North Raleigh Times

Seventeen years ago, two friends and educators, Laura Wyatt and Judy Williams, sat down and brainstormed about how students could maximize their strengths and overcome their weaknesses to successfully navigate the school environment.  Laura, whose background was in elementary education, special education, and psychology, stressed the need for structured techniques and individualized instruction. Judy’s experience stemmed from the secondary and college level, and she had seen first hand what types of study habits and characteristics students needed to survive in college. They wrote a mission statement, organized a business plan, recruited their first students, and the Homework Management Program (HMP) and Triangle Learning Consultants (TLC) were born

Operating out of a small suite on Merton Drive with fifteen students and two additional staff members, the supervised study hall concept of HMP was launched. The very first night, they realized the space was too small, and the next week signed on for a larger suite across the hall where they remained for ten years.  During those ten years, TLC expanded to include individual tutoring, middle school afternoon homework management, two more nights of high school HMP, SAT tutoring, and study skills workshops. However, their philosophy remained the same as the first day they wrote it:

To give students independent study skills, test-taking strategies, organizational techniques, and confidence in their academic endeavors in order to prepare them for high school and college work.  Out goal is to give each student these skills so he or she can move out of the program and be an independent academic success.

Over the years TLC adapted to the changes in Wake County.  The expanding school population in Wake County gave way to a rise in the need for academic assistance.  In any given year, it is not uncommon for TLC to serve over a hundred students a week in individual tutoring sessions and in Homework Management.   As Wake County’s school age population expanded, so did the clientele at TLC, which now draws students from all parts of Wake County.  The greatest change has come in the acceptance of the need for tutoring.  In the early 90’s many parents were embarrassed that their children needed help with schoolwork or with their study habits.  The stigma has all but disappeared, and now parents take a more proactive approach in getting their students support, especially during the transition grades- 5^th and 9^th, 11^th and 12^th often before grades begin to fall.  Laura and Judy delight in that attitude since they believe their services should never be a ‘punishment’ but instead a smart initiative to give students needed support whether it be remediation or enrichment. (need parent quote here ) 

After ten years serving students’ after school educational needs, it was only natural that Judy and Laura begin their own school.  Acting on a suggestion from a parent and drawing on a combined fifty eight years of experience working with students of all ages, they began the daunting task of creating a school of their own.  They wanted to design a program for students who found learning a challenge and who would benefit from small group instruction.  They envisioned a place where students could be given every reasonable accommodation and work within an individualized approach that focused on mastery learning of concepts, not grades.  Their dream was realized in the fall of 1999 when they moved TLC and The Trilogy School to its new location on Merton Drive.  Begun with only sixteen students and four teachers, Trilogy, named for its emphasis on the three-part cooperation of parents, students, and teachers, has grown in seven years to seventy students and twenty five teachers.  Judy and Laura cite the most important reason for the success of Trilogy lies in the quality of the teaching staff.  Seventy percent of the faculty has master’s degrees in the field of education or in their subject specialties, and most teachers further their expertise through faculty development opportunities. Judy and Laura applaud their faculty’s dedication and commitment and value the contribution they bring to the curriculum and school environment.

Students in grades two through twelve have many options of instruction: full day with six classes, half day with three classes and the other half at their base school in Wake County, individual high school classes, and teacher-supervised on-line courses. Judy says, “For our half day students, our goal is to complement the instruction students  receive at the public school, not be in competition with them.  We share students’ goals and communicate with teachers at the base school regularly to ensure that together we are providing specialized instruction and accommodations that are in the best interest of the child.”  Full day students enjoy social time with their peers in after school activities, community service projects, and school-wide events such as bowling, family nights, and field trips.  This year Trilogy is adding a Chess Club and Art Lessons after school for students to enjoy.

Intense, individualized reading, writing, and math instruction is a cornerstone of Trilogy’s program.  The Trilogy philosophy is that students learn effectively by learning at their own levels.  The reading program is phoneme based and follows a specific sequence to learning sounds, syllables, words, and how they develop into sentences.  Daily oral drill develops students’ memory and reinforces concepts learned daily.  Students chart their progress, and teachers include timed components to increase fluency and automaticity.  Comprehension strategies are emphasized with students reading selections on their grade levels. Writing instruction includes both creative and expository  writing with a strong emphasis on the writing process and grammar.  Math at Trilogy is highly individualized; even within a class of four, the teacher will be teaching several different lessons to students depending on their placement in the book. Overall, the Trilogy program differentiates instruction according to the individual levels students present. The result is learning on a deep level and effective retention of information.

Experiential learning is also a part of Trilogy’s program. One of Trilogy’s goals is for students to learn by doing. To that end, students take advantage of area museums, libraries, businesses, and special programs such as the planetarium at UNC or  the solar house and the vet school at N.C. State.  Trilogy’s strong parents association (TAP) provides support for the program and makes many cultural events possible with their donations of money and time.

A unique aspect of Trilogy is the students’ desire to support their community in the largest sense.  They have organized or taken part in projects with Second Chance Pet Adoption, Wake Medical Pediatrics, Mayview Learning Center, the Red Cross, and for the past two years, have won the award for private schools in donations to the NC Food Bank. Under the leadership of the Student Council, students raised enough money for two UNICEF’s School–in-a-Boxes for the tsunami victims.  Most recently, the Trilogy student body filled over two hundred bags of toiletries for Operation: Starting Fresh to be sent by the Interfaith Food Shuttle to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. One Parent commented that “ Quote”

Stemming from a philosophy that “every child can learn, albeit in different ways” and believing in their motto that “knowledge is power,” Judy Williams and Laura Wyatt have doubled their vision in creating two organizations that strive to meet the needs of growing, learning children.  Their desire to provide students with their own tools for learning in both TLC and Trilogy will hopefully enable them to become life-long learners and productive citizens. 

However, their work is not done. Students will always have different educational needs, and parents will always want the best for their children.  From a breakfast seventeen years ago, these two educators, along with a team of teachers, tutors, committed parents, and eager students, have brought their double vision into one clear focus: all children have the ability to learn if only they are shown the way.

This article sponsored by Kitts Creek

 

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine small town America near the turn of the 20th century...a simpler time...neighbors knowing your name...band concerts on the village square...an evening stroll down a tree-lined street. This is the vision behind Kitts Creek. Our goal is also simple: to build the finest community in the Triangle, celebrating the essence of small-town America with all the conveniences of today.