New Voices School
The New Voices vision includes establishing a regional day school that will support students who need additional scaffolding to succeed in their home school. The New Voices School will operate as the central hub for student and family support, teacher and professional training, and outreach and replication activities.
Children recommended for admission to New Voices School will participate in a highly personalized and intensive education program to prepare them for eventual return to their community school. From a child’s first day of school, the driving focus of our efforts will be to determine and provide the essential building blocks to support each child’s inclusion in the least restrictive school environment. Uniquely, New Voices is a transitional school, not a destination school. We want our students to leave.
Following the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, New Voices School will offer a complete and age-appropriate curriculum of study. Class size will range from 4-6 students with minimally two special education teachers. The curriculum will reflect a fluid integration of many disciplines that will support the multiple needs of these children. And an emphasis on the development of literacy and communication skills and the mobility supports needed to succeed is at the heart of our efforts.
At New Voices School, speech/language pathologists, educators, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists and assistive technology specialists, with the participation of the school and family, will fully assess each child’s current communication and literacy status and determine what equipment, therapy, teaching strategies and supports will be needed. Also on site will be a health center tailored specifically to the complex health needs of these children.
Working with MHA Works of Durham, the New Voices team started with a blank canvas and carefully designed a school facility that truly puts the students first. The 31,592 square foot building will facilitate, not hinder, the advancement of learning, all within a teacher and learner-friendly environment. New Voices will serve as a model for advanced school design and a source of pride for the Triangle region and the state.
Inside, the facility will cater to its students in ways no other public school can. Classrooms will be spacious and outfitted with video monitoring equipment - an important diagnostic tool for both professional educators and family members. Rooms for a wide range of services will be available, including health services, hearing and vision screening, physical and occupational therapy, and assistive technology. A family-style cafeteria will allow students complete freedom to mingle with others instead of being forced into “special” tables only for a few kids. Physical activity and recreational therapy will be possible in a gymnasium that is equipped for students with mobility issues.
Among the design features are:
- Welcoming student drop-off area and wide, spacious hallways
- Eight classrooms
- A school health center
- Art and music rooms
- Medical services space, with therapy rooms
- Observation areas for parents and educators linked to each class
- Assistive technology labs
- An assessment center
- Accessible playground and wheelchair/ walker-friendly paths
- Gymnasium with specialized equipment and activities
