ORCHID COMMUNITY SCHOOL
be you - be bold - be proud
Wondering what we're all about?
Mission
At OCS, the mission is to ensure each student develops the confidence to learn in their own way, pursue their own passions, and advocate for their own needs by guiding them in creating a caring educational community where everyone matters and everyone belongs.
Vision
A community-oriented learning group with the curriculum guided primarily by each student's own skills, interests, and needs. Opportunities are provided to try new activities and to learn according to their own style and rhythm. Emotional regulation is a priority and a prerequisite to any academic expectations. Accommodations are provided and adjusted on an individualized level. Learning happens both inside the classroom and out in the "real world" through field trips, internships, and community partnerships. Play, rest, and fun are not rewards, but priorities.
Our Parents Say:
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"This school has been truly life-changing for us! [Previous] teachers and staff failed to understand my kids' needs, accommodations were planned but never quite implemented, and eventually the act of even going to school put their nervous systems into fight or flight. We missed so much school due to anxiety that my kids were labeled as truant. [At OCS,] the kids are always eager to go to school now! They're being challenged and doing work that I feel is more meaningful and engaging, while also taking part in activities that nurture their creativity and curiosity. Best of all, they have a teacher they trust and feel safe with, who understands the limitations of their nervous systems. We couldn't be happier as an OCS family!
Parent of 10 and 11 year old students, currently enrolled
Mx. Leo Wilder
they/them
(mux)
is the founder, director, and teacher at OCS. Leo has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois at Springfield and ten years of experience in K-12 public and private special education, primarily working with students with Autism and ADHD diagnoses, among other neurotypes. They are openly non-binary and horrified by the current violence and mental health statistics with regard to LGBTQIA+ and disabled youth. Knowing that education can and should improve drastically in our country, Leo is setting out to work alongside their students in imagining and creating a better way to lead school, and ultimately a better way to lead our community, country, and world.
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