90% of students score above average on standardized tests
community service & christian teachings
5:1
Teacher to Student Ratio
curriculum that meets state standards
Personalized Instruction
MISSION
The mission of Learning Cove Academy is to empower future leaders that will use their critical thinking and creativity skills to make a positive impact in their community and the world, by focusing on whole-child development and fostering love for all living things, people, God and The United States.
About Us
At Learning Cove Academy all students receive personalized instruction and individual attention that allows us to fill in learning gaps and continue challenging them in areas where they excel. Through differentiated teaching we are able to meet the needs of a variety of learners by presenting information in a variety of ways including visual, auditory and kinesthetic. We are always looking for ways to create experiential learning opportunities where students learn in a hands on way and then reflect on their experiences.
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We focus on whole child development which fosters all areas of a child's development and learning including academic, social, emotional and physical well-being. Most importantly, this approach fosters a love for learning that will help students be successful in school and in life. Making learning fun and engaging students in meaningful activities rather than being passive learners is an important part of our teaching philosophy. We understand that true learning takes place when students are curious, involved, making connections and excited about learning.
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Students are able make connections of the skills they are learning in school to the real world through place based, or community, learning. At least two times per month students take field-trips in their community to visit places or people where they can experience the concepts they are learning first hand. It also makes students excited and develop a positive attitude about learning.
Each student will receive
personalized instruction that is designed to meet their learning needs. Unlike traditional schools, students are only moved along when they master concepts and skills. As students learn new skills they continue to practice previously learned skills to ensure long term retention.
Personalized
Instruction
Curriculum
Our curriculums meet state standards and we always seek curriculum that students enjoy and is engaging. At Learning Cove Academy we use a combination of textbooks, teacher made lessons and videos. For various subjects students use interactive journals that allows them to be hands on with text, active learners and is available as a reference for studying.
Experiential
Learning
Experiential Learning is an integral part of our program. In experiential learning students learn by doing and reflecting on the experience. Each Friday students complete a STEM project or Science experiment. At least two times per month students participate in cooking activities.
Small Group
Instruction
Our core subjects which include Reading, Math and Writing are limited to 5 students per teacher. This allows us to closely monitor progress and provide assistance when needed. Our small groups are also beneficial to students that have trouble focusing by giving them more opportunities to participate and closer teacher proximity.
Christian Teachings
We focus on teaching the whole child which involves the spirit and Christian values and morals. Some of the curriculum we use incorporates Christian teachings and bible verses. Students also participate in a weekly etiquette class and complete citizenship projects throughout the year that teaches them to be caring and polite citizens that work to help others and improve their community.
TEAM
Ms. Pena, Stephanie
DIRECTOR / TEACHER
Stephanie Pena received a Masters degree in Special Education with Specialization in Autism from Florida International Univeristy. Prior to opening Learning Cove Academy, Ms. Pena worked for the public school system teaching neurotypical children and students with Autism on all levels of the spectrum. This included using general and modified curriculums for Elementary grade levels. After seven years, Ms. Pena resigned to focus on a tutoring company that helped students meet and exceed grade level standards. With her passion for Autism, she also continued to tutor non-verbal students with Autism in academics, as well as social and life skills. She realized there was a need for programs that could help children who were capable of attaining more skills than what they were displaying in their academic settings. Ms. Pena created a program that would make it possible to focus on the whole child as well as student's strengths and weaknesses by working in small groups and using constant informal assessments and progress monitoring to individualize lessons. She made sure the program was enjoyable for students because she understands the importance of student motivation in their academic success. Today, Ms. Pena happily enjoys teaching her students and seeing their self-esteem grow from realizing their own potential.
Mrs. Altman Diaz, Vanessa
TEACHER
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Vanessa Altman-Diaz is a Florida Certified teacher in Elementary Education for grades K through 6th. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from University of Phoenix in 2018. Prior to receiving her degree, Mrs. Altman also studied at the Kansas City Art Institute for three in years in Painting and Fibers. While attending art school, she took a position as an Art Assistant Teacher and found a new passion for teaching. She applied those skills and gained further teaching experience as a VPK teacher assistant and tutor for Elementary level students. Mrs. Altman started as a part-time tutor at Learning Cove Academy helping students of various abilities meet their academic goals. She is beloved by parents, students and teachers for her passion, creativity and patience and has become one of our full time lead teachers, providing accommodations for students with different needs. Her experience with children of various ages and abilities allows her to create a supportive and creative learning environment.
