Continue reading »]]> One in five children is diagnosed with dyslexia, yet it remains the most publicly misunderstood learning difference. The Center for Learning Differences Education at Trident Academy invites the community to learn more about dyslexia at a FREE screening of “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia,” accompanied by a panel discussion at Cinebarre Theater (Mt. Pleasant) on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 3 p.m. Please RSVP to nleiva@tridentacademy.com. 

“The documentary is extremely well-done and offers an informative look at dyslexia,” says Sandi Clerici, interim head of school at Trident Academy. “The opportunity for the public to gain a better understanding of dyslexia, and the importance of individualized, multisensory education, like that provided at Trident Academy, is incredibly important.”

“The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia” follows a dyslexic high school student who pursues admissions to a leading college – a challenge for a boy who didn’t learn to read until 4th grade. Additional accounts of the dyslexic experience from children, experts, and iconic leaders at the top of their fields, help us to understand that dyslexia, a persistent problem with learning to read, can be as great a gift as it sometimes is an obstacle.

Following the 50-minute movie, a panel will lead a discussion on dyslexia. Panelists will include teachers, an Orton-Gillingham Fellow, licensed psycho-educational specialists, and alumni of Trident Academy.

“The panelists will help break open the mystery surrounding dyslexia,” says Clerici. “Each panelist has an intimate understanding of dyslexia and the importance of early intervention.”

For more information, contact Niki Leiva at 843.884.3494.

About Trident Academy
Trident Academy is a K-8 independent school and Center for Learning Differences Education located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. For more than 40 years, The School for Language-Based Learning has used the Orton-Gillingham approach to help students with dyslexia and other learning differences. The School for Asperger’s/HFA has highly trained faculty who work collaboratively with specialists in occupational, speech, and behavior therapy. Both Schools use research-based teaching approaches to prepare students academically and socially to transition and thrive in a conventional learning environment. The Center for Learning Differences Education trains teachers, educates parents, and advocates to the community on behalf of children with functional and language based learning differences.

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Trident Academy’s Middle School students took physics out of the classroom when they visited Blackbeard’s Cove Family Fun Park to learn about force in motion. Science Teacher Julia Carter and Math Teacher Rhonda McKenna took 13 students on the multisensory field trip.

“We wanted to show them that what they do in their everyday life is connected to science,” says Carter.

First, the students timed the teachers as they raced on the go-kart track – they calculated speed to determine the winner. Then students had to find input and output values of three machines while playing putt-putt. Finally, they timed Carter as she made her way to the top of the climbing wall, then calculated her speed and acceleration.

“Our students learn best if they can apply what they are learning,” McKenna says. “Seeing us race around the track is a different experience than the classroom.”

“It was a good connection, it was fun and I am glad we learned it in the classroom first,” says Jack Beall.

Carter teaches her students by giving them an introductory hands on activity, followed by the lesson, and ends the unit with hands on activities that can help students connect the lesson.

Continue reading »]]> Prom is one of those memorable high school experiences, and that’s the goal at Trident Academy. All Upper School students will spend the evening on a Spiritline Cruise around the Charleston Harbor. The night will include a four-course meal and a live DJ. 

“I am definitely excited for prom. It’s the last hoo-rah before summer,” said Austin Thompson, senior, “We usually have prom at school so being on the boat will be a new experience.”

This opportunity is unique to Trident Academy due to its small class size. Most proms are held on land in order to accommodate large numbers of students.

Students will dress in formal attire ranging from bright cocktail dresses to princess ball gowns.

Ally Egan, senior, has attended previous proms at Trident Academy and looks forward to ending the school year with a party on the boat.

“I don’t like dancing but I am looking forward to the music,” Egan said, “It will be so fun.”

Continue reading »]]> Through individual, multi-sensory, research-based teaching approaches, and a qualified and experienced faculty, Trident Academy is a K-12* school that embraces cognitively capable children diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, or Asperger’s/HFA. With a strong academic program founded on the Common Core Standards, our goal is to provide these talented learners with the tools and the confidence to successfully transition to a conventional academic program. Read More.

Continue reading »]]> Trident Academy, a K-8 school in Mt. Pleasant, announces the hiring of Nicole McLain, M.A., LMLP, as the director of the School for Asperger’s/HFA. McLain was one of the first autism specialists in Kansas, has logged more than 2,000 hours working with students on the autism spectrum, worked in more than 100 schools and is an autism columnist for Examiner.com. Read more of Nicole McLain’s Announcement.

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On March 22, Trident Academy ninth grade literature students attended an American Civil War reenactment, where they were able to experience war in the 1860s. This was the culminating experience for their unit on The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. The students read the book, created a battlefield for reenactments in class, and watched the film Gettysburg.

The Civil War reenactment was held at Legare Farms on John’s Island. This event featured military demonstrations, medical and civilian camps, and an infantry headquarters. Kennedy McGinnis, student, enjoyed being able to experience what she has learned in the classroom.

“It was a lot of fun, and the trip was a lot like the book that we read. I could connect a lot of things,” McGinnis said.

“Trips like this give students a real world tie-in,” says Mary Silgals, librarian and literature teacher at Trident Academy. “They are able to participate in history and it enhances their learning, especially for our visual learners.”

“I thought it was crazy how they handled the hospital camps,” McGinnis said, “I had no idea it was like that.”

Two Trident Academy students were able to shoot cannons, which Silgals says was an unforgettable experience.

Gregory Sullivan was one of the students who fired the cannon. “The cannons and the hospital station were the most interesting stations there. The man said the cannon would feel like a punch in the gut, but it wasn’t like that at all.”

Silgals firmly believes in the multisensory approach to teaching. She gives instructions, guides the learning experience and reinforces the experiences in order to benefit the students.

“I liked leaving school for a little bit and learning about iron work, Calvary, and the military in the Civil War,” Sullivan said.

The battle that was reenacted was the Bloody Bridge Battle, the largest battle on John’s Island during the Civil War.

For more information on multisensory approaches: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/6332/

Continue reading »]]> The Trident Academy education goes beyond just books and classroom learning. It even goes beyond academics. A student who transitions from Trident Academy will have the social skills and critical thinking needed to succeed in another school, college, or career.

The senior class will be working on these social and critical thinking skills during their Senior Fun Trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. There is no academic focus, and the goal is to have fun, but students will also be learning. They will budget their own money and pay for all expenses throughout the trip. They will also be independent (in pairs) in the parks, but will be required to check-in with chaperones every hour through visual text messages (which will also serve as a memento of the trip).

“In a month, these students will be graduating from high school, and many will begin living on their own, so this is a step toward that responsibility,” says Science Teacher Julia Carter. “But, this is a great example of how learning responsibility can be fun!”

The students will spend two days in Walt Disney World Parks and one day at Universal Studios Florida. They’ll participate in the park’s Grad Bash from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. before heading back to school.

Continue reading »]]> Students at Trident Academy are participating in a multi-sensory class project that allows them to build and test robots. Technology Director Marc Simpson says allowing students to create their own robots helps them understand the process of trial and error by engaging them on multiple levels.

“With robots, students really learn to use the information given to them,” Simpson said. “What may look right on the computer may be not have the intended result when downloaded to the actual robot. What is cool about robots is that we translate a virtual world into the physical world.”

Ninth grader Gregory Sullivan enjoys testing his robots for errors.

“I found it interesting how the robot reacted to different things. I liked seeing how changing one thing made a big difference,” Sullivan said.

Students began the course with exercises that allowed them to act like robots so they could understand the limits to a robot’s information.

“A robot is just a number cruncher. I made the students act like robots to demonstrate that they are the ones with the knowledge, the robot only does what it is told to do,” Simpson said.

The project takes about nine weeks to complete, but throughout the time period, students have deadlines for specific events. One event is called The Firing Range, where students design their robots to either shoot or knock something down. Students are given specific orders to try on the robots in order to think critically and find a solution.

Ninth grader Garry Weatherford found that exactly following the directions helps create the strongest robot.

“I learned how to put on the shooter correctly by following the directions step-by-step,” Weatherford said. “It feels pretty good to say I built my own robot.”

Simpson aims for students to realize that learning from one’s mistakes is a huge part of developmental progress.

“Building a robot has taught me that you have to keep with it until you make it work,” Weatherford said.