Ace-Information

We support students who are part of the program as the program description suggests. We are a general education program meaning we can support students who do not have an identified disability. We also can support students who do have a disability, as documented in a 504 plan or an IEP. We are an alternative program. That means we can be creative and flexible in how we meet the needs of our students and support them through their time in high school. We are committed to getting to know our students, and understanding what their needs and strengths are, something we are all committed to doing.

We know that predictably our students can struggle with engagement, executive functioning, communication and self-advocacy. We work hard to try to build those skills over time, and use our relationships with students (and their families) to support their growth. We want them to find success at LS and we want them to learn to not rely on ACE exclusively to meet all their needs, while also recognizing that some will need more practice and repetition than others. 

Some have great academic skills, but don’t believe it or are easily overwhelmed. Some are much less confident learners and have greater academic needs. Most feel overwhelmed by all the demands and expectations of LS, while also wanting very much to just be a “regular high school student.” Many, but not all, struggle with negotiating successful and sustained social connections with peers and adults. We are committed to partnering with staff outside of ACE to support your work with them and to support their growth. 

We want you to let us know if you are struggling to find success with a student in the program, or if you have questions or wonderings. We meet every Tuesday B3, and most Thursdays B3 so you can find us all, predictably, at those times. We are happy to have you come to a meeting, or we are happy to arrange another time to talk with you.You can email the entire ACE team at any time (ACE@lsrhs.net) or reach out to one of us individually.

Besides the things described on the website, we’ve got three smaller classes that students in ACE, and others, can access: Characters in Conflict, Contemporary Literature and US/History of Racism. We provide Learning Skills to students in ACE on IEPs, and Strategic Skills to those who are not on IEPs. We work closely with their house school counselors to make sure they have a yearly schedule that supports their needs, holds their attention, and helps them stay on track throughout their time at LS so they can graduate successfully.

We provide program accommodations, whether or not it is indicated on an IEP or 504 plan. That is one of those things we offer as an alternative program and to students with or without an identified disability. Students can take tests/assessments in the program, as long as it’s prearranged so we can plan, and we will proctor. ACE can be the separate setting they may need as well, whether for tests/assessments or because you think they might benefit from a different place to complete school work. We are also the place you can send a student if you determine they need a break, a check-in, social-emotional support, or administrator attention. Martha’s administrative assistant, Shannon, is usually at her desk and checking email if you want to send a quick communication so we know what to expect.

Martha Wall - the ACE program administrator - serves as the Associate Principal (AP) of the students assigned to ACE, while still collaborating with the APs as needed. Martha is also the Director of Counseling & Student Supports – the administrator liaison to the counseling department (clinical counselors & school counselors), and provides oversight to the Academic Support Center, Strategic Skills and our English Language Learner programming.

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Shannon Orifice - Martha’s full-time administrative assistant - manages ACE attendance and helps facilitate communication  between the ACE team and others - she also supports the other parts of Martha’s job, including but not limited to, PSATs coordination, Aspen 504 management, College Board/ACT accommodations management, and 9th-11th grade Awards organization & communication. She also usually knows where her ACE colleagues are, and can help locate support in a crisis or when there is a more serious concern.

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Chris Akoury - the ACE special educator/teacher - full-time in the program since last year - Chris supports students who receive specialized instruction through an IEP as their special education liaison and manages the Learning Skills classes - he also provides additional executive functioning, self-advocacy and communication support for all other ACE students - he teaches Strategic Skills for students in the ACE program. If there is a crisis or a more serious concern, he is likely one of your first go-to’s as a full-time staff person in the program. He’s also a golf coach and a softball coach, in case you were wondering.

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Stephanie Benash - the ACE clinical counselor - full-time in the program - she provides social-emotional support to all students in the ACE program - she supports students who have counseling as part of their service delivery in the IEP - she provides additional executive functioning, self-advocacy and communication support to all ACE students, and like Chris, if there is a crisis, student upset or more serious concern, she is another one of your first go-to’s as a full-time staff person in the program. Stephanie is a veteran clinician, so you are apt to see her around the building offering support in other places when needed, and depending on the year, supports a small number of East House students and their clinical needs.

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Dave Bloom - an ACE English (Characters in Conflict) and history (US History/Racism) teacher - half-time in the program and half-time upstairs teaching 2 additional English classes - he’s been at LS and a part of ACE for a long time so he always helps provide an important perspective about how to best support our students. He does a lot of other things at LS too, like many of us, including SADD, grade level Advisory leadership, and iDecide.

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Jen Garfield - an ACE English teacher (Contemporary Literature) and teaches an English class upstairs - She is also the co-advisor of The Fountain.

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Carol Schroeder - the ACE math tutor and she teaches math outside of the program to identified students who need some more basic skills practice and support - she is part-time but very accessible and responsive via email - and if you want to know how delicious homemade sourdough bread is…

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Shailyn Quinn - the ACE teaching assistant - full-time in the program - new to us this year but not new to the role - she will be working with the ACE teachers, and is assigned to ACE classes  - she will add to the daily oversight of our students and will support their academic, social-emotional and executive functioning needs in collaboration with her ACE colleagues

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