The Academic Mentoring and Educational Support Program (AMES Program) at Mercy High School is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive academic learning environment for its diverse student body. We believe that all young women can succeed academically when provided the proper curriculum and academic supports. The AMES Program seeks to ensure that all Mercy students have the opportunity to be successful. We recognize that each student is remarkable and in keeping with our commitment to the practice and vision of Catherine McAuley and the educational endeavors of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy High School offers programs and support for students with learning differences. Additionally, the AMES program will collaborate with faculty in an effort to differentiate instruction in the classroom and to ensure that students’ accommodations are being met.
PROGRAM GOAL
The goal of the program is to support students with identified and documented learning differences to be able to:
-
Gain greater insight into their individual strengths and challenges.
-
Establish and routinely review semester-long goals.
-
Gain a range of coping strategies and organizational skills to meet their daily academic needs.
-
Build greater awareness and utilization of school resources to meet their academic needs.
-
Build self-confidence in their ability to meet their current academic goals.
-
Respectfully advocate for themselves with their instructors, other school staff, and their parents.
-
Begin establishing future post-secondary accommodation plans based on their individual strengths when/if needed.
STUDENT LEARNING LIAISONS
-
Provide AMES program information to prospective families while also answering their questions
-
Provide accommodations for the High School Placement Test (HSPT)
-
Refer parents/legal guardians to outside agencies/professionals who can complete needed cognitive/medical evaluations
-
Develop student service plans for incoming students and upper classwomen based upon completed cognitive evaluations
-
Communicate the student service plan information to classroom instructors
-
Teach AMES class hour to students who qualify
-
Provide support in specified classrooms to assist teachers and students with learning challenges
-
Communicate with parents of students in AMES approximately twice monthly (generally through email, but could also be through phone contact or an in-person meeting, if necessary)
-
Refer students to outside resources for academic tutoring or to NHS tutoring within Mercy High School
-
Refer students and their families to outside agencies for psychotherapeutic services
-
Complete accommodations paperwork for students who will be taking the ACT, SAT, or other formal standardized assessments
-
Develop and share a list of different types of technology that may be available and helpful to students with a range of learning challenges
CONSULTATION REQUEST
To submit a Parent/Legal Guardian Consultation Request, download this form and email or mail it to your daughter’s counselor.