AIM in the News

As the Philadelphia area’s only reading research organization connected to a school for children with learning differences, we wanted to confirm what we’ve always believed: AIM Academy students were improving their reading through our Integrated Literacy Model of instruction. After close analysis, we were thrilled to know that the majority of our students are exceeding national fluency norms for average rate of improvement. Not just compared to their peers with learning differences, because there are no national fluency norms for children who learn differently, but for ALL children. 

Josh J. '22 knew that this week's four-day National Marbles Tournament in Wildwood, NJ was his last opportunity to be crowned Marble King. After five years of competition and seven years as a mibster (a marble player), next summer Josh, a rising AIM 9th grader, will be too old to compete in the invitational Ringer marbles tournament for youth ages 7-14. On the first day of summer, under overcast skies, Josh took to The Ring again for a best of 15 game match and shot his way to victory for an 8-1 and the royal crown. In addition to his royal marbles title, Josh and the female winner also received $2,000 in scholarship money and were inducted into the National Marbles Hall of Fame.

Faculty, students, families and friends gathered for AIM Academy’s seventh Upper School commencement exercises on Friday, June 1 as members of the Class of 2018, the largest senior class in the school’s 12-year history, received their diplomas.

Marcus Soutra, president of the national student mentoring organization Eye to Eye delivered the school’s commencement address sharing a mentoring moment with the audience that focused on embracing learning differences and why he dedicated himself to creating an organization designed to “unlock greatness in the 1 in 5 who learn differently.”

AIM Upper and Middle School students turned the training room into a workshop Tuesday, May 15 constructing simple solar lanterns out of recycled cans, plastic bottles and simple circuit boards. This AIM Center for Global Leadership service project was part of the school's recognition of the International Day of Light.

AIM junior Skylar C. '19 had not written any monologues before last fall's Drama class with Maryanne Yoshida. The opportunity to work directly with playwrights in class, thanks to a grant from Philadelphia Young Playwrights, helped Skylar craft several monologues that she entered in this year's high school monologue competition hosted by Philly Young Playwrights.

One of her pieces, her personal favorite and the one she spent the most time working on, was recently selected as a 1st place winner is being performed this week by a professional actor as part of the Mouthful Monologue Festival at the Drake Theater.

Erin DeVault, Director of our Speech and Language team is in Rockville, Md. today attending the ASHA Leadership Development Program Kickoff event. DeVault learned in February that she had been selected to participate in the 2018 Leadership Development Program at ASHA (the American Speech-Language Hearing Association).