Your Questions Answered: Can I Switch to Special Services in the Middle of the Year?

I think my child could benefit from Seton’s Special Services curriculum. Can I switch to that curriculum in the middle of the year?

Switching to Special Services can be done at any point of the year, and it is typically very easy. Your first step should be contacting a Special Services counselor to discuss your concerns, what modifications are available for your student, and any other relevant information.

If you want to adopt one course only, we will process that directly and send you any needed special services materials. If you want to adapt more than one course, you may speak to the Seton Admissions Department, pay the fee, and then Special Services will process the course changes.

The Special Services Department provides curriculum for students with a wide range of disabilities, including dyslexia, pervasive developmental disorder, Down syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Attention Deficit Disorder. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at ssdept@setonhome.org. Our phone number is 540-622-5576.

Special Services Staff

We’re halfway through the school year. What should I do?

If your family follows the traditional Aug/Sept – May/June school year, the winter months should see your students entering their third quarter.

Now is a good time to step back and see where they are across the board. If you have a high schooler, will be transferring schools, or will need end-of-the-year records, this half-year check-in is especially important to avoid a stress-ridden, mad dash at the end of the year. Remember that all Seton-graded assignments must be done, uploaded (or sent in), and graded before a complete report card or transcript can be issued.

Upload all outstanding assignments, so your student’s MySeton page reflects their progress. See where they are and how many assignments they have left. If you’re in the 3rd quarter in all subjects, perfect!

But, more likely, you have students who have already finished some subjects, are still in 1st or 2nd quarter for others, and have others that they haven’t even started. Time for some recalibration!

Figure out when you want to finish and, working back from that date, set realistic goals. Decide if you’re okay with going into/through the summer with one or two subjects. Your students will have to double down on subjects they have yet to start or are seriously behind on, and they have probably neglected these subjects because they find them more difficult.

Plan for resistance and strategize to overcome it as best as possible. Find the time of day, the place, the parent or sibling, or whatever motivates them and use it. If something in the material is stumping your student and you, contact the counselors by phone, email, or chat.

It’s what we’re here for!

Theresa O’Connor, Academic Counselor

I have friends who are looking to change schools. Can they transfer during the school year?

Absolutely! We recognize that the need for a change in school can arise at any time during the academic year, so we offer flexible enrollment options. We’re pleased to provide year-round open enrollments, accommodating students who wish to enroll or transfer at any point during the school year.

If a student has completed the first half of the school year at their previous school, we typically recommend a half-year enrollment. While only two quarters would be graded for this enrollment, we reduce the enrollment cost by $100, and we provide all the materials for the entire year. This allows students to fill in any gaps and allow for a smooth transition to homeschooling.

For high school students transferring to Seton, we require records of any courses already started at their previous school. All new students from 2nd grade or higher will be emailed an assessment test when they enroll. This test ensures that students are well-placed in our program, allowing them to get the most out of the courses they enroll in.

Joseph Strickland, Admissions Counselor

My fifth-grade son won’t listen to me. He says I’m not a real teacher.

I just removed him from public school and enrolled him in Seton. He thinks the whole thing is a joke. What can I do?

He thinks you’re not a real teacher because you’re his mom. He’s seen you in your pajamas with your hair all fuzzy and your face marked with wrinkles from your pillow. What do you know? You’re just mom.

He doesn’t remember when you taught him how to eat. He doesn’t remember when you helped him take his first steps. He can’t recall when you showed him how to laugh or clap his hands or hug his teddy bear. He doesn’t remember any of that. But this doesn’t mean he doesn’t know, deep down, that you taught him all those things.

You will remind him, gently, over time, by being there. Be with him when he’s learning how to diagram sentences or add up numbers or memorize history facts. Stay beside him. The same way you stayed with him before, when you taught him how to talk, how to brush his teeth, make his bed, tie his shoes, pour his orange juice without spilling.

Look up from your coffee cup, your phone, your own inner doubts and smile at him and know that you’re both learning together. He’s learning to trust you again, to believe that you will teach him, real, important things. Things that matter. Things that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. And you are reminding yourself that you really are his teacher. Believe it. Soon, he will believe it too.

Heather Hibl, Academic Counselor