Silverleaf School is a 501(c)(3) educational environment designed to support gifted learners and provide a 21st century education. Silverleaf is a STEM-based school and has a curriculum that is forward-thinking. Public education systems and most private schools are ill-equipped to be responsive in a time where the world and its technological capacities are changing daily. In an automation and information age, students are not being prepared for the world they will face.
Above all else, they will need to be problem solvers that can work effectively in teams, communicate well, and think creatively and dynamically to address complex worldwide challenges. Our project-based curriculum embeds foundational skills into learning to ensure that our students are achieving skills that are needed in a modern world.
Our curriculum is individualized. We strive to develop a sense of creativity, innovation, and responsibility in our students. Our approach to education is supportive of the needs of gifted learners. According to the National Association for Gifted Children, children are gifted when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age in at least one subject area. Giftedness may manifest in one or more domains such as; intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in a specific academic field such as language arts, mathematics or science.
We accept, appreciate and support the asynchrony found in gifted children who often do not excel in all subject areas. We teach students what they want and need in the way they want and need to be taught. We understand the deep intensities, curiosities and love of learning that many gifted learners exhibit. Understanding the intricacies of gifted children is imperative for nurturing a positive self image that will carry them through their lives.
A report on High Achieving Students in the Era of No Child Left Behind reported that: 81% of teachers believe that “our advanced students need special attention – they are the future leaders of this country, and their talents will enable us to compete in a global economy.”
In Oregon, we have the second lowest graduation rates in the country.
According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 88% of dropouts dropped out due to boredom.
“The dropout rate of gifted and talented students from high school constitutes the loss of a national resource that must be addressed.”
–The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, 2002
Highly gifted children and their families are largely misunderstood and not afforded the same supports as other families with special needs. Gifted children have developmental differences from other children in abstract reasoning, emotional sensitivity and intensity. Giftedness impacts how a person perceives and interacts with the world. Their unique characteristics create qualitatively different life experiences—often that of being an outsider—which can make a child vulnerable.
We need your support. Giftedness exists in every demographic group and personality type. The families of gifted students are often unable to support a private education or homeschooling environment; many are on public assistance. Donations support equipment and supplies for art, science, and project-based learning; instruction for special programs (art, music, robotics, and physical education, etc.); and allows us to keep tuition low enough for low-income families of highly gifted children to access our services.
We are gearing up to launch the school in 2019. Thank you for your support of Silverleaf School!
…because nurturing the success of extraordinary children can change the world.
Please visit our website: www.silverleafschool.org.
