Village Glen

HIGH SCHOOL

About

HIGH SCHOOL

Village Glen High School students experience greater independence, more social and extracurricular activities, the juggling of classes, and the importance of positive peer relationships. Executive functioning skills play a central role in student success.

Village Glen High School students in grades 9 – 12 start their day in their homeroom class. Following their morning “priming activities” students then independently switch classrooms and teachers by subject. Village Glen High School students are provided with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful college experience. Our high school program is college preparatory and our academic standards meet University of California entrance requirements.  Honors courses and advanced studies are offered for students who wish to pursue additional coursework in areas of special interest and abilities. For struggling learners, academic support is available and support classes may be offered concurrently with more challenging coursework in order to provide meaningful support.  Core subjects and elective courses are taught by experienced teachers with extensive knowledge or experience in the areas being taught.  As in the elementary and middle schools, rigorous direct instruction is integrated with structured project-based learning in order to promote critical thinking and to allow students to make connections with the world around them and to develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning.

Social skills instruction and the promotion of social development in our students is a fundamental component of the Village Glen experience.  In the Village Glen High School, we reinforce social skills development by an emphasis on more role plays and projects, lessons target more of the “nuances” of social skills, and a “higher-order” social skills are the focus, and include skills such as executive functions (e.g., self-monitoring, organization). Social skills instruction takes place daily and the taught skills are continuously practiced and reinforced throughout the school day within the classroom as well as during recess and lunch time and social activities. High school students have numerous opportunities to use their social skills in a wide variety of activities including interest-based clubs, organized team sports, student council, Academic Decathlon, school dances, and much more.

High school students experience increased expectations including greater independence, more social and extracurricular activities, juggling several classes with different teachers, and the heightened complexities of peer relationships. Executive functioning skills play a central role in student success. The development of these skills is emphasized at Village Glen High School and includes both the explicit instruction of executive functioning skills and strategies, as well as the frequent and intentional use of other techniques that enable our students to improve in their executive functioning abilities and increase student achievement and learning.  Foundational executive function skills specifically addressed include self-regulation, flexibility, attention, self-advocacy, task initiation, organization, planning and prioritizing, and time management.

For students in need of more intensive behavioral or social emotional support, Village Glen works collaboratively with students, families, and support staff on the development of supports to enable students to manage emotions and to access teaching and learning.

About

HIGH SCHOOL

Village Glen High School students experience greater independence, more social and extracurricular activities, the juggling of classes, and the importance of positive peer relationships. Executive functioning skills play a central role in student success.

Village Glen High School students in grades 9 – 12 start their day in their homeroom class. Following their morning “priming activities” students then independently switch classrooms and teachers by subject. Village Glen High School students are provided with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful college experience. Our high school program is college preparatory and our academic standards meet University of California entrance requirements.  Honors courses and advanced studies are offered for students who wish to pursue additional coursework in areas of special interest and abilities. For struggling learners, academic support is available and support classes may be offered concurrently with more challenging coursework in order to provide meaningful support.  Core subjects and elective courses are taught by experienced teachers with extensive knowledge or experience in the areas being taught.  As in the elementary and middle schools, rigorous direct instruction is integrated with structured project-based learning in order to promote critical thinking and to allow students to make connections with the world around them and to develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning.

Social skills instruction and the promotion of social development in our students is a fundamental component of the Village Glen experience.  In the Village Glen High School, we reinforce social skills development by an emphasis on more role plays and projects, lessons target more of the “nuances” of social skills, and a “higher-order” social skills are the focus, and include skills such as executive functions (e.g., self-monitoring, organization). Social skills instruction takes place daily and the taught skills are continuously practiced and reinforced throughout the school day within the classroom as well as during recess and lunch time and social activities. High school students have numerous opportunities to use their social skills in a wide variety of activities including interest-based clubs, organized team sports, student council, Academic Decathlon, school dances, and much more.

High school students experience increased expectations including greater independence, more social and extracurricular activities, juggling several classes with different teachers, and the heightened complexities of peer relationships. Executive functioning skills play a central role in student success. The development of these skills is emphasized at Village Glen High School and includes both the explicit instruction of executive functioning skills and strategies, as well as the frequent and intentional use of other techniques that enable our students to improve in their executive functioning abilities and increase student achievement and learning.  Foundational executive function skills specifically addressed include self-regulation, flexibility, attention, self-advocacy, task initiation, organization, planning and prioritizing, and time management.

For students in need of more intensive behavioral or social emotional support, Village Glen works collaboratively with students, families, and support staff on the development of supports to enable students to manage emotions and to access teaching and learning.

A Letter From Village Glen's

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

Kamlin M. Borgwardt
Educational Specialist, M. Ed

I have been an Educational Specialist at Village Glen High School for eight years as a teacher of English. I have twenty-five years of teaching experience at various high schools; Village Glen High School has been my most challenging, yet most rewarding teaching position. I love that every day brings new opportunities to influence young people in a positive way. As I am teaching students to improve their reading and writing skills, I am also modeling social skills and encouraging students to interact with each other with respect and justice in my classroom. Teenagers with autism and other special needs have so much to learn and so many challenges to overcome, but the programs that I and my fellow educators implement here at The Help Group do make a difference

I have seen so many awkward and unsure freshmen grow into confident and assertive seniors ready to graduate and move on to pursue their passions in the world. I have had the honor and the pleasure of educating singers, actors, musicians, game developers, and filmmakers to name a few of the unique talents that these teenagers possess. My job is to discover what each student’s special talent or passion is and to help that student develop into the amazing person he or she is meant to be. Each student has a special gift, and I love being a part of the team that helps the student grow and flourish.

I also enjoy that the staff works as a team to achieve a common goal—to assist students in improving their academic, behavioral, and social skills. The teachers, administrators, therapists, and teaching assistants communicate and support each other daily in order to deliver the best possible educational experience for our young learners. I know that I make a meaningful difference every day that I am working with my students and my team.

High School

BY THE NUMBERS

Small class size
College Preparatory Curriculum
Advanced Placement Coursework
Technology Integration
Emphasis on Social Skills Development
Emphasis In Executive Functioning Skills
Co-Ed Athletics Program
College & Career Planning

A Letter From Village Glen's

HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

Kamlin M. Borgwardt
Educational Specialist, M. Ed

I have been an Educational Specialist at Village Glen High School for eight years as a teacher of English. I have twenty-five years of teaching experience at various high schools; Village Glen High School has been my most challenging, yet most rewarding teaching position. I love that every day brings new opportunities to influence young people in a positive way. As I am teaching students to improve their reading and writing skills, I am also modeling social skills and encouraging students to interact with each other with respect and justice in my classroom. Teenagers with autism and other special needs have so much to learn and so many challenges to overcome, but the programs that I and my fellow educators implement here at The Help Group do make a difference

I have seen so many awkward and unsure freshmen grow into confident and assertive seniors ready to graduate and move on to pursue their passions in the world. I have had the honor and the pleasure of educating singers, actors, musicians, game developers, and filmmakers to name a few of the unique talents that these teenagers possess. My job is to discover what each student’s special talent or passion is and to help that student develop into the amazing person he or she is meant to be. Each student has a special gift, and I love being a part of the team that helps the student grow and flourish.

I also enjoy that the staff  works as a team to achieve a common goal—to assist students in improving their academic, behavioral, and social skills. The teachers, administrators, therapists, and teaching assistants communicate and support each other daily in order to deliver the best possible educational experience for our young learners. I know that I make a meaningful difference every day that I am working with my students and my team.

High School

BY THE NUMBERS

Small class size
College Preparatory Curriculum
Advanced Placement Coursework
Technology Integration
Emphasis on Social Skills Development
Emphasis In Executive Functioning Skills
Co-Ed Athletics Program
College & Career Planning

High School

CURRICULUM

Village Glen’s high school curriculum is based on the California State Framework and Content Standards and combines strong academics, social skills, career readiness, and positive behavior structures and supports to meet the diverse needs of our students.

College-prep programming and enriched activities support the needs of more advanced learners and have helped many Village Glen students progress successfully into both 2- and 4-year college programs. Village Glen High School students benefit from access to UC-Approved a-g courses as well as a range of College Board Advanced Placement courses, the latter of which have earned many of our students both high school and college credit. Through targeted, research-based interventions and remedial support in English Language Arts and Mathematics, students with learning challenges are given the skills to strengthen and support their learning. ELA and math labs provide students with structured support designed to work in combination with grade-level, standards-based instruction.

Daily instruction includes a variety of learning approaches including didactic instruction, project-based learning, blended learning, and peer collaboration. Ongoing professional development ensures our teachers use up-to-date methodologies and technologies that are infused throughout lessons to facilitate learning and to keep older students interested. Village Glen has integrated e-textbooks into our curriculum to further provide students with a dynamic and engaging learning experience.

In order to increase learning opportunities, Village Glen High School students also have access to a rich variety of elective courses, as well as creative and performing arts opportunities, extra-curricular activities, clubs, and organized sports.

Village Glen’s high school curriculum is designed to prepare our students for post-secondary life, whether it is furthering their education or pursuing their goals for the workforce. Whatever their personal aspirations, our mission is to prepare our students for increased independence and to take their learning well beyond high school.

male student getting help from his teacher

English
English

The English program at Village Glen strives to develop students’ appreciation for the joys and possibilities of literary expression. Our students read a variety of literary works and guided discussion is emphasized to promote critical inquiry that supports and honors diverse points of view and varieties of interpretation. The English program also develops students’ competence in writing through mastery of syntax and structure as well as through the promotion of critical thought and the creative writing process.

high school student writing on school board

Math
Math

The math program at Village Glen draws from both traditional and contemporary approaches to teaching. We navigate between multiple representations of concepts to reach different types of learners and to provide more depth of understanding for all. We strive to help students understand that mathematics is a problem-solving enterprise in which creativity and intuition align with factual knowledge and processes to produce effective solutions.

female standing up in front of class

History
History

Village Glen’s history program encourages students to make connections between the past, present, and future. Students are taught to understand the evolution of ideas, the roles of cause and effect, and to value history for the greater understanding of today’s world that it provides.

male student looking through microscope

Science
Science

Village Glen’s science program offers a rigorous and experiential introduction to the key concepts and skills needed to understand phenomena in the natural world. Students learn to formulate testable questions, analyze data, and to evaluate scientific claims critically in order to respond intelligently and improve the planet and the human experience.

back of male student raising his hand in class

World Language
World Language

Village Glen’s Spanish program seeks to inspire and motivate students to become proficient in the Spanish language. The coursework fosters a global awareness and understanding of Spanish cultural values, perspectives, traditions, and experiences.

high school student writing on school board

Arts
Arts

The arts program at Village Glen seeks to create opportunities for students to identify and act upon their creative impulses. Students develop their talents through a range of visual, technological, and performing arts courses and performance opportunities.

close up of team huddle

Physical Education
Physical Education

Village Glen’s specially-designed PE program is designed to instill in students the habits and life-long benefits of maintaining a physically active lifestyle. The program also builds on students’ social skills and promotes and affirms the ideals of respect, integrity, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

back of male student about to serve a volleyball

Athletics Program
Athletics Program

Village Glen’s athletics program provides students with opportunities to gain and maintain a passion for their sport. The Village Glen Knights comprise competitive interscholastic teams playing across several different co-ed sports each year across three seasons.

High School

CURRICULUM

Village Glen’s high school curriculum is based on the California State Framework and Content Standards and combines strong academics, social skills, career readiness, and positive behavior structures and supports to meet the diverse needs of our students.

College-prep programming and enriched activities support the needs of more advanced learners and have helped many Village Glen students progress successfully into both 2- and 4-year college programs. Village Glen High School students benefit from access to UC-Approved a-g courses as well as a range of College Board Advanced Placement courses, the latter of which have earned many of our students both high school and college credit. Through targeted, research-based interventions and remedial support in English Language Arts and Mathematics, students with learning challenges are given the skills to strengthen and support their learning. ELA and math labs provide students with structured support designed to work in combination with grade-level, standards-based instruction.

Daily instruction includes a variety of learning approaches including didactic instruction, project-based learning, blended learning, and peer collaboration. Ongoing professional development ensures our teachers use up-to-date methodologies and technologies that are infused throughout lessons to facilitate learning and to keep older students interested. Village Glen has integrated e-textbooks into our curriculum to further provide students with a dynamic and engaging learning experience.

In order to increase learning opportunities, Village Glen High School students also have access to a rich variety of elective courses, as well as creative and performing arts opportunities, extra-curricular activities, clubs, and organized sports.

Village Glen’s high school curriculum is designed to prepare our students for post-secondary life, whether it is furthering their education or pursuing their goals for the workforce. Whatever their personal aspirations, our mission is to prepare our students for increased independence and to take their learning well beyond high school.

male student getting help from his teacher

English
English

The English program at Village Glen strives to develop students’ appreciation for the joys and possibilities of literary expression. Our students read a variety of literary works and guided discussion is emphasized to promote critical inquiry that supports and honors diverse points of view and varieties of interpretation. The English program also develops students’ competence in writing through mastery of syntax and structure as well as through the promotion of critical thought and the creative writing process.

high school student writing on school board

Math
Math

The math program at Village Glen draws from both traditional and contemporary approaches to teaching. We navigate between multiple representations of concepts to reach different types of learners and to provide more depth of understanding for all. We strive to help students understand that mathematics is a problem-solving enterprise in which creativity and intuition align with factual knowledge and processes to produce effective solutions.

female standing up in front of class

History
History

Village Glen’s history program encourages students to make connections between the past, present, and future. Students are taught to understand the evolution of ideas, the roles of cause and effect, and to value history for the greater understanding of today’s world that it provides.

male student looking through microscope

Science
Science

Village Glen’s science program offers a rigorous and experiential introduction to the key concepts and skills needed to understand phenomena in the natural world. Students learn to formulate testable questions, analyze data, and to evaluate scientific claims critically in order to respond intelligently and improve the planet and the human experience.

back of male student raising his hand in class

World Language
World Language

Village Glen’s Spanish program seeks to inspire and motivate students to become proficient in the Spanish language. The coursework fosters a global awareness and understanding of Spanish cultural values, perspectives, traditions, and experiences.

high school student writing on school board

Arts
Arts

The arts program at Village Glen seeks to create opportunities for students to identify and act upon their creative impulses. Students develop their talents through a range of visual, technological, and performing arts courses and performance opportunities.

close up of team huddle

Physical Education
Physical Education

Village Glen’s specially-designed PE program is designed to instill in students the habits and life-long benefits of maintaining a physically active lifestyle. The program also builds on students’ social skills and promotes and affirms the ideals of respect, integrity, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

back of male student about to serve a volleyball

Athletics Program
Athletics Program

Village Glen’s athletics program provides students with opportunities to gain and maintain a passion for their sport. The Village Glen Knights comprise competitive interscholastic teams playing across several different co-ed sports each year across three seasons.