Academic Support Services
Academic Support Program Mission
At Westminster, our mission is to glorify God by providing an excellent education that will equip students to live extraordinary lives for Jesus Christ. We believe each student is made in the image of God.
Therefore:
- We seek to know, love, and serve all students as individuals, recognizing and developing their unique gifts and abilities, so they may accomplish God’s purpose in their lives.
- We acknowledge, appreciate, and adjust to the various ways children learn.
- We strive toward excellence in all things, to the glory of God.
Academic Support’s goal is to produce successful students who are independent learners and students who are prepared to meet challenges and to overcome them; and to produce learners who understand their strengths and weaknesses and have developed strategies to aid in using their strengths to overcome weaker areas. The AS Program at Westminster is a network of parents, teachers, and students working together to nurture and encourage the academic potential in every student. As our mission, we seek to glorify God by providing an excellent education that equips students to live extraordinary lives for Jesus Christ.
We believe that each student is unique and we work to create a plan tailored to fit each student individually. The services provided will be driven by the individual needs of the student. Each AS Coordinator will view each child as an individual with specific strengths and weaknesses. Academic Coaches are chosen to match the student, and the relationship between Coach and student is special and important.
Academic Support Staff
Mrs. Susan Kious, Lower School
Mrs. Kious is a certified reading specialist and can evaluate students experiencing difficulty in reading, writing and math. The tests administered most frequently are Reading Evaluations for grades Kindergarten through nine. These tests help measure students’ oral and silent reading levels, their level of listening ability, and their knowledge of phonics and comprehension.
Mrs. Tracy Lutz, Middle School
Mrs. Lutz has a degree in history with a Master’s in Education. She has worked with academic programs in two other schools before returning to Westminster.
Mrs. Mary Weidman, Upper School
Mrs. Weidman has a degree in History and a Master’s in Education. She supervises the peer tutoring program and is the SSD Coordinator. As SSD Coordinator, she assists in standardized testing for those students having accommodations. Students and parents with questions about standardized testing accommodations should contact Mrs. Weidman.
Academic Support Course Description
The courses offered through the Academic Support (AS) Department are listed and described below. Fees are charged for these courses.
Core Course
The student is taught a core curriculum course (language arts, math, science and social studies) in a one-on-one setting. The school curriculum is followed but teaching is individualized and multi-sensory.
Single Course Tutoring
The student meets with an academic coach outside the regular classroom. The coach works closely with the classroom teacher in preparing the student to successfully master material in that subject.
Academic Coaching Intensive
This course works on developing skills in the areas of time management, organization, note taking, goal setting and test preparation. The primary goal is increasing the student’s level of independence.
Academic Coaching Homework Help
This service provides students with individual or small group (one to three students) instruction to develop the necessary structure and support to be successful in the classroom.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Westminster has a number of international students, and we provide ESL instruction for them. The program is individualized to meet the needs of each student to ensure success in their experience at Westminster.
