We made today’s episode for an event called Podcasthon! For one week, more than a thousand podcasts will highlight charitable organizations like Noble Academy, which is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. That means that today’s episode focuses on what Noble Academy is all about, and we hope that it demonstrates why every donation to our school helps us meet our vital mission.
https://podcasthon.org/
Gayle Kolodny Cole:
Today’s episode is something brand new. We are making it to participate in the 3rd edition of something called Podcasthon! For one week, more than a thousand podcasts will highlight a charity, and since our wonderful school, Noble Academy is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, I get to use our own podcast, The Blue and Gold Chat, to tell the world about it. And the world should know. And you know what? Part of the world already knows. Noble Academy is so uniquely supportive of students who learn differently that parents have moved from as far away as Australia so their child could attend. I am going to share some stories so relatable, that you’ll probably think of someone you want to send the episode link. And I am going to explain why every donation to our school helps us meet our mission. This is good stuff.
For those of you new around here, At Noble Academy, we empower students with learning differences in grades 2 through 12 to reach their full potential within a comprehensive, supportive educational environment. So, let's. Get. started.
Gayle: OK, so I have worked in education for 30 years, so sometimes I give a pre-assessment to see if we are all on the same page. I hope you are ready. True or false? Number one: 1 in 5 children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues? Before I give you the answer sheet here are a couple more for you to consider. Number two: True or false? Many of the 67 million students in the United States who have learning differences learn best in small class sizes, but the average American class size is 19 kids, and in high schools that number goes way up. In a real classroom I would give you more wait time to consider your answers, but since this is a podcast, let’s move on to our third and final question.
Number three. True or false?
The good news is that families all across the nation can find specialized programs with small class sizes to help students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD find their strengths, build their confidence, and leverage all their natural gifts so that they can graduate prepared for whatever future they choose.
Now, I hate to break it to you, but that third one is false. While our country is full of a huge array of learners, many of whom will thrive under the guidance of highly qualified and nurturing teachers in smaller classes, there actually are only two to three hundred schools that specialize in teaching those kids. And if you do the math, that is not enough. There are many great programs that belong to the Association of Learning Disabilities Schools, ALDS, and Noble is proud to be a founding member.
COLBY:
I wouldn't trade going to Noble for anything. You know? It was the best decision my family made for me.
GAYLE:
Right now we are hearing from Colby, Noble Academy class of 2015
Colby: "It brought me out of my comfort zone. It brought me to be able to speak in public... I just had the utmost confidence in the world in myself"
GAYLE: Colby has a job he enjoys, and he is also a podcaster. Next, you will hear from a mom, but not Colby’s mom.
MICHELLE: "I think one of the moments that stands out for me is when he was inducted into the National Honor Society. Knowing that he had ADHD and he had some learning differences and challenges, I don't know that I ever expected that that was a possibility"
Michelle is a past parent and past trustee of a Noble grad who happily and successfully works as a plumber.
DECLAN: "Everything seems very intentional at Noble is the way I put it. …you know, from the agenda, to the scheduling,... The, you know, the small class sizes… the extra help time…The advisory time sort of, you know, so starting the day or finishing the day with the advisory time, the electives and the clubs, you know, the focus on executive functioning"
That was Declan, whose family actually relocated so his daughter could get the support she needed. And this is Declan’s wife, Joy:
JOY:
A former family that had attended Noble was friends with a family that we had in Lynchburg, Virginia, so we kind of connected that way. I got in contact with this mom and she just sang Noble's praises. So we scheduled a visit after getting on the website and thinking, oh, yeah, this looks like it could be good. And we scheduled a visit and it really when we walked through the doors, I know it sounds silly, but it felt right. I know you can't judge a book by its cover or the bricks and mortar, but it felt like a very traditional typical school where it did have the small class sizes that we knew she needed, but this incredible faculty and staff that knew how to work with these children with learning differences. It just felt right.
Declan:
So we're basically a sort of a split family during the week.So, you know, Sunday evenings, normally, Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening through to Friday afternoon, Friday evening. And one of us will be down here, with our daughter, you know, bringing her to Noble and living down here. And one of us will be up in Lynchburg with our son. It's, as Joy mentioned, you know, I am self employed, and I travel for work fairly often. And so we do sort of have a kind of a unique situation.
When I'm home, I'm home 24/7. And when I'm away, I'm away 24/7. Our son is old enough. He's driving now. That was a huge game-changer.
We couldn't have made this work without him driving. So if I'm traveling, then he'll stay with an uncle and aunt. Fortunately, he can take himself to school. But one of us will be with him most weeks. One of us will be with our daughter.
And, then we get together either in Greensboro or up in Lynchburg at the weekend, like, on Friday.
It's a huge upheaval for sure, and, certainly, we've had… it's funny the way people, you know, maybe inadvertently sort of wording things maybe a little bit clumsily or so on. But we've been kinda surprised in a way, people saying things along the lines of, oh, I'm so sorry. You've had to, like, divide your family or split your family up, you know, in order, you know, for her education.
But we don't really think of it that way at all. I mean, that's what families do if they can. And we're, you know, we're fortunate that … we feel very fortunate that we found Noble only two hours away from where we lived. You know, we know there are families that have, you know, uprooted themselves completely much further.
Joy:
And it really makes it all worth it seeing our daughter come out of school with her head up, a gaggle of gals around her laughing, and it's worth it.
It even, you know, doing the drive a couple hours, each way, it's worth it.
On the Blue and Gold Chat podcast, we have been hearing all season from alums, and past and current parents. They have talked about the way the faculty helps students develop skills in executive functioning and in self-advocacy – skills which are crucial for success in college, career, and community.
Eric Gal, class of 2005, is now a teacher at Noble, because he wanted to give back to the community that had such a profound impact on his life. He was inspired to teach by watching a peer gain confidence and self-advocacy skills through theater at Noble.
Angela, whose son is in middle school, said, "I feel like he is safe here physically and emotionally. And he's learning to use his voice".
Gayle: Noble Academy is also recognized for its Wilson Reading Program. Adelle shared how the Wilson program helped her son learn to read, after struggling with reading, phonics, and other areas.
Adelle:
"And, um, the first couple of times I could hear him read aloud from a book. You just end up in tears”.
Gayle: Beyond academics, Noble offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, theater, and clubs.
Ryan Taube noted, “The fact that Noble had extracurricular activities really helped me...without those experiences it wouldn’t have been as well rounded”. Colby Pleasants said that being in the play Macbeth helped him develop confidence and overcome stage fright.
Gayle:
In one episode, we explored the different pathways that Noble graduates have taken, including college, career, the military, and apprenticeships. Greg Bristol said that Noble gave him the confidence to go to college and pursue a career in finance. Ryan Taube went on to study special education and now works in career services at Elon University. Becca Bleley found her passion through a senior internship at a nursing home. Michelle Malloy’s son is working as a plumber, and is very happy and confident in that career path.
Gayle: As you can hear, Noble Academy empowers students with learning differences to build great futures. The school provides a supportive environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. This is not possible without the support of our community, and that's why we're asking for your help during this Podcasthon. Your donation to Noble Academy directly helps us meet our mission of empowering students with learning differences.
And that wraps up this special episode, as part of Podcasthon. If you enjoyed it, feel free to visit www.podcasthon.org to discover hundreds of other nonprofit organizations.