The Cornerstones of JGS
Executive function implementation
Our comprehensive proprietary executive function (EF) program, Strategic Connections™, is infused throughout the curriculum, in every classroom, daily! Students learn and practice strategies for different EF concepts such as organization, metacognition (awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes), planning, etc., to make learning—and life—easier.
FLEX hour: supporting areas needing improvement & cultivating strengths
JGS lower and middle school students participate in a daily FLEX hour in their areas of need and/or enrichment (reading, writing, math, STEM, or a combination thereof). Each student’s FLEX hour placement is based on pre-assessment data collected upon enrollment and is evaluated and adjusted throughout the course of the year by the instructional team.
For students in need of reading intervention, JGS offers research-based, multisensory programming from Wilson Language Training® Programs and Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, among others. Some of our expertly-trained teachers hold the highest levels of certification, including Wilson Reading System® Level II Certification (Wilson Dyslexia Therapists) and International Dyslexia Association Tier 3 Dyslexia Therapists. Reading interventionists work with one to three students (at the same level) at a time in order to ensure program fidelity and positive student outcomes.
Fostering emotional intelligence to lay the foundation for success
Through a unique combination of programs, including The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s RULER and our Strategic Connections program, we teach and strengthen EF and social skills as well as promote emotional intelligence in real-time. Mindfulness strategies are taught and practiced to help students improve focus, control impulses, reduce stress, and deal with frustration. Planning, organization, task initiation, self-monitoring and awareness, adaptability, accountability, and emotional regulation are woven into the fiber of our day. Every student, every staff member, every day.
Building character through global citizenship
Global Awareness
We are dedicated to helping our students develop critical 21st-century learning skills that equip them to contribute to the greater world community. JGS students learn effective communication skills along with self-advocacy, respect for others, personal responsibility, critical thinking, and social equity. We teach students to evaluate the ethics and impact of their decisions, not only in an academic setting but from a global perspective as well. This includes sustainability education, values-based decision-making, and, of course, travel. JGS offers middle and high school students annual trips to major U.S. cities (New York & Washington D.C. 2018, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Monterey 2019) along with study abroad for the high school (Europe 2021!).
Community Service and Service Learning
JGS students are active members of our larger community. From community gardening to fundraising, service learning is an essential part of a Jones-Gordon education. High school students are required to complete 10 hours of community service each semester, but many exceed these requirements by participating in monthly JGS-sponsored service projects and volunteer opportunities.
All students, from 1st through 12th grade, participate in Monthly Givebacks, which instill a culture of volunteerism and community outreach. We partner with local non-profits, such as Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, Feed My Starving Children, Halo Animal Rescue, Phoenix Rescue Mission, and more.