Academics

Student Center

Harborlight's Student Center is designed to teach one-on-one and small-group differentiated learning whenever appropriate. The Student Center provides support for students needing instructional interventions and enrichment opportunities for our accelerated learners.  

Using a variety of Montessori and non-Montessori approaches, Student Center faculty generate and implement effective learning plans and progress monitoring. When necessary, the Student Center will work together with families to understand student needs and identify additional community resources and/or make referrals for additional evaluation or therapy.

All Harborlight students, beginning in grade PK-4, are assessed periodically during the academic year (typically once each trimester). These assessments are conducted by the Learning Specialist. The assessment results inform strategies for classroom instruction or individual and small group support with the Learning Specialist . These services are included in the Harborlight tuition.

Intensive individual tutorials and strategies for student success are available as well. This fee will be determined based on the student's learning profile and access to the Student Center.


Student Center Academic Staff

Jamie Oakley
Montessori Teacher, Reading Specialist
joakley@harborlight.net

Jamie joined Harborlight in 2002 as a Children’s House Teacher. Jamie received her B.A. in Psychology from Endicott College, her American Montessori Society (AMS) Early Childhood Credential from the National Center for Montessori Education, and her Master of Education with a Montessori Concentration from Gordon College and then went on to obtain her Education Specialist Degree in Reading from Gordon College. In addition to 20 years of classroom experience, Jamie is fully trained in Orton Gillingham as well as Lively Letters and Wilson Reading System.

Summer Skills Program

Did you know that Harborlight offers a Summer Skills program for students entering Kindergarten through entering grade 9? 

READ MORE ABOUT SUMMER SKILLS HERE or REGISTER BELOW

Behavioral Health with Amanda Weintraub, LICSW

Amanda Weintraub is a Clinical Social Worker/Therapist who provides a range of professional services for students, faculty, and parents. She provides individual and small group student sessions, works collaboratively with faculty to support social and emotional development within the classroom; and support parents with a monthly parent/caregiver affinity group for families with children between 3 and 14 years old, and supports the referral process for outside services when needed. Amanda provides on-campus or Telehealth consultation.

Amanda Weintraub, LICSW
aweintraub@harborlight.net

Parent & Caregiver Affinity Groups

Our parent and caregiver group is led by Amanda Weintraub and meets in-person each month in the evening on campus. This is a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive forum to connect with other parents (including custodial grandparents, foster parents, etc.) about the unique and shared challenges facing today’s families and young children. Dinner is served and child care is provided.

Speech & Language Services with Peer Projects

Speech/Language Screenings (PK – grade 3) on campus provided by Peer Projects, LLC
 
In partnership with Peer Projects, Harborlight offers speech/language screenings twice per year (fall/spring). This information is valuable in that it supports each student’s learning by identifying strengths and any areas of weakness and supports the teacher’s ability to with each individual learner in the classroom.
 
A screening takes about 15 minutes and will seamlessly happen at a designated time during the student’s school day. Upon completion, parents receive the results along with any relevant recommendations or resources. If needed, a speech/language evaluation (more advanced than the initial screening) at the Peer Projects clinic will be conducted prior to initiating services to determine a student’s areas of need and targeted goals moving forward. There is a small fee for screenings.
 
Speech/Language Services (PK – grade 3) on campus provided by Peer Projects, LLC
 
Families can enroll their child for speech/language therapy each trimester. Each student will be seen during school time for 30-minute weekly sessions - either individually, in a small group, or in the classroom - based on their unique needs. Services will include communication and collaboration with the classroom teachers for optimal carryover and therapeutic progress. Communication with parents, guardians, and teachers by email, phone call or Zoom, is also available at any time upon request. Families are responsible for the fee for Speech and Language Therapy paid directly to Peer Projects.
 
Peer Projects, Therapy from the Heart
800 Cummings Center, Suite 160U, Beverly, MA
Occupational Therapy Screenings (PK – grade 3) on campus provided by Peer Projects, LLC
 
In partnership with Peer Projects, Harborlight offers occupational therapy screenings twice per year (fall/spring). This information is valuable in that it supports each student’s learning by identifying strengths and any areas of weakness and supports the teacher’s ability to with each individual learner in the classroom.
 
A screening takes about 15 minutes and will seamlessly happen at a designated time during the student’s school day. Upon completion, parents receive the results along with any relevant recommendations or resources. If needed, a full evaluation (more advanced than the initial screening) at the Peer Projects clinic will be conducted prior to initiating services to determine a student’s areas of need and targeted goals moving forward. There is a small fee for screenings.

What is Occupational Therapy?
Fine Motor Skills: How efficient are your child’s grasp patterns on tools, pre-writing or writing skills, scissor skills, and manipulative skills (i.e., how well the child manually handles items)?
Visual Motor Integration (VMI): VMI involves visual perceptual skills (the ability to correctly perceive a form in order to correctly replicate it) and motor control.
Motor Planning: Involves your child’s ability to problem solve and move over, under, and around the environment efficiently; it requires fine motor and gross motor skills along with the ability to automatically plan out, organize, and carry out a novel action while coordinating both
sides of the body together.
Upper Limb Coordination: Is your child able to coordinate arm and hand movements while visually tracking?
Postural Control: The ability to maintain efficient body alignment while upright in space; involves muscle strength, muscle tone, reflex integration, and joint stability which are required for mature equilibrium responses.
Sensory Processing: The ability to take in information from the environment and the body, automatically make decisions about what is important, and organize it into appropriate motor and social responses. Sensory Processing skills form a foundation for higher level skills such as
attention, arousal, social skills, and cognitive skills.
 
Occupational Therapy (PK – grade 3) on campus provided by Peer Projects, LLC
 
Families can enroll their child for occupational therapy on campus at Harborlight each trimester. Each student will be seen during school time for 30-minute weekly sessions. Communication with parents, guardians, and teachers by email, phone call or Zoom, is also available at any time upon request. Families are responsible for the fee for Occupational Therapy paid directly to Peer Projects.
 
Peer Projects, Therapy from the Heart
800 Cummings Center, Suite 160U, Beverly, MA

Assessment & Evaluation Services

Neuropsychological & Psychological Assessment Services (PK-8) by Coastal Psychological Center, LLC
Private-pay or Insurance
 
Harborlight works in partnership with Coastal Psychological Center for comprehensive evaluation services in the assessment of Cognition, Attention, Executive Functioning, Learning and Memory, Social Development, and Emotional Functioning. Coastal Psychological Center has specific expertise in the differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities and is often referred by parents who have questions about a child’s development related to intelligence, attention and concentration, learning and memory, anxiety and depression, other emotional and social behaviors.
 
Academic Evaluations (PK-8) by Coastal Psychological Center, LLC
Private-pay or Insurance
 
Harborlight works in partnership with Coastal Psychological Center for academic evaluations to further explore a student’s academic strengths and challenges in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing.
 
Coastal Psychological Center
36 Woburn Street, Reading, MA
Julia Morgan, Psy.D. & Kelly Knoch, Ph.D

About Harborlight

Harborlight Montessori is a non-profit, private, independent, school for students from Preschool through Grade 8.

Middle School, Elementary, Preschool, Afterschool, Summer Programs, Vacation Week Programs