The Spire School Receives Approval from the Connecticut State Department of Education!

Greenwich Education Group (GEG) is proud to announce that The Spire School has been approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) as a private special education program for students in grades 6 through 12. The receipt of approval from the CSDE signifies that the Spire School meets all of the standards that have been established to ensure that the education of students complies with all federal and state laws and regulations, including the full implementation of individualized education programs (IEPs), which have been developed to meet students’ individual needs.

“We are very proud of achieving CSDE approval for Spire,” states Tammy Moscrip, PhD, LCSW, Executive Director and Chief Administrator of Spire. “Coming shortly after receipt of our accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, it is further evidence of the quality of our programs, the thoroughness of our approach and the high performance standards achieved by our incredibly dedicated faculty and staff."

Spire provides a small and nurturing educational environment for students who may have struggled in other settings due to social or emotional difficulties, mild-tomoderate learning differences and/or school avoidance. Individualized programs are developed collaboratively with Spire students and their parents with the goals of identifying strengths and developing effective self-management and interpersonal skills.

Spire’s individualized, flexible programming allows each student to thrive; class sizes are small and range from a 1:1 to a 1:6 ratio. The school has certified content area and special education teachers who deliver a challenging curriculum to meet the needs of standard, honors and advanced-level students. Spire also provides opportunities for students to participate in activities such as yoga instruction, nutrition consultation, foreign language enrichment and art and music instruction.

“Integral to Spire’s unique approach is the dedicated team of life coaches who are certified school social workers, counselors and psychologists,” says Moscrip. “Life coaches meet individually with students and also provide group counseling opportunities that focus on student-identified issues such as interpersonal relations, emotional regulation, self-advocacy and confidence building.”

Life coaches also facilitate communication and collaboration among school, home and outside providers. Family engagement is viewed as an essential program component and parents are encouraged to participate on a variety of levels.