Overview

Pinnacle School students are given daily opportunities to develop needed skills, and to reinforce these through practice and application. Our faculty members have expertise in multiple subject areas, including specialized and clinically-proven language approaches (like Orton-Gillingham, Kurzweil and others) to help students develop the tools and strategies to learn to read, spell, comprehend text, and write. 

We work to build on the innate talents and interests of our students.  Students progress at the pace that is right for them. For example, they may join a more advanced math class when they are ready to do so. Challenging students in a variety of subject areas and providing a range of experiences allows them the opportunity to develop in all of Gardner’s eight intelligences. 

Pinnacle School first began serving families as the Bloomington dePaul School in 1981. This year, we are proud to celebrate our 26th year of teaching success. Many Pinnacle graduates go on to higher education and to pursue careers in science, technology, business, the arts, and more.

Memberships and Affiliations  (*indicates school membership)

International Dyslexia Association*; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; National Science Teachers Association; National Council of Teachers of Math; International Reading Association; National Art Education Association; National Council of Teachers of English; Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce*

The Core Values of Pinnacle School (adopted April 2006) are to…

• Build from the innate strengths and talents of these bright children
• Recognize that all people learn differently
• Use teaching approaches that help children with dyslexia to succeed
• Individualize learning
• Provide daily opportunities to learn through projects and problem-based learning
• Give students the tools of learning (technology, skills, attitude…)
• Provide appropriate and authentic means of assessment
• Promote self confidence, involvement and pride in school, respect, and an appreciation of diversity
• Support student achievement in academics, cultural activities, decision-making, social skills, lifetime fitness, and leadership
• Engage students in real-life learning experiences in the community
• Work with families to realize goals for student achievement and learning
• Support a caring and dedicated faculty with expertise in their respective specialties
• Celebrate the gifts of dyslexia and similar learning differences
• Recognize our heritage of helping students become successful learners

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Additional Programs

Pinnacle School offers several other enrichment and remediation programs.  Some are available only to students and families enrolled full-time at Pinnacle School; others are open to the community.

Orton-Gillingham, Language, and Writing Tutoring: Individual tutoring is available after school for students who need a more intensive program.  One-on-one tutoring is generally provided twice a week for one hour each time.  Times are arranged and classes take place at school.  There are limited openings available to students in the community who would benefit from the approach.  Orton-Gillingham is endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association.

Math Tutoring: Individual tutoring is also available after school for students who need more direct practice with math concepts, problem solving, applied math, and computation.  One-on-one tutoring is generally provided twice a week for one hour each time.  Times are arranged and classes take place at school.

Homework Help: Pinnacle School students may enroll in our after-school Homework Help program to help them focus, learn basic strategies for being successful in the academic setting, and encourage active learning.  Held from 3:10 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily at school in a small group setting, these sessions are staffed by educators and pre-service interns.

After-School Program: Launched last year, the After-School Program is designed to offer students the opportunity to explore topics of interest in greater depth while developing social skills in a structured setting.  The program runs from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 3:10 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday.  This year’s schedule will include science exploration, drama, art, sports, music, and more. 

Summer Camp: Visit our new Summer Camp page

Dyslexia Screenings: Pinnacle School offers a variety of services to help identify indicators of dyslexia and similar learning differences.  A one-hour screening looks at seven areas indicative of dyslexia and similar information processing differences.  This is primarily a diagnostic screening tool that our faculty uses as a criterion for offering admission and in planning appropriate instruction for each student.  It is not a psychological test nor meant to take the place of a more complete evaluation.  We also offer the CMAT (math assessment), CTOPP, GORT, GRST, and other assessments.  More comprehensive evaluations are available through referrals to private practitioners.  Contact the school (812-339-8141) for more information.

Dyslexia Resource Center: The new Dyslexia Resource Center opened in Fall 2006.  This project has been developed with outside financial support and the help of parent volunteers.  The Center will serve as a centralized source of information – through articles, books, web sites, conferences, and other resources – about dyslexia and related learning differences.  The Center will also sponsor events and promote the early screening and detection of dyslexia and related learning differences.  The Resource Center will have additional materials specifically for children to use, and for information on careers, career planning, and higher education organizations.  A special grant from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County helped purchase screening materials for younger children.

The Herald-Times recently wrote about our school. 

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Virtual Visit

Visitors are welcome to contact Pinnacle School to arrange a tour of our facilities.  On August 31, 2004, we were pleased to dedicate our new facility, the Dvorak Education Center.  With over 12,000 square feet, our buildings house all of our programs, including our full time school, tutoring and after-school programs, and the Dyslexia Resource Center. In addition to core classroom space, there are dedicated facilities for science, art, music, and technology.

Lobby	An Elementary Classroom
Library	Technology Center
An Intermediate Classroom	Music Center
Engineering	Science Planning Station

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