Wishing you a very happy beginning to 2025! Miriam School and Learning Center, although covered in glistening snow, is bustling with our students’ return to school and the promise of all of the good things that happen here throughout our winter months.
This month we are excited to officially launch our new strategic plan. I cannot express how freeing and fulfilling it is to work for an organization with a child-centric philosophy that melds so closely with its programming model.
In the upcoming months, as we lean into this work, I would like to use this forum to address topics and questions that have come up around the strategic plan. The open lines of communication, feedback, help, and support from our community are critical. The mission and vision of Miriam can only come to fruition by working in partnership. My door is always open. Please do not ever hesitate to send an email or make an appointment to meet with me or my colleagues.
One important question is, “Will the vision of an expanded Miriam to the “Midwest and beyond” change the school model of personal connection, small class sizes, integrated therapies, and collaborative partnership?” The answer is a resounding no, the pillars around the strategic plan are simply looking to ensure the ability to continue to use our model to help children not only in our school and through our outreach services now but for decades to come. We believe our 67 years of doing this good work should be shared with others. We are working to ensure that the “Magic of Miriam” which I define as our small classes, integrated therapies, collaborative team approach, and our strong sense of community, remains strong and affordable. Families, staff, board members, and alumni love what we do and how we do it.
Through this plan, we can strategically scale our personalized, special educational approach to utilize existing spaces to help more students and their families who need us without compromising the Miriam Way. Furthermore, with our core value commitment to excellence, we plan to explore and respond to the feedback we received from our current families. For example, some of the ideas that have surfaced were the desire for more after-school programming, enhanced executive functioning skill development, and opportunities for middle school students to access the pathways of rigor that already exist at our high school (i.e. Miriam High students can take Intro. to Engineering, take math classes for college credit, etc.)
Another great question is: “What does expansion look like?” For the 23-24 School Year, Miriam School and Learning Center served over 1600 children. Last year, we had 163 students enrolled in our K-12 school. Through our Learning Center, we provided various special education services (evaluations, summer camps, therapies, and specialized instruction) in 100 partner schools and through private pay to over 1500 children. Currently, we have a wait list of approximately 15 children, and we have possibilities in our facilities, such as at the Olivette Campus, to enroll more students. Through the lens of the strategic plan, we are looking at growing enrollment in the next three years to 190 students. This is just 27 students more than last year spread throughout our entire K-13 program. There have also been inquiries and great feedback around developing a post-graduate year of high school for students who did not have the benefits of our K-12 school or developmentally need more time to develop their skills before fully enrolling in college or fully entering the workforce. Furthermore, the Learning Center last year served 100 zip codes and within the next three years, they intend to grow their reach to 115 zip codes. Currently, they are expanding services in St. Charles County.
Expansion melds well with what Miriam has been doing since the founding of our Learning Center department in 2006. In our strategic plan, we have deliberately positioned the Strategic Planning Committee to ensure change management oversight and efficiency of our infrastructure to support any growth. We will have project management software in place, senior administration and board leadership oversight of each of our objectives, and committee membership to continue to make sure there is organization-wide voice and feedback to our plan’s progress.
Thank you for support.
Warmly,
Meg Bamford, Head of Miriam School and Learning Center
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, my daughter Lucy and I had the privilege of visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We were among hundreds of people from around the world who had gathered to pay our respects and reflect on the sacrifices made for freedom and peace. Standing in that sacred space on a day dedicated to Dr. King’s legacy, during the week of the presidential inauguration, provided a powerful day of reflection.
Your child needs a tutor. Maybe they are struggling to learn to read as a first-grader, or perhaps they need a little help to make it through geometry in high school. Where do you start?
Wishing you a very happy beginning to 2025! Miriam School, although covered in glistening snow, is bustling with our students’ return to school and the promise of all of the good things that happen here throughout our winter months.
Rob Miller was inspired to open his pottery studio to people of all abilities when his grandson, Connor, was born with cerebral palsy eight years ago.
A steady stream of power tools could be heard from the woodworking class, held in the science lab. The rhythm of the Electric Slide and other slide dance songs echoed from the gym, filling the air with energy and movement.
Miriam Learning Center is continually working to address needs in the community regarding students with learning differences. It’s no secret that we, as a society, are in the midst of a teacher shortage – and special education teachers are in even shorter supply. Enter Miriam’s Gen Ed to Special Ed teacher training program!
Wishing you a very blessed and joyful holiday season. Many wonderful events have happened in our organization over the last month as we continue to foster a sense of community and belonging. I had the pleasure of hosting two Community Coffees at both campuses to introduce our strategic plan.
Students at Miriam School and Learning Center learn differently, as classes provide individualized curriculum that often includes integrated speech and occupational therapy. At the high school, which is home to 40 students, teachers and staff place a major emphasis on preparing students for life after high school.
Four high school musicians have joined an after-school club led by Travis Lewis from Jazz St. Louis. They’ve formed a rhythm section – drums, bass, guitar and keyboard – with a jazz focus but also encompassing other music that is of interest to the students.
As the 2024 election approaches, I have been fascinated observing how differently our students are processing and engaging with the election compared to those at the traditional college preparatory school where I previously worked. Our faculty and staff have noted relatively little conversation among students about the election despite the prevalence of viewpoints on TikTok and other social media sites about the election and candidates.
Miriam Learning Center, an integral part of Miriam School and Learning Center, is excited to announce the expansion of its specialized services into St. Charles County. This expansion will provide critical tutoring and testing services for students with diverse learning needs.
At Miriam, magic isn’t just a word; it’s a way of life. Choosing our mascot, Miriam Magic, was a decision that was heartfelt and symbolic.
Many Miriam Lower/Middle School students will dribble their way to new skills this month – skills they can use both on and off the basketball court.
Miriam School and Learning Center is proud to announce that the Rotary Club of St. Louis has generously awarded a $20,000 scholarship to support students in need of financial assistance. This year’s recipient, Remi W., a ninth grader from St. Ann, is a talented young student with a dream of becoming an artist and a passion for learning.
The group is a great way for St. Louis professionals ages 21-39 to network with one another, help local children with learning differences, and receive support and advice from others who have been in the professional world for a longer time.