The field of Educational Neuroscience has advanced quickly over the past decade. That's why the Apogee School builds its entire program on this solid foundation. Educational Neuroscience is Science. It's research-based and continually improving.
Supporting the whole gifted child includes applying the latest research in Educational Neuroscience. That's why we've created a comprehensive neuroscience program. We have staff credentialed in Educational Neuroscience developing our program and writing our curriculum.
NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM AT APOGEE
Staff Training
Apogee teachers regularly receive professional development and daily support from the neuroscience team. We also attend conferences to keep up with the latest research.
Classroom Curriculum
Each grade level attends a weekly neuroscience class customized for their age and specific needs. Students at Apogee have a common language to describe their regulatory needs.
Parent Workshops
Parents are an integral part of our neuroscience initiative. The neuroscience team provides regular parent workshops to keep families updated on our curriculum & provide resources.
We believe that behavior is communication
We start with the assumption that all children want to be good. If they are exhibiting undesirable behaviors, we first seek to discover and correct the root cause of the behavior. Are they hungry? Are they anxious? Do they not feel a sense of belonging? Most of the time behaviors go away on their own without the need for discipline when we gently support their unmet needs.
The primary role of the brain is to keep us alive. Information starts in the lower brain and asks the question, “Am I safe?” Our brains will react quickly to protect us from a perceived threat. At Apogee, we are intentional about providing an environment where every child can feel safe.
If we perceive safety, the firewall in our brain allows information to move to the midbrain that asks the question, “Am I loved and do I belong?” Humans are a herd species with an innate need for belonging to ensure survival. If a child doesn’t feel that they belong, they will devote all of their resources to ensuring that they are noticed and accepted. This often takes the form of undesirable behaviors.
If information passes through the second firewall, it is then able to exist in the prefrontal cortex where learning takes place. At Apogee, we strive to create an environment where all children feel safe and loved.
This is neuroscience. Neuroscience is science. It’s backed by solid research, and it simply works.
