Mission
To provide a
safe, caring, and therapeutic environment where students develop
skills necessary to build successful futures. We are a community
that believes relationships are the most integral part of
therapeutic and academic
growth. 
​​

​Values

  • We believe in small
    classroom sizes that allow for intensive, individualized
    intervention and facilitate achievement of therapeutic
    & educational
    goals.      
  • We believe through forming
    relationships, our students and their families are more open
    to the therapeutic growth.
  • We believe in providing a
    safe and healthy environment where emotional, behavioral,
    and social growth are promoted with integrity and
    honesty.
  • We believe in nurturing the
    student, building higher self-esteem, and reinforcing
    positive behaviors.
  • We believe in the value of
    diverse community that strives to maintain a safe, accepting
    environment while respecting individual differences.
  • We believe in providing
    all community members with a sense of belonging while
    encouraging personal progress.

​

 

 
​Three Cornerstone
Principles
​
​SAFETY means that no one is allowed to harm another person or themselves. Lafayette School wants everyone to feel safe, including students, staff, and visitors. Things like threats, acting out and disrupting the program are not allowed.  Students are encouraged to show safe behavior by following school rules both in school and in the community, accepting redirection from staff, using anger management strategies, and expressing feelings appropriately.RESPECT means that all students are expected to show concern for themselves, others, and property. Name-calling, teasing or being mean is not okay and is hurtful or anger provoking to other students. Students are encouraged to treat others the way they want to be treated. Students are encouraged to show respect by participating in school activities, giving positive feedback to others, being an active listener, and taking care of personal and school property.

PROGRESS

 means that no matter what a student’s difficulties are, they are expected to work hard to make them better. This is often difficult, but staff provides support to students while they work through problems and issues. If students are not working on issues, staff may confront them and give consequences. Parents and families are also expected to participate in the program by reading and responding to correspondence and phone calls from school personnel, attending family meetings and IEP meetings, and communicating all questions and concerns to staff. Students can show progress by following the rules, earning levels, meeting IEP goals, practicing positive coping skills, building trusting relationships with others and sharing feelings honestly and directly.

Transition

Our goal is always to work towards transitioning a student back to their home school when appropriate and decided upon by all involved with the student.  We also realize that for some students, Lafayette is the least restrictive environment that the student can find success in their academic, emotional and behavioral health.  When a transition becomes appropriate, we look at: IEP progress, Level progress in our program, community progress, and pro-social strategies for 2 consecutive 9 weeks in determining when the transition process is to begin.


At Lafayette, we know that regardless of the great work we do with our students while they are with us, one of the most important tasks we have is to positively transition a student back to their home school.  Therefore, we do a great deal of planning when the time comes for a student to transition.

While all students and situations are unique, below is our general transition plan:

  • Staff go to the receiving school by themselves to observe the classes and expectations of the environment to which the student will transition
  • We begin to mimic (as much as possible and pragmatically appropriate) in our environment (e.g., homework expectations, classroom expectations, community expectations, etc)
  • We set up (staff accompanied) single class, part of the day, or all of the day visits for the transitioning student; the student is still attending Lafayette for continued support when not at their receiving school
  • We set up (solo) single class, part of the day, or all of the day visits with the transitioning student; the student still attending Lafayette for continued support when not at their receiving school
  • Link student and family to appropriate school and community resources
  • Student transitions as the next logical break from school (e.g., semester or quarter change, after a holiday, after a summer break, etc.)

GRADUATION

Lafayette School is often the least restrictive
educational placement for a student to find success.  Since we are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), all student credits transfer to
the student’s home school.  Once enough verified credits have been achieved (based on VDOE
standards) the student is eligible to graduate from their respective high schools.  Lafayette
School also has it’s own graduation ceremony/celebration for graduating seniors.  Since 2013,
Lafayette School has had a least one student graduate each year and in 2015 had 3 graduating
seniors.