by Treeside. If a child is suspected to be eligible for a 504 plan, a 504 team will be assembled by the Director and will include the parent/guardian, the student (where appropriate) and other qualified persons knowledgeable about the student. The 504 team considers evaluation data, placement options, and accommodations. The 504 team reviews the student's existing records, including academic, social and behavioral records, and is responsible for making a determination as to whether an evaluation for Section 504 services is appropriate. If the student has already been evaluated under the IDEA but found ineligible for special education instruction or related services under IDEA, those evaluations may be used to help determine eligibility under Section 504. The final determination of whether the student will or will not be identified as a person with a disability is made by the 504 team in writing and notice is given in writing to the parent/guardian of the student in their primary language along with the procedural safeguards available to them.  If during the evaluation the 504 team obtains information indicating possible eligibility of the student for special education per the IDEA, a referral for assessment under the IDEA will be made by the 504 team.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Our use of multiple modalities is particularly important for English Language Learners in the regular classroom. We help students build oral language skills, concept comprehension, and key social skills. Research shows that students who engage in complex forms of socio-dramatic play and multi-sensory learning, have greater language skills, better social skills, and greater information processing skills than those students given little or no play time (Miller, 2009).

We further meet the needs of the EL students through:

• Valid assessment and Identification though WIDA
  

• Providing strong classroom instruction by teachers holding ESL/EL certifications
  

• One-on-one tutoring by or under the supervision of ESL/EL certified teachers
  

• Extra time and help with individual or group assignments
  

• Peer tutoring
  

• Supplementary curriculum focused on EL students

HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS 

We are committed to a developmentally driven education for all. Students achieving above grade level as measured by standardized test and interim benchmark assessments receive appropriate academic extensions within the classroom. Teachers differentiate by using appropriate resources, products, assignments, and pacing. During a portion of small group collaboration time, high achieving students may be paired with lower performing students to offer support or be paired with other high achieving students to share challenging assignments. Enrichment activities and Main Lesson block projects provide opportunities for academic challenges.

HOMELESS STUDENTS 

Treeside educators work to understand the effects of homelessness on a child’s development, education, and socio-emotional wellbeing. We take special care in the education of students who are deemed homeless—those who “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” (Center Serve, 2015). Homeless students are given all of the rights and privileges under the McKinney Vento Act as well as a free appropriate public education. Treeside works to provide students with any and all needed school supplies. Homeless students have free access to field trips, learning activities, and project based learning opportunities. Treeside's Parent Guild conducts fundraising opportunities for economically disadvantaged families as well as coordinating carpooling and transportation offerings. Additionally, our Treeside counselor can make referrals for community services as needed by individual family situations.