TEMPLE TERRACE — Focus Day School opened its doors this fall to students from third through sixth grade, an expansion of the already existing Focus Academy, which has served students with intellectual disabilities from sixth grade to age 22 since 2012.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Feb. 22 at its new location at St. Catherine of Alexandria Episcopal Church at 502 Druid Hills Road. The new school, which was hosted by Focus Academy during the first half of the school year, moved to its permanent home at the beginning of January.
The partnership between the church and the school is a mutually beneficial arrangement, one that the church’s rector, the Rev. Dr. James H. Reho, said is aligned with scripture and the church’s mission.
He said the Episcopal faith is strongly rooted in the belief that people are stewards of this world, called by God from scripture to care for the Earth and its inhabitants. St. Catherine’s specifically focuses on the youth of Temple Terrace in its outreach.
“We’re a place that has a heart for children and youth,” he said. “Especially those who are marginalized or dealing with difficulty in the community.”
He sees Focus Day School as another entity in pursuit of the same goal. In that way, the church and the school are a perfect fit.
“They’re creating good in the community,” he said. “They’re creating opportunity and joy for young people, and we see that being very aligned with our strategic visioning goals and our own sense of lived spirituality in service to community.”
Focus Day School, like Focus Academy, provides students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and other intellectual, speech and language disabilities a modified exceptional student curriculum coupled with social and emotional support.
“It’s the same therapeutic approach in meeting students where they are academically and helping them to build their skills,” said Elisabeth Radka, head of schools. “We infuse drama therapy for the students at Focus Day School, just like our students at Focus Academy — those mental health supports, creative arts.”
The school has seven students and hopes to grow to 30 next academic year, when they will also add seventh and eighth graders. The ultimate goal is to expand over the next four to five years to a maximum capacity of 80 students.
The school will be holding open house events March 26 and April 22 at 7 p.m.
Radka, who helped open Focus Academy 13 years ago as one of its first two teachers, said the slow growth is “very deliberate.”
“We want to make sure that we can maintain high quality services to our students and families, and we don’t want anyone to get lost in the shuffle,” she said. Knowing each student and each family is important and what sets the school apart.
Both Radka and Reho said that the transition has been smooth and all parties work well together.
“Their leadership has been delightful to work with,” Reho said. “Their love and care for the students is really evident.”
Reho said staff and parishioners alike have “already enjoyed the vitality and life and laughter that has come to our campus during the week.”
“Seeing our space being loved and enjoyed and seeing the joy on the faces of these students and in this happy and safe environment that would be very different for that particular demographic of students if they were in a mainstream school environment,” he said.