WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:10.719 When it comes to education, one size does not fit all. Many neurodiverse 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:15.200 students struggle in traditional settings because schools often cannot 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:19.359 accommodate their unique learning needs. Students with ADHD, dyslexia, and 00:00:17.680 --> 00:00:23.199 related learning challenges need a setting that removes the barriers to 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:26.320 their learning, boosts their confidence, and makes them feel both seen and 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:31.199 understood. "Neurodivergent thinkers and learners 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:36.399 think and learn differently. They come to us with a what we call a spiky 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:41.520 learning profile. This is areas of great strength and areas of deep deficit and 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:45.840 lagging skills. Neurotypical learners have a more flattened learning profile 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:50.079 and we know that neurodiverse learners need something different." 00:00:47.680 --> 00:00:54.160 Established in 1976, Sterne School is a co-ed independent day 00:00:52.480 --> 00:00:57.840 school serving 4th through 12th grade students throughout the San Francisco 00:00:55.680 --> 00:01:02.800 Bay Area. An inclusive culture where neurodiverse learners thrive. Sterne is 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:07.040 a transformative experience with small class sizes, enriching student life 00:01:04.720 --> 00:01:10.159 opportunities, and integrated supports to address each student's unique learning 00:01:08.720 --> 00:01:14.799 profile. "Personalizing learning means that we're 00:01:12.320 --> 00:01:19.600 giving students agency. They have choice and voice over how they learn and what 00:01:16.960 --> 00:01:22.960 they learn. This produces buy-in from our students and makes learning more 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:26.799 relevant. One of the advantages of coming to Sterne is that students receive 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:31.280 all the same opportunities that they would at any large school. We have a 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:35.600 fine and performing arts program, a competitive and intramural athletics 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:41.360 program, experiential learning, international travel, affinity groups, 00:01:38.240 --> 00:01:45.360 and many leadership opportunities." "Sterne is a really special place. If you 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:49.360 come and visit us and go on a tour or come through our admissions process, 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:54.159 you'll see that the student is at the center of everything that we do. We have 00:01:51.600 --> 00:01:59.040 a reading intervention program, Reading Education And Dyslexia Support. That 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:03.439 intervention is integrated into the classroom. It breaks down some of the 00:02:00.960 --> 00:02:07.799 barriers that students often have with receiving intervention around reading." 00:02:08.640 --> 00:02:13.920 Children diagnosed with learning differences are often misunderstood in 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:18.400 traditional classrooms, but they are bright, creative thinkers and innovative 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:21.920 problem solvers. And when provided the appropriate instruction and environment 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:26.560 that's nurturing, specialized, and supports their strengths, they can reach 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:31.120 their true potential. "When I look around this place and I see our 00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:35.920 state-of-the-art gym, this incredible film studio, the art studios, the 00:02:33.200 --> 00:02:40.080 science labs, the music rooms, these incredible facilities that we have here 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:46.400 in downtown San Francisco, I always remind myself that those were the gifts 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:51.360 of families before mine. And I want to make sure that as we celebrate our 50th 00:02:48.480 --> 00:02:55.840 anniversary that the next 50 years we continue to raise the bar. We make this 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:59.840 school visible and accessible to as many people as possible. I mean, honestly, my 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:04.879 board position is just my way of paying it forward. The parents here sometimes 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:10.080 joke with each other that people kind of stumble their way into this place 00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:13.440 because they have a backstory of their child and their families being 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:18.159 misunderstood simply because they're in the wrong place for learning. And it 00:03:16.239 --> 00:03:23.599 shouldn't be that way. Honestly, people should know that Sterne is here, know 00:03:20.720 --> 00:03:31.200 that our doors are open, and that there really isn't a better place to teach 00:03:26.480 --> 00:03:35.760 kids who are neurodiverse and who want to recognize their strengths." 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:41.040 "Student strengths are everything that we think about at Sterne. We really value 00:03:38.640 --> 00:03:45.599 building relationships with students and thinking about who they are, not who 00:03:42.799 --> 00:03:50.720 they aren't. We design our lessons, taking into consideration their 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:54.480 interests, what they value, who they are, so that they can connect to 00:03:53.200 --> 00:03:59.519 everything that's happening in the classroom." "Sterne is celebrating its 50th 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:04.720 anniversary this year. What we would like to see in the next 50 years is a 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:08.879 thriving school community and a resource for our community. One of our 00:04:06.799 --> 00:04:12.560 goals is to grow our endowment. We would like to grow that so that a Sterne 00:04:10.480 --> 00:04:16.959 education can be accessible for all types of learners and that more Sterne 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:21.199 schools can exist here in the Bay Area and across the country." "So, as someone 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:26.080 who's been working in this space for 20 plus years, right-fit special education 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:32.080 is something that you don't see very often. At Sterne, we see students 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:36.320 come to us with a mask. They often times have had negative experiences at school. 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:41.840 And when they come to us, the work that we do is to help take down that mask so 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:45.520 that they can re-engage with the school experience." 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:49.600 "The right school can unlock a student's learning and show them that they can be 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:53.280 successful both in their everyday classroom experience and in their adult 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:57.040 lives." Everyone has a unique learning profile. 00:04:55.520 --> 00:05:01.280 And when you start with strengths and provide an educational experience that 00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:05.520 feels personalized and meaningful, you will discover your own version of 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:10.720 greatness. Learn more today about Sterne School. Start strong. Start here. For 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:16.919 more information on admissions or to schedule a visit, go to sterneschool.org 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:16.919 or call 415-922-6081.