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.
Changes for the new school year
Posted by Linda McDonough on May 11, 2012
As our year winds down, we are already looking ahead to the next one. One of the exciting things about being a small independent school is that we don’t have to do it the way everyone else does. We can find a different way. That is why our students are here in the first place. And we have some changes coming as well as some good things remaining. •We flirted with the idea of moving, but our board voted to remain in Murphey School for another year. The lack of closet space is outweighed by 15 foot ceilings, light-filled rooms, the merry-go-round, and the world’s best landlord. And there’s the way the light makes the wood floors glow as it shines down the hall early morning . . . •We love our older kids. But most of our parents knew their children needed this environment as early as kindergarten. It just doesn’t make sense to make them wait, and so this year we will offer a primary classroom, K-3, to a limited number of children. We will offer an enhanced sensory... Read the full post
Bal-a-vis-X Workshop
Posted by Linda McDonough on May 5, 2012
Early this year we noticed Katie, our speech and language magician, bouncing balls with children as part of their sessions with her. We were intrigued, especially when we saw how much better those children did in the classroom. So in January, five of us piled in a car and drove to Charlotteville, Virginia, to participate in a workshop and learn how to bounce balls with children too. It sounds so easy, but I’ve never worked so hard in my life. When we were through, we had one more tool in our toolbox. We have children who beg for time to do this, and our paraprofessional is kept more than busy working one-on-one with our students. Founder Bill Hubert started doing Bal-a-vis-X with children in his classroom because he noticed that many children with learning difficulties also had coordination problems. He hypothesized that improving coordination might make learning easier and found that to be true. Over the years he has refined the techniques and taught them to hundreds of people.... Read the full post
101 Club, Redux
Posted by Linda McDonough on March 23, 2012
Two years ago this week, Marion Houser, Jennifer Creadick, Laura Collins, and I were looking for a building to house a dream: a school where children who didn’t learn well in traditional school settings could be successful. After a month of searching, we found one. In order to pay our start-up costs, we proposed a fundraising venture called the 101 Club. We asked 101 people to give $101. They did and the dream became a reality. As I look at the list, I am moved by the people who gave: church members, former students, the sister of an elementary school classmate, in his memory. Parents of students I tutored, Facebook friends, parents of children whose kids needed this school in the past. Parents of JRA students and their relatives. It truly DID take a village to get this school off the ground, and it takes a village to keep it going. We started with nine students; presently we have nineteen and we’ll go to 25 next year. Our three classrooms looked like more than enough room;... Read the full post
Open House, March 24, 2012
Posted by Linda McDonough on March 11, 2012
If you have been wondering what we’re about, stop by and visit on Saturday, March 24, 2012, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. It’s a chance to meet teachers, parents and students and to hear what we can do for your child. Our address is 3717 Murphy School Road, Durham, NC 27705. Our phone number is 919.932.0360. Come have a preliminary visit and come back again during the week when we have kids. At present we have 19 students and hope to expand to 25 for the next academic year. We take kids from third grade through ninth and will add the tenth in 2012-2013. Presently we have students coming from Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Durham, Chapel Hill, Vance County, and Chatham County, so the car pool possibilities are endless. Here’s a sneak preview of some of the activities that go on during a school day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AxUSbne9iM&feature=player_embedded Read More →
accentuating the positive
Posted by Linda McDonough on February 19, 2012
A parent called me last month about the possibility of her son attending JRA. He was being counseled out of his current private school, and she was feeling quite nervous. Her concerns were all legitimate: he’d be devastated to leave his group of friends, and we were SO small compared to where he’d been. And that point system wouldn’t work with him; they’d tried point systems before and he hated them. But she was feeling desperate, so we decided to give it a try and we set up a visit. Brandon had a great visit. He made an immediate friend, and all the other kids liked him as well. He loved art class and kickball. He didn’t say a word about the point sheet and dutifully carried it from class to class. Our point sheet is set up in fifteen minute intervals, with points given in three areas: being kind, following directions, and participating in a positive way. There is a space for bonus points, which are given anytime we see someone doing something difficult, being... Read the full post
helping the future self
Posted by Linda McDonough on February 11, 2012
Recently we had an incident where Jeff felt insulted and, in retaliation, bonked another child with a cardboard box. The second child wasn’t hurt, but was highly indignant. I took Jeff inside and we sat down to fill out a behavior map, which we use to explore the ramifications of a child’s behavior in the hope that we can map out a new plan for the next time. Jeff is insightful and he was able to express both how he felt and how he imagined the other student’s feelings to be. When we came to the part where we forged a new plan, I suggested we come up with strategies to use when he felt insulted. He shook his head no. “I have plenty of strategies,” he explained. “It’s just my future self can’t remember to use them.” I put my pen on the table and studied him. “And why can’t your future self use these strategies?” I asked. “Well . . . sometimes he’s just too angry and other times he doesn’t care.” I... Read the full post
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
"The whole world opened to me when I learned to read." - Mary McLeod Bethune
