Our Students (aka the Activators)
Our students are kind, creative, curious, and joyful. Some can be described as eccentric or quirky! We serve 18 students in grades 3rd through 5th.
About half of our students are neurodivergent. Most of the neurodivergent students are dyslexic, dysgraphic, or both.
These are the types of kids who thrive at Activate.
Children who require higher-quality literacy support.
Children interested in the arts and who prefer hands-on activities.
Children identified as Talented and Gifted, who are often disengaged at traditional schools.
Children who feel frustrated with academics in the traditional model.
Students who feel anxious or bored at school.
Most of our students’ parents gave their neighborhood school a try in the early elementary grades but realized it wasn’t a good fit.
Some of our students have never attended a traditional school.
What We Look for in Applicants
Applicants who are excited about Activate.
Applicants who love art.
Applicants who connect well socially during their shadow day.
Applicants who have similar academic skills to current or incoming students.
Applicants who are independent and self-directed.
Applicants who are curious and creative.
Applicants who are respectful and responsible.
Applicants with a sibling who is currently or formerly enrolled at Activate.
We value racial diversity, gender diversity, ability diversity, and religious diversity. We fully support LGBTQ students and LGBTQ households. We aspire to have a diverse student body.
Who We Cannot Accommodate
We cannot accommodate aggressive or destructive children because we lack the staffing, training, and resources.
We cannot accommodate runners (elopers) because we lack staffing and are on a busy street.
We cannot accommodate children who refuse to complete assignments or are otherwise defiant.
We cannot accommodate children who regularly disrupt others’ learning.
We cannot accommodate children who regularly need breaks during academic blocks. Our math block is 60 minutes long, and our literacy block is 80 minutes, with a 5-minute break in the middle. We expect our students, most of the time, to have the ability to make it through these blocks without additional breaks. (Please note that children are not expected to sit in their seats for the entirety of these blocks.)
We cannot accommodate incoming third graders who are significantly less mature than their grade-level peers, as it's challenging for our fifth graders to be classmates with kids who act like first- or second-graders.