The Sierra School of Solano County will proudly open its doors on the first day of school August 27, 2007.  The School will enroll students from the surrounding school districts within the Solano County SELPA.

Sierra School of Solano County is dedicated to serving students who have not been successful in mainstream education as a result of learning and behavior challenges. We design our programs to focus on the specified learning strengths and needs of each student. We offer personalized academic interventions via the use of extensive tutorial instruction. Sierra School provides vocational related skills through the use of modern technology on site, and monitored work experiences off site.

Sierra School of Solano County uses positive behavior modification techniques as well as mental health techniques to increase academic abilities, develop social skills, and cultivate proper classroom behavior. Our primary goal is to expedite the transition of students back to the public school and into the community through the building of confidence and competence. Nothing is as reinforcing in a student’s life as success, and we strive to ensure that success is a part of each student’s daily experience.

Sierra School staff work hard to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for students who need an alternative setting to achieve their potential. Our students may have learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, behavioral deficits, and other areas of need such as low self esteem related to previous school failures.

At Sierra School, we get students to experience success in the classroom as quickly as possible. We start by helping the child master achievable skills and problems. Once the child achieves that success, we get him or her excited about learning. Gradually, we introduce more challenging material – never overwhelming. In this way, children feel successful in the classroom – some for the first time. That academic success translates into a healthier self-esteem, which in turn gives the student the confidence to aim for higher levels of achievement. The student learns to trust, and feels supported enough to risk taking on a new learning challenge. In our experience, this approach helps reverse the negative image that many children have of themselves as students when they first arrive.

In addition to its regular academic program, the Sierra School of Solano County offers a day treatment program to meet the needs of designated students.  The A+ (aka: day treatment) Program at Sierra School of Solano County provides eligible student s intensive therapeutic intervention in conjunction with rigorous academic instruction.  Students, enrolled in the A+ program via their IEP, benefit from a classroom staffed with a credentialed teacher, an educational teaching assistant, and a mental health assistant.  Daily individual and group counseling sessions led by licensed therapists further assist the students in modifying their coping mechanisms and acquiring critical social skills.  Through the A+ program, students learn to respond appropriately to internal and external conflicts and emotional crises.  The goal of the A+ Program is to assist students in their transition to a less restrictive setting while increasing their levels of competence and competence.  Sierra School’s A+ Program is managed by a California state-certified nonpublic agency.

Change

“Change” is the first project out of the Music and Multimedia class with Room 4. The song features Michael G., Domonique, Nick, Fontine, and Kye on percussion; and Fontine and Travis on vocals. The theme of the song and, ultimately, the video was inspired by Travis’ lyrics that he wrote for the chorus. Both Travis and Fontine’s lyrics deal with the struggle of making positive choices when surrounded by negative pressures, but also the tangible and intangible rewards that come with making those positive choices.* The video was conceptualized and produced by every single student in Room 4- everybody contributed something. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
-Mr. Tyson

* It must be noted that Travis and Fontine don’t just talk-the-talk, they also do walk-the-walk: they have, since the recording of the song, transitioned back into public school.* 

Change Video

Mid-year Graduation Ceremony

On 12/18/09 Sierra School of Solano County held a special graduation and certificate of completion ceremony for two of its’ favorite students.  Staff members, students, friends, and family celebrated the educational achievement of Seth Doherty and Elijah Robinson. 

Seth finished the required 230 credits and passed both high school exit exams to earn a full high school diploma.  Seth worked hard every summer to earn extra credits and actually graduated from high school a full semester early.  Seth plans to get a job right away and work towards attending art courses at Solano County Community College.  Elijah received a certificate of completion for completing all of his credits.  Elijah plans to take some time off and then obtain a job hopefully in construction.

The festivities ended with a catered Chinese lunch picked out by Seth and speeches from a very emotional and proud staff.  We wish both our students who completed high school continued success and a wonderful future. Congratulations to both of you.

Coming Soon: Basketball

Sierra School of Solano County is gearing up and preparing for another season of basketball in the Capital City League in Sacramento. Last year the Panthers took second place in the league with several wins. 

This year, Coach Frank is hoping to have an even better and more skilled squad.  The team focuses on social skills and team work, while working on basketball fundamentals. Students who make and participate in the squad will be able to attend games one time per week on Fridays.  Try outs for the Panthers Basketball team will be held during the week of January 11th, 2010. Coach expects a lot of interest in this team.

Hopefully our student athletes will have fun and learn new skills and meet new people and maybe even win a few games. Good luck to the 2010 Sierra School of Solano Panthers basketball team.

Producing Production

By Mr. Tyson

As many public schools are discontinuing music and multimedia programs, the students at Sierra of Solano are learning to play poly-rhythms, collaborate as song writers, record in a multi-track recording studio, and produce their own music video. In Music and Multimedia, a class lead by Mr. T and Mr. Tyson, students begin the course in a drum circle. The drum circle introduces the concepts of creative collaboration, improvisation, poly-rhythms, and musical experimentation. Guidance is given by the instructors when needed, but the music is allowed to happen organically, leaving the artistic choices up to the students. After the class has banged out the foundations for a song in the drum circle, the different instrument and vocal tracks are isolated and laid down on the multi-track recording equipment- just as it is done in the professional world of music. With the song recorded, the class makes a transition form music production to video production. Listening to our final product, as a class, we brainstorm narratives and images inspired by the music. The narrative gets storyboarded, the characters are cast, the costumes are conceptualized, and the props are constructed and/or gathered. From designing the sets, to acting in the scene, to being the camera operators, the students become their own cast and crew. The course ends with a premiere of the music video and a copy of the project pressed up on DVD and CD for the students to keep. The class, Music and Multimedia, is not just about music and creative technologies, it is also a study in collaboration and sacrifice- many ideas never made it off the proverbial whiteboard, but students learned to give and take constructive criticism and appreciate the ideas of others while contributing toward a shared, and eventually realized, goal.

Sierra School of Solano County, a nonpublic, special education school, utilizes a unique rotational instructional model, an effective positive behavior management system and multiple Mental health techniques to increase academic awareness, develop social skills, and cultivate classroom behavior in each of our students.  Sierra School services students with myriad disabling conditions such as specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, and other health impairments, i.e., ADHD, ADD.    Further, Sierra School offers students access to several ancillary services designed to meet their specific needs.  These services include, but are not limited to:  speech and language services, individual and group counseling, art therapy,  and Independent Living Skills (ILS) through our Workability 1 grant. Each of the programs listed, from our academic model to each of our related services, are designed and implemented with the ultimate goal of expediting our students’ transition back to their public school program.  Sierra School’s educational focus is two-fold:  1) we provide programs for students on certificate track which focus on functional skills, i.e., WorkAbility 1and 2) through our standard program, we offer core academic instruction for students on diploma track Sierra School students are placed in our program via the local school districts.  Students must possess a special education classification and have an active IEP prior to their placement at Sierra.  Students exit Sierra School through a variety of means, including, but not limited to:  a return to their public program, graduation or earning a Certificate of Completion, a move to a less (or more) restrictive environment, the family moves from the area, or the student changes districts. If it is determined that Sierra School can no longer adequately meet the needs of a particular student, an IEP is called and a more appropriate placement is discussed. It is Sierra School’s mission to “build Confidence and Competence” in each of its students and we take pride in giving all our pupils the opportunity to succeed.

At Sierra School of Solano County all of our students have access to transition instruction and activities.  Transition services and instruction focuses on bringing the ideas and concepts that students learn within the classroom into practical and hands on activities both on and off campus. 

Students take part in optional activities that include: shopping and purchasing instruction, sewing classes, cooking classes, banking and budgeting activities, and work experience and preparedness activities to improve their knowledge of the world outside of the school environment.  Students can use valuable hands on tools and activities to increase both social and academic skills.

At Sierra School of Solano County we have a full time Transition Coordinator who helps students learn valuable skills that will help them be more successful in their future. Descriptions of Sierra School’s individual transition activities are listed below.

Sewing classes: students take part in various levels of sewing instruction from beginner to advanced; students utilize and strengthen math and measurement skills to create a variety of projects from pillow cases to clothing objects.  Students follow patterns and learn various stitches while utilizing both hand and sewing machine related techniques.

Banking and budgeting activities: students take part in a campus wide simulated banking system; learning to write checks and deposit checks while maintaining a simulated checking account.  Students also take part in activities and simulations based upon future goals to plan out future expenses and create budgets.  Students learn to improve money and budgeting skills to prepare for adult life. 

Student Store and Purchasing Activities: Students focus on activities that improve both social and purchasing skills both on and off campus.  Students improve skills by learning to shop for desired and necessary items to improve independence and money skills.  On campus student store allows students to improve money skills and purchase necessary items.

Cooking Classes:  Students learn cooking skills, safety skills, and sanitation skills in highly supervised, hands on environment.  Students learn to operate various kitchen equipment and materials to create meals and various recipes.  Math skills and measurement skills are highly reinforced and developed to increase understanding.  Students learn nutritional information and learn to develop recipes and plan meals.

Work experience and preparedness:  Students learn to complete both simulated and real employment applications.  Students develop an individual and custom resume’ based upon future goals.  Students complete career interest surveys and exploratory activities to develop and focus on areas of interest.  Students take part in pre-vocational skilled training activities including simulated interviews and job acquisition.  Students receive support to locate and track information related to post secondary education and training opportunities.

Sierra Schools Regional Newsletter

Please check out our latest edition of California Connection our Regional Newsletter covering all the Sierra Schools.

School Accountability Report Cards

Sierra School is pleased to announce that our School Accountability Report Cards (SARC) are available for review.  Sierra School has made their SARC available to you in two different formats: 1) you may review the document via the link below or 2) you may request a paper copy by contacting your school office.

Sierra School of Solano County 2008-2009 SARC