The Nellie P. Covert School is a private educational facility that provides positive academic learning experiences as well as behavioral and social skill growth for students in K-12 with specialized behavioral health needs. The mission of Covert is to provide a safe and consistent environment through an integrated approach that fosters healthy growth in our children. 

The Nellie P. Covert School is accredited through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Arizona Department of Education. 

Scroll down or click on these links to view the following:

• Covert School Goals
• Philosophy Statement
• Academic Expectations
• Educational Opportunities
• School Calendar Year

Click here to view the After-School

and Therapeutic Day program brochure

_________________________

For more information about Covert School, contact:

2700 S. 8th Avenue
Tucson, AZ  85713

Phone: 520.622.7611  /    Fax: 520.624.7042

Office Hours: 8 AM-4 PM (Monday through Friday)

Principal: Judith Mitchell - ext.1307 / jmitchell@arizonaschildren.org

Program Admin. Assistant: Tracy Thompson- ext. 1304

__________________________

Arizona taxpayers may contribute to the Arizona Scholarship Fund (www.azscholarships.org) and designate their gift to the Nellie P. Covert School to provide scholarships to children who need the school’s unique special education program. 

Goals of Covert School:

1. A school that has become a vibrant learning organization

• Has students actively participating in learning; provides for a wide range of interests; commits to growth and development of students and staff alike.

2. A school that gives people the freedom to take risks, questions long-

    standing principles and practices, and tries new things

• Encourages and challenges one another; provides feedback and honest evaluation; and allows mistakes and failures to be learning experiences.

3. A school in which all people are helping kids to become something more

    than they ever hoped to be

• Provides opportunities to be creative; provides successes and permission to experience failure; builds resiliency; (requires all adults to be positive and prepared each day).

4. A school that makes decisions in the best interest of its students

• Thinks in terms of outcomes; plans into the future; dedicated to the quality of education.

Covert School Philosophy Statement:

The Arizona’s Children’s Association education program has developed from the belief that active participation in a positive learning environment will enable a child to begin to recover from the emotional disturbance that has disrupted the normal developmental process. Active participation, visual, auditory, kinesthetic learning, all will allow the child to begin to learn the academic, social, and behavioral skills necessary for successful re-entry into public school and the community.

The program is designed to provide positive life experiences and successful learning experiences through diagnostic teaching and positive reinforcement. As the bank of successful academic, social, and personal experiences grows, a positive self-image will develop enabling the child to trust adults, peers, and self. The child will then be better able to experiment with the environment so that learning continues and new information is integrated into a useable framework.

Involvement in the learning process is the child’s main task and helping the child understand the importance of expanding the effort, performing as well as possible, and taking pride in results is the educator’s responsibility. It is also the educator’s responsibility to present new information in understandable units to build these units into concepts, which the child can integrate into a personal, usable bank of knowledge.

Academic Expectations:

Arizona has defined what its children need to know and be able to do in ten content areas: mathematics, reading, writing, science, social studies, fine arts, comprehensive health, technology, foreign language, and workplace skills.  We at Covert will implement these standards daily through individualized and differentiated instruction to meet the academic needs of the students.  We will implement best practices and effective teaching strategies to help students meet and exceed academic standards.  We utilize six traits writing, SEI, career and technical education, life skills curriculum, AIMS preparation strategies, academic pacing calendars, professional development and any means necessary to ensure all students are afforded access to standards based curriculum. 

Educational Opportunities:

Along with core academic areas, we also offer:

Social Skills Curriculum: Teachers and staff will focus on social skills training, learning, and role-playing in the subject areas of peer interactions and conflict resolution strategies for alternative behaviors.  We will be implementing the Boys Town Curriculum.

Technology Curriculum: Students and faculty will incorporate technology within the classroom with use of Smart Boards.  They will also utilize the computer lab for instruction in photo shop, Microsoft office, instructional programs A+ Learning System, Reading Companion and various other programs which foster continued understanding and implementation of technology.

Vocational Education Program: Covert in partnership with JTED (Joint Technological Education District) will work towards implementing a vocational program which will include but not limited to culinary arts and computer technology.  We are excited to offer this new component as we continue to try and reach the needs of all our students.

Covert School Calendar Year:
Click here for the 2009/2010 school calendar