Vincent Smith School is a non-profit, coed, independent school for grades 1-12 that serves students from Nassau, Suffolk, and NYC since 1924. The school is most known for its small classes, supportive staff, and individualized programs for students with learning differences such as Dyslexia/Dyscalculia/Dysgraphia, as well as school anxiety, school reluctance, or ADHD. We emphasize academic, college-prep success through differentiated instruction and on-site services as needed for reading, speech, or OT in dedicated classrooms. VSS offers rolling admissions throughout the year at our scenic Port Washington campus.
Students who require our reading program receive instruction individually and/or in group by our Wilson-certified and literacy-certified reading teachers. Students receive reading instruction individually for a minimum of three, 40-minute periods per week. To assure continued growth and progress in reading, the students are given systematic and explicit instruction in all reading areas. Reading teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to practice new skills in the classroom. The reading program at Vincent Smith uses a multi-sensory approach, which provides help in the following areas: Phonological awareness/Phonics/Fluency/Decoding and encoding skills/ Vocabulary/Reading comprehension/Written expression.
Our unique Mathematics program provides an engaging and inclusive approach to learning math that lifts students up to the skills, understanding, and practices that will stay with them for a lifetime. Instruction is grounded in best practices for effective mathematics education and is rooted in well-respected pedagogy and methodology to form a rigorous but approachable curriculum. Students examine and solve problems in their own unique ways, while learning to use words and equations to effectively explain their answers.
Science instruction begins in the earliest grades, as students develop a love for experimentation and discovery. A multi-sensory approach allows them to learn through tactile and visual processes, alongside and in conjunction with standard instruction in grade-appropriate biology, physics, chemistry, and earth science.
Fresh air and play are as integral to learning as classroom instruction, especially for children with ADHD or sensory issues. Our 4-acre, rustic, tree-filled campus allows many opportunities for playtime as well as outdoor learning.
As students progress to the upper grades, they meet all the criteria for a NY State diploma: 4 credits in English/4 credits in Social Studies/4 credits in Mathematics/4 credits in Science/ 1 credit in Foreign Language/1 1/2 credits in Art/1/2 credit in Health/2 credits Physical Education/1 credit in an elective. More than 85% of our seniors go on to college and have been accepted to many fine schools, including: Adelphi U; Arizona State; Colorado State; Drexel U; Indiana U; Ithaca College; Kean U; Loyola U; Lynn U; U of Maryland; NYIT; Sacred Heart College; Seton Hall; Sienna College; SUNY Farmingdale.
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Meet the Director The Vincent Smith School Board of Trustees recently announced the appointment of Mr. John Baldi as the new Head of School. Mr. Baldi was formerly the Director of Finance at the Kew-Forest School, an independent school serving grades pre-Kindergarten-12 in Queens. He is currently pursuing and completing his Doctoral degree at St. John’s University in Instructional Leadership. His research and dissertation involves the effect of introducing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to middle school students. The Vincent Smith School is a private day school for students with learning disabilities in grades 1-12. |
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