Our Mission

  • We are committed to an education program that meets the needs of a diverse student population. We believe that all students should have equal opportunity for maximum growth. The implementation of our enrichment program and services complements and supports this belief. The Amherst Central elementary schools make deliberate efforts to recognize and nurture the emerging strengths, talents, and interests of all children while providing opportunities to experience and experiment with a wide variety of materials and educational strategies. Programming options encourage and nurture intellectual development and unique interests while promoting critical and creative thinking.

Levels of Service

  • Dr. Donald Treffinger’s Levels of Service Model includes four levels delivered both inside and outside the regular classroom.

    Level 1:  Services Offered to All Students (Building-Wide)
    Provide opportunities for students’ strengths, talents, interests and potentials to emerge: instruction in such skills as creative and critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and other school-wide enrichment opportunities.  These may include assemblies, field trips, guest speakers and special performances. 

    Level 2:  Services Offered to Many Students
    Students voluntarily participate in group activities that involve fewer students than the entire class, such as: interest groups (i..e garden club), safety patrol officers, peer mediators, instrumental or vocal groups. 

    Level 3: Services Offered to Some Students
    Students participate in small group activities with occur outside the regular classroom to offer students advanced content instruction or opportunities to further investigate personal interests or talents (i.e. mini courses). 

    Level 4: Services Offered to Few Students
    An individualized student plan which involves differentiation of the curriculum.  This may include curriculum enrichment, acceleration, and extended individual studies.

Our Goals

    • Provide higher order thinking skills in alignment with the curriculum
    • Provide for greater differentiation of instruction
    • Challenge students in order to realize their fullest potential
    • Enhance critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem solving
    • Provide opportunities for self selected, in depth learning experiences

Our Specialists

  • Smallwood Drive
    Amanda Walter

    Windermere Boulevard
    Lindsey Mack

Participation

  • Students are identified for possible participation in Enrichment courses through a three phase, recursive process: Recommendation, Eligibility, Selection

    Recommendation: Students are recommended for enrichment services through a variety of ways:

    • Classroom Teachers
    • Enrichment Specialist
    • Counselor, Psychologist, Administrator
    • Parent (complete a Parent Perspective Form)

    Eligibility Criteria: Eligibility for enrichment services is based on multiple criteria.

    • Previous enrollment in a similar program with another school
    • Recommendation from Classroom Teacher, Enrichment Specialist, etc.
    • Classwork or grades that demonstrate the student is within the top 10% of the class
    • Shows a strong interest in an area of curiosity or intrigue that surpasses their peers
    • Maintains task commitment and determination
    • Informal observation by the Enrichment Specialist (talent spotting)

    Note: In the event where there may be a discrepancy around eligibility, or a need to further review a student’s criteria, an additional screening tool (SAGES 2) may be utilized.  

    Selection/Participation: Students who meet the criteria for an enrichment unit or course will be invited by the Enrichment Specialist to participate for the length of the unit.

    Evaluation: A progress report will be given in the areas of learning, creativity, work and study habits, production, and social-emotional development after each unit or course.  

    Note: As an ongoing effort to ensure student success, participation in enrichment services is viewed as a flexible and ongoing process. For this reason, an invitation to one unit may not necessarily mean the student will be included in future units. This process applies to all children as an effort to support the many different talents, strengths, and subject areas of interest among our student population.