Arizona's private dyslexia school
The Jones-Gordon School
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Our School
Our Students
Bright. Kind. Creative. Collaborative. Excited to Learn. This is JGS.
Our students are intelligent (possessing average to gifted cognition), out-of-the-box thinkers who learn a little differently, so we’ve created a school just for them—a school tailored to meet the needs of students with language-based learning differences (dyslexia) and/or attention challenges (ADHD).
Please know that JGS is not designed to meet the needs of children whose educational plan focuses on improving conduct or children who are struggling with school avoidance. Prospective students with behaviors that impede the learning environment of other students are not considered for admission.
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
Our focus on strengthening emotional intelligence (EQ) stems from programming aligned with our holistic approach to education.
Through a unique combination of programs, including The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s RULER, we teach and strengthen social skills as well as promote emotional intelligence in real-time. Students have daily exposure to discussions on emotions, character strengths, personal values, and more. Mindfulness strategies are taught and practiced to help students improve focus, control impulses, reduce stress, and deal with frustration.
FROM RULER WEBSITE: Our training institutes focus on building a growth mindset and common language around emotions, skill development in emotional intelligence, and the building and sustaining of positive social and emotional climates where all stakeholders in the school feel empowered to learn, work, and achieve.
Weekly lessons on EQ topics
EQ Topics
Emotional intelligence (also known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.
We promote the following behaviors:
- self awareness
- self-regulation
- motivation
- empathy
- social skills
We implement the RULER approach
The RULER Approach
RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence:
Recognizing emotions in oneself and others
Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary
Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context
Regulating emotions with helpful strategies
RULER skills help people of all ages to use their emotions wisely, opening opportunities for us to succeed in school, at work, and in life. These skills are both personal and social, such that a network emerges with positive changes reinforced.
We promote the following behaviors:
- daily/hourly emotional check-ins
- defining one’s best self and character strengths
- creating space to pause and respond
- perspective-taking to resolve conflict
We teach Mindfulness
Mindfulness Principles
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware and present in the moment, without judgment or overreaction.
We teach the following behaviors:
- present moment awareness
- values identification
- identifying committed actions to live one’s values
- acceptance
- defusion, or the idea of letting go
How JGS benefits diverse learners
The benefits for children attending The Jones-Gordon School are many! Our students thrive because we understand that learning happens differently for everyone. We are able to truly customize each child’s educational experience in order to accommodate those differences. JGS students learn not only college-prep core subjects, but also the social and key executive function skills that lead to higher self-esteem and success in school and beyond.
Unique to The Jones-Gordon School is the inclusion of a FLEX hour built into the schedule, daily. This session is designed to target and build on each student’s strengths while remediating any weaker areas, furthering growth in academic skills as well as perseverance.
Students at The Jones-Gordon School benefit from our small learning community, which is positive, supportive, results-oriented, and confidence-building!
Accreditation
The Jones-Gordon School is proud to have earned accreditation through Cognia, (formerly known as AdvancED).
In addition, JGS is an approved private day school through the Arizona Department of Education, registered with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and is a College Board® secondary institution member.
