Just Right Academy Inc. is a nonprofit private elementary and middle school learning center geared to children who need structure, consistency, positive reinforcement, more movement, reduced stress, both remediation and challenge along with a multi-sensory way of learning. More
The Academy is located in the historic Murphey School Shared Visions Retreat Center, located at 3717 Murphy School Road where it intersects with Old Hwy 10 just south of Hillsborough.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS.
Just Right Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other school-administered programs.
The Great Human Race
Posted by Linda McDonough on January 25, 2012
On March 24, 2012, Just Right Academy will field students, teachers, and parents in The Great Human Race in Durham. The GHR is sponsored by the Durham Volunteer Center and benefits many area nonprofits. It is a 5K run/walk and provides us, along with over 100 other agencies, the opportunity to raise money for our organization. Our board chair, Lois Batson, along with parent Tricia Budd, have stepped up to chair this endeavor. They attended a Durham Volunteer Center workshop, created our page, and have started recruiting walkers, runners, and donors. They set an ambitious goal of $25,000. Raising this money would ensure that we can continue to provide tuition assistance to our students. Our goal is that at least a third of our students are middle and low income; we achieved that this year and as we grow, we hope to keep that percentage the same. These students and all our students receive individual reading tutoring if needed, speech and language therapy, intensive social skills coaching,... Read the full post
Sharing the stage with pros
Posted by Linda McDonough on December 10, 2011
“And at the same time, you are of course a performer, but it’s very important that you understand that your role as a performer is to get the best performance from those wonderful colleagues that you have the chance to work with. “ Michael Tilson Thomas As we added people to JRA’s staff this school year, I worried that it would be a rocky transition. Last year’s smaller staff had to scramble, but we all knew our parts and had each others’ backs. And we really liked each other. New people, especially those who were not known to us, could make for uncomfortable moments if they weren’t just the right people. We’ve been together this year long enough that I can say with certainty that my fears were unfounded. Sometimes I step back and watch in amazement at the give and take, the support, and the sense of humor that this great staff exhibits. We play off each other’s strengths and support one another where we are weakest. And while the kids... Read the full post
Social skills deficits
Posted by Linda McDonough on October 28, 2011
Prospective parents are often surprised by how quickly we are willing to accept their children. We encourage the child and the parents to visit, and we want to make sure that we can keep the new child safe, along with all of our students. But we believe that most children will fit well into a school that offers structure, consistency, academic remediation and challenge, increased movement, and direct teaching of social skills. Occasionally we accept a child who has been labeled a bully by another school. While many children exhibit “bullying” behaviors, very few do it because they are inherently mean or even disturbed. The social world is a complex one, and kids make many wrong guesses about how to navigate that world. Research shows that children with social skills deficits recognize those deficits and want to improve them, and we’ve found that to be true. We all want friends and we do what we think will work to form healthy relationships. If we misread social cues and... Read the full post
Open House
Posted by Linda McDonough on October 10, 2011
Please join us for an Open House on Sunday, October 23, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm to tour the school, meet staff, and learn more about our program. Read More →
When words don’t work
Posted by Linda McDonough on September 15, 2011
Jordan’s reading tutor came to me at the end of last year with a bemused expression on her face. “Jordan would like to throw a pie at me when she reaches Wilson book 12,” she explained. “I’ve said no several times, but she just keeps asking.” We looked at each other, trying to comprehend where THAT came from. “What book is she in?” I asked. “Book 3,” she replied. We both breathed a sigh of relief. Surely she would forget over the summer. But no, over the summer the requests continued and even accelerated once school began. It was a real motivator to Jordan, the thought that just maybe her tutor would change her mind and let her throw a pie. The tutor explained that she was very uncomfortable with that, but Jordan kept on asking. She’s not an unkind child, so it was very puzzling why she would want to do something so hurtful. Luckily this year we added Katie Reily, speech and language pathologist, to those who... Read the full post
Gearing up for a great year!
Posted by Linda McDonough on August 27, 2011
We start back to school on Tuesday, September 6, with 17 students, and we are excited! There have been lots of happy changes over the summer. All our staff are returning and we have added Marga Pesce as a fourth teacher. Maggie has many great qualifications, but what really sold us was the way her eyes lit up when hearing about our students. Spontaneously, she volunteered how she would engage each child. She will teach English 9, language arts, and science. She and her four-year-old daughter are moving down from Vermont. Welcome Maggie! We also welcome Katie Reily, who will contract with us as a speech and language pathologist. Every child will receive services in articulation, language, and/or social thinking. Katie has completed the mentor program in Michele Garcia Winner‘s social thinking curriculum, one of only two people in the area with that training. This is one of many arrows in Katie’s quiver, and we are happy to benefit from all of her gifts. We’ve added the... Read the full post
Happy children
Posted by Linda McDonough on July 26, 2011
Happiness is a direction, not a place. ~Sydney J. Harris When I ask parents what they want for their child, happiness is usually on the list. Their child’s needs may be many or few, but every parent hopes their child will find happiness in spite of their needs. When parents say this, I listen carefully to find out what they really mean. Do they want their child to develop the skills to be happy in life, or are they asking that we not make them unhappy, even if it’s just occasionally? This is important, because while we can work with the first parent’s wish, we will not succeed with the second. I was reminded of this today when my co-teacher and I caused S., one of our camp kids, to cry. He had played a long time with a piece of equipment, and other children wanted to play with it too. We set the timer and then explained that it was time to let others have a turn. This did not go over well with him, and he clung tightly to the toy and wailed. Tarish and I didn’t... Read the full post
"Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each." - Plato
