SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Academic Competitions
Challenging the minds of our students with the following events offered throughout the year.

Writing Program
Our writing classes are based on the “Teaching Writing: Structure & Style” (TWSS) by the Institute for Excellence in Writing. This program provides children the tools they need to become proficient writers. Clear structural models for both creative writing and formal essay writing allow students to organize their thoughts in a logical and coherent manner. In addition to teaching structure, TWSS also presents stylistic techniques, which help students to enhance and improve the quality of their writing. The students love adding these “dress-ups,” such as –ly adverbs and adjectival clauses, to their writing.
The writing program liberates students from having to juggle learning what to write at the same time they are learning how to write. The writing material already is provided, so the students are free to manipulate the information using the structural models and stylistic techniques. Oftentimes the students’ work surpasses the original source. Equipped with such accessible and concrete writing tools, the students quickly advance in their writing abilities.

St. William of York Catholic School Resource Program
The resource program at St. William of York Catholic School serves students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities in reading or math or who are having difficulty achieving academically in a typical classroom environment. Some students may also have attention difficulties.
The resource teacher works with the other faculty members to help each student achieve his or her unique potential. Within the resource program, students are grouped in small classes to better meet their learning needs and to provide for even greater individualized instruction. Students are taught using a balance of traditional, remedial, and compensatory strategies, using a variety of proven multisensory teaching methods, materials, and modifications. For example, reading classes feature phonics instruction using Wilson materials and Orton-Gillingham-based phonemic awareness activities. Even older learners benefit from learning the six types of syllables, both in their reading as well as in their written language exercises. In math classes, students learn concepts first by using math manipulatives, and then more symbolic representation is gradually introduced as students no longer need concrete objects. Instruction is very sequential and systematic, with review of previously-taught concepts taking place on a regular basis. Students in the resource program are taught how to learn and develop strategies that they can use to be more active and efficient learners. In addition, students receive ongoing instruction in study skills.