Palo Alto Preparatory
Palo Alto Preparatory is certified by the State of California to award a valid High School Diploma, also certified as a Non-Public school by the State of California to provide special education services.
Student Profile
Is your child passionate? Do they earnestly pursue interests and hobbies, yet shy away from the pressures of public school? We live in an area where school systems, and even peers, pressure one another to enroll in AP classes and follow the normative path of Silicon Valley’s over achievement in order to mold themselves into the expected shapes of success. While that path is sufficient for some, it leaves little room for those who don’t fit the typical profile to grow and flourish in their own way.
At Palo Alto Preparatory School, our community embraces all while celebrating each other’s differences. All our students have their own unique passions, skills, or hobbies, and can feel safe and excited pursuing them. Palo Alto Prep students understand that everyone has their own struggles and that it’s okay to move at your own pace and embrace your idiosyncrasies. Amidst our population we have makers, thinkers, artists, and musicians. We have students who learn and work in nontraditional ways. They ask hard questions, odd questions, and even uncomfortable questions — and they do so with a core of safety surrounding them while they discover and thrive.
Everybody at our school, student and staff member alike, is motivated to get to know each individual. We aim to understand, accept, and learn from each other. Many of our students, for one reason or another, have disengaged from the mainstream school system. Here, our students are embraced and given the space to exist, as they are, in order to build their self-efficacy and self-esteem. The community of Palo Alto Preparatory school provides each student with an environment of acceptance and security; when you give students a place where they can be safe, they can learn.
Academic Support
Individualized Case Management
Palo Alto Preparatory meets as a staff weekly to discuss students. In these meetings, the staff review the academic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal progress the student is making. Decisions and programs are developed and revised based on student need. These meetings are a cornerstone in providing a support to the student-body.
Office Hours for All Students
Additionally, the staff provide office-hours to all students from 3:15-4:00. All students are able to receive support from all teachers during this time. While this is an optional time period for students, many families elect to have their child utilize this resource. For a student who stays on a regular basis, a mentor teacher is assigned to case-manage the student. The teacher helps organize the student, gives regular tutoring for the student, and will assist in creating a game-plan to catch a student up on past material.
School Support: Academic & Personal
Group Meetings
Palo Alto Preparatory realizes students need emotional support as well as academic support to find success. The school has two optional support groups that meet twice a month. Each one is facilitated by a therapist and is gender specific. This allows students to openly discuss issues and find ways to support them. The school has found this to be a crucial component concerning the well-being of the student-body.
Friday School
Palo Alto Preparatory has created a study period from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm on Friday afternoons. It is mandatory for students who have below a C- in any class. The goal is to support student learning by giving students who need more support a dedicated time to try and improve their grade.
Contact: Lisa O’Hearn
keywords: high school