Information: sophiaacademy.org
For Jenni Ellis, head of the Sophia Academy, “growth” is measured in small, often single-digit, numbers. This Catholic kindergarten through high school institution prides itself on capping class enrollments at 10 students. So when its first high school graduation took place four months ago, having seven students receive diplomas wasn’t unusual.
“We will never have more than 10 in a class,” said Ellis. “Our class sizes are intentionally very small, and instruction is very individualized.”
That scaled-back structure is key to the academy’s success. Founded in 1999 with eight students, it has always focused on offering a Christian education in a small setting to children with a range of learning differences. About three years ago, it became a Catholic school sponsored by the Society of Mary, the same order that oversees Marist High School.
“With all the Catholic schools in Atlanta, there wasn’t one that served kids with challenges,” said Ellis, who worked at Marist for 11 years before taking over at Sophia. “And most of the Archdiocesan and other independent schools have larger classes.”
Today, Sophia enrolls just 51 and is growing, but at a carefully paced rate. “We do have students coming in at any point during the year, especially when parents realize things aren’t going well, and the children aren’t getting what they need,” said Ellis.
What they need most, Ellis added, is a structured environment that embraces all aspects of education, not just a particular subject.
“A lot of schools focus solely on language learning disabilities, but we work with a myriad of issues,” she said. “We focus on language, math and processing disabilities. We have students with ADHD who just need individual attention. And we have some very high-functioning autistic kids who do better socially in a smaller environment.”
The 20 faculty and staff members ensure that students receive level-appropriate instruction, even if they’re in a class with others at different points in their learning. Beth Brieske, the lead teacher for middle and high school students, accomplishes the goal by teaching one lesson plan then moving into individual attention.
“My classes range from two to nine students, and it’s possible one might be using a laptop, another a pen and paper – it just depends on their needs,” said Brieske. “It works because, as a teacher, I have a totally different relationship with each student in a class of five versus 35. We are very close to the children and their families.”
Fourth-grade teacher Shannon Koch agrees that the difference Sophia makes comes from that tiny class size. “We see a lot of students who have been in other schools with large classes, and they struggle. They fall behind because they don’t get the attention they need. Here, I can individualize lessons and work one-on-one if I need to. And because we’re so small, we get to know all the students, not just those in one class.”
Despite being a Catholic school, only about half of the students are Catholic, said Ellis. “The children who come here usually do have faith as an important part of their lives. But we’re not here just to serve Catholics; we serve kids.”
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