Student Support

William Penn Charter School is dedicated to meeting the health and safety needs of our students, faculty and staff during the school day. We are committed to the ideals of health promotion and prevention in our administration of care in order to meet our school's overall educational goals.

Nurses are available to receive students if they feel ill, distribute a child's prescribed medication, and liaise with medical teams. Athletic trainers and the strength and conditioning staff are available for care of all students, not just student athletes.

A trained school counselor is available to students for emotional and mental health support and may, in consultation with families, refer a student to an appropriate mental health professional outside the school if needed.

The school director, the dean of students, a teacher, or a coach may refer students to the counselor. The counselor will also meet with students who are "walk-ins." In addition to individual sessions, the counselor may conduct transition groups throughout the academic year and other group sessions as needed.

Penn Charter provides students with the tools they need to succeed, including understanding themselves as learners. Those tools include access to, and support for, technology, libraries and research, as well as learning support. 

At Penn Charter, each divisional wellness team takes a multidisciplinary approach to supporting students' learning needs. Parents/caregivers are an important part of this process, and it is essential that they partner with Penn Charter to support the student.

To assist families in considering if and how Penn Charter can support students with learning differences, parents/caregivers must provide the School with a complete and current psychoeducational or neuropsychological report that identifies a diagnosis of a learning difference. After review, the Divisional Learning Specialist will collaborate with other members of the wellness team to assess whether and how the School can provide the accommodations recommended in the evaluation report.

If applicable, the Divisional Learning Specialist will develop a Penn Charter Education Plan (PCEP) to outline the accommodations recommended for the student. The PCEP will be provided to the student’s teachers and parents/caregivers. The PCEP can be updated when the student transitions to a new division or when updated data (e.g., re-evaluation report) is provided to the Divisional Learning Specialist. 

If the level of support a student needs to succeed in the academic program at Penn Charter is greater than the School’s available supports, the family may need to pursue external, private support for the student or consider enrolling the student at another school. The Divisional Learning Specialist will work with the family to explain the level and type of outside support that is necessary.

Penn Charter is not obligated to provide accommodations to students under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The PCEP is a plan, not a legal document. Penn Charter’s educational professionals will use professional judgment and discretion in determining how the modifications are utilized.