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4 Things To Look For In A School For Students With ADHD

October is ADHD Awareness Month and this post was written to advocate for what’s best in education for students with ADHD – When you’re a parent, where you choose to live takes on added importance. It happens all the time, families choose to live somewhere because of an amazing school district. They want what is best for their children. Often the schools are ranked within the top in the nation, test scores are off the charts, there are numerous extracurricular options, students go on to great colleges, and graduates are noted to be successful in their careers. It seems like a no brainer. But for some students, many of which have ADHD, the top-rated schools are not always the schools where they find success. Highly intelligent, capable, and creative can kids find themselves not fitting in, not able to keep up, or uninterested in school. If your local school isn’t the right fit, there are options. What to look for in a school for students with ADHD? Small Class Sizes Less students in the classroom means...

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Leelanau Revealed Student Book

During Winter Term 2018, students in the class entitled “Leelanau Revealed”  explored the history and people of the Leelanau peninsula. Students practiced being real life historians while going off campus, taking advantage of our local resources, and using Journalism skills like interviewing and researching. They were able to visit historic sites, speak with local historians, peruse Maritime museums, and scour archives. Their final project was to create a book containing all that they learned during the course. From narrative to poetry to locals interviewed by our student writers, this book we call Leelanau Revealed is a true collection of the collaborative minds our school embodies. CELEBRATE THE WRITERS FROM OUR WINTER TERM PROJECT BY ORDERING A COPY TODAY! To order a copy, please send an email to: jparker@leelanau.org        Subject Line: Leelanau Revealed We will have a special book signing event for families and students at Graduation Weekend, June 1st & 2nd. Copies ordered before March 24th will receive a barcode for a creative audio reading of the student...

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Print Vs. Digital Text In Education

It seems like everything is about technology these days.  Most things we do throughout the day have a tech option and sometimes it doesn’t even seem like an option – using tech is just what we do. When it comes to learning and our ability to assimilate written information, digital text may seem like the obvious winner. It’s portable, accessible, less expensive (assuming you have a device), and just downright handy. However, when considering that many people’s comprehension levels vary based on authentically interacting with a text, does digital really stand up to print? The answer really depends on how interactive is the digital text? When addressing what books to order or why digital may be a better fit for a particular assignment, teachers must continually ask themselves “what is the purpose of the reading I am asking students to respond to comprehend?” The one measure that is extremely important for writing skills is proofing and research does show that when students read aloud and respond to written text they catch proofing errors more readily and can increase...

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New Head of School Announced

New Head of School Announced – Robert C. Hansen

Robert C. Hansen has been chosen as 15th Head of The Leelanau School A nationwide search which produced numerous qualified candidates from all over the country to fill the Head of School position resulted in the Board of Trustees selecting a local, Leelanau County resident and Head of The Pathfinder School in Leelanau County as the most qualified to be their next leader beginning in July, 2018. Mr. Robert C. Hansen was first a parent of The Pathfinder School, and then a board member, before becoming Head of School in 2012. He leaves after establishing a new strategic vision, expanding their instructional program, strengthening the arts, implementing a counseling program, improving student success, growing enrollment, fundraising and balancing their budget. Prior to his time at Pathfinder, he was the Supervisor of Instructional Services at the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District and Technology and Data Integration Specialist. Hansen began his career as a scientist after obtaining a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from University of Illinois.  He returned to school...

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Iron Pour – A Unique Opportunity for Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning has always been at the heart of a Leelanau School education. Leelanau teachers are constantly looking for ways to purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities, which is how the Association of Experiential Education describes the philosophy. Recently Leelanau School students were given the unique opportunity to participate in a true multi-disciplinary experiential learning opportunity in collaboration with the Michigan Legacy Art Park at Crystal Mountain Resort. The event was actually directed by Leelanau’s own visual art instructor Kaz McCue, who also happens to be the Artistic Director of the Art Park. Kaz (as we lovingly refer to him) invited Marquette metal artist, Theresa Smith,  the Artist-in-Residence for the Michigan Legacy Art Park, who has 22 years of experience with iron work, community projects, and art programs, to visit Leelanau and to introduce the students to the...

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