A small private school, tucked in an office park off Ancient Oaks Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, offers a style of education tailored to the individual needs of children.
(Courtesy of New LEAPS Academy)
The school, which calls itself New LEAPS Academy, is licensed for kindergarten through 12th grade. But so far, it has students ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade.
The school specializes in serving students with special needs. Its acronym, LEAPS, stands for:
• Listening to needs
• Educating to abilities
• Achieving goals
• Partnering with families
• Succeeding
As the school enters its second year of operation, it has an enrollment of 16 students. The hope is to increase that enrollment to 20 by the time classes begin on Aug. 18, said Deb Natale, the president and co-founder of the school, at 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel.
“There are no other schools that do what we do,” Natale said, noting what makes her school unique is that it serves children with a wide range of disabilities, instead of serving only children with a particular disability such as autism or hearing loss.
Natale said the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area needs this kind of school. And she knows this firsthand. She and her husband Tony, who is on the school’s board and is chairman of fundraising, have a granddaughter who has special needs.
Each student is evaluated individually to gain an understanding of his or her needs, said Jessie Wamsley, the lead teacher and school manager. Goals are set for each student, and educational plans are revised as a child progresses.
“We fit our curriculum to fit the students’ needs,” Wamsley said, versus trying to use a one-size-fits-all approach. “Our classroom is purposely small, so the kids do get that one-on-one attention.”
Children who attend the school have a variety of challenges, Wamsley said. Some do not speak, for example, and the school uses various strategies to help those children communicate, including using American Sign Language.
Some children have anxiety issues and others have learning disabilities, the women said.
Tuition is $8,700 and the school accepts McKay scholarships, which are available through the state for children with special needs. Special services, such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, also are available from specialists for additional fees.
The school’s aim is to prepare its students to lead independent lives, Natale said. Its goal is to help each child reach his or her potential, Wamsley said.
While the school serves children of diverse needs, it is not equipped to help every child, Wamsley said. Some children have severe medical or behavioral problems that are beyond the reach of the school’s capabilities.
Parents who are interested in learning more about New LEAPS Academy are invited to come in for a visit to see if the school can meet their child’s needs, Natale said.
To arrange a meeting time, call (813) 973-7938.
For more information about the school, visit NewLEAPS.org.
Published August 6, 2014
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