By March of this year, when educational institutions closed down due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Conservatory Prep Schools in Davie had already shifted to an innovative virtual school program. A full curriculum of real-time learning for the schools’ 6th-12th graders provided what principal Wendy Weiner called, “a seamless transition from on-site education. Students completed their studies as the school remained true to our philosophy of highly personalized teacher-student interaction.”
Conservatory Prep will begin the 2020-2021 school year virtually and will only bring students into the school building when it is safe. But its program is unique; rather than relying on packets, videos, and assignments to be done in isolation, instructors will teach from their actual classrooms at the school to students attending from home. The goal is to come as close to a real school-day experience as possible and to enable teachers to provide constant supervision and interaction.
With this approach, according to Dr. Weiner, “Conservatory Prep can ensure an uninterrupted school year without closings due to COVID-19 surges, should they occur.” The school’s nationally accredited curriculum and its academic requirements will remain in place, including term papers, class, and school performances, PE, music, art, theater, and yes, even dance. Group activities, even under COVID, will include color war, cooking competitions, and a senior social hosted by a DJ.
The school’s staff of 20 teachers and volunteers (all certified teachers themselves), will supervise 25-30 middle and high school students, providing an extraordinary level of student supervision. Conservatory Prep has also hired a staff psychologist, Dr. David Krasky, Psy. D., to provide weekly group counseling with every age group to help students deal with normal stressors as well as those related to the pandemic. He will hold bi-weekly meetings with parents, who are also invited to a weekly virtual Parent Breakfast with Dr. Weiner.
At Conservatory Prep, students adhere to their regular schedule, moving from class to class on the Zoom platform, with plenty of time to socialize during breaks. Lauren Gold, the mother of a now-graduated senior, recalls that this past year, “I would hand my son his lunch every day and he would scoot back to his computer to eat with his friends.” So, while the physical format of teaching may have changed at this school, the academic and social aspects of education have not.
Conservatory Prep, which caters to twice-exceptional students who are gifted with a learning disability, offers both middle school and high school curricula and is nationally accredited. Students with an IEP or 504 plan qualify for a McKay Scholarship of $5,000 to $20,000. In addition, families with income under $80,000 qualify for a Family Empowerment Scholarship of $7,000 plus.
The school has produced a podcast with more information about its virtual program.
A limited number of spaces remain. Those interested may visit online at conservatoryprep.org or call Principal Dr. Wendy Weiner at 954-680-5808.
