POLARIS PROGRAM
Special Needs
Students with a demonstrated history of Special Needs services or
have placed below typical accepted standards on standardized
testing, will be considered to be offered the opportunity to have a
complete educational diagnostic testing performed. Upon the
completion of this testing, a meeting will be held between the
parents, the school and the student (when applicable) to discuss
the steps necessary to develop a plan to ensure the student's
greatest likelihood of achieving the rigorous standards set forth
in our curriculum.
We believe that lowering expectations is not the key to helping students with learning disabilities. We embrace that true success is measured in the student's ability to meet the same rigorous standards expected of all students through appropriate assistance, not the lessening of expectation.
The POLARIS Special Needs component consists of in-school and after-school interventions designed to meet the needs of the individual student in their area(s) of weakness. This is accomplished through modern learning techniques and brain-based education, coupled with proven foundational education skills. Additionally, our support staff includes:
- Psychologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Pathologists
These specialists will be available to the children if deemed necessary.
ESL
Many students in the Gulf region are achieving a skill most people
around the world never master: the learning of more than one
language. Student learning in all subject areas needs to
continue while the student works towards fluency of the new
language. Simple support programs do not provide the student
with the intensive intervention necessary to maintain academic
gains while still learning the language. The POLARIS ESL
component consists of in-school and after school services to foster
understanding and growth in the academic subjects and
English.
Students scoring below accepted standard criteria will be required to enroll in the POLARIS ESL Program to receive the necessary services to succeed within the school.
Gifted Children
Many schools in the Middle East provide a rigorous curriculum; this
however does not meet the needs of the Gifted Children. ACS
Sharjah is the only school in the UAE to address the specific needs
of the talented and gifted student. The POLARIS Program for
Gifted Students is designed to foster the child's areas of academic
strengths, while also striving to support social skills, athletic
activities and other academic areas.
The POLARIS Gifted Students Program will provide in-school and after-school services conducted by gifted and talented trained teachers who will able to challenge and motivate students.
