Five Questions With: Anna Johnson and David Tinagero

Anna Johnson is the head of school at The Wolf School in East Providence and David Tinagero is the head of school at St. Andrew’s School in Barrington. The schools will partner to create the Wolf Academy to provide additional learning opportunities for learners with disabilities.

Johnson and Tinagero spoke with Providence Business News about the partnership and what the goals are for the new academy.

PBN: What was the impetus in creating the Wolf Academy with St. Andrew’s School?

JOHNSON: Our students are complex learners, meaning they have high cognitive ability but really struggle in a traditional classroom due to multiple learning differences. Before coming to Wolf, our families have worked really hard to try and find the right educational fit for their child. Since our school only goes up to eighth grade, families have to begin the school search all over again to find a high school for their child, and this can be a really daunting process.

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Since our beginning, the Wolf School has always worked with our parents as partners when it came to [the] next school placement. And through the years, we recognized that complex learners really needed more options when it came to a secondary school – one that would appropriately reflect the needs of our students.

We were also confident that our innovative teaching model, the Immersion Model, would continue to benefit complex learners as they entered high school. So once the conversation began with St. Andrew’s, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to provide complex learners with a high school option that really matched up with their needs.

PBN: How has the Wolf School and St. Andrew’s School managed to keep its education programs going through the pandemic to date?

TINAGERO: Thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff and a strong partnership with our parents, we have been open in person with very little disruption since the fall of 2020.

During the 2020-21 academic year, we engaged in a hybrid learning model so that international students unable to travel to campus were still able to learn and be part of our community. That kind of teaching and learning, where you are teaching some students in person and others remotely at the same time – and with some students living many time zones away – was difficult for teachers and students. But we got through it together, and our teachers really went above and beyond to make sure that our remote students remained connected to St. Andrew’s and had a successful learning experience.

Throughout it all, we have kept community safety top of mind – utilizing the guidance of [R.I. Department of Health] and [R.I. Department of Education] around issues like masking, social distancing and food service – while also continuing to emphasize and support the human connections and relationships that really define our school. It has certainly been challenging, and school life has looked a lot different, but I am so proud of the resiliency of our community, especially our students.

PBN: What challenges do the Wolf School and St. Andrew’s still face due to the health crisis?

TINAGERO: Now that things are hopefully returning to something that feels and looks more akin to pre-COVID-19 school life, we are very aware of the emotional and mental challenges our community has faced over the last two years and the long-term impact that has on some of our students and families.

We have many members of our community – students and teachers alike – who have only known St. Andrew’s as a school under the restrictions and challenges of a worldwide pandemic. We will continue to provide robust socioemotional support to our students, but I think the things that will provide the most healing are the events and traditions that had to be altered or canceled that we hope to return to “as normal,” things like prom, our Middle School overnight trip, indoor athletics and, of course, our favorite tradition: commencement.

I remain cautiously optimistic that our biggest takeaway from the pandemic won’t be the trauma that it caused – though that is very real – but the community bonds we forged and the resilience and can-do spirit that St. Andrew’s embodied during one of its most challenging chapters.

JOHNSON: Like so many other schools, we are currently in the process of adjusting previously set protocols like moving to optional masking both indoors and outdoors once we return from spring break.

Adjusting these rules, while also setting guidance to ensure our staff and students continue to be safe and remain healthy definitely has some challenges.

PBN: What unique programs will the Wolf Academy offer starting next year?

JOHNSON: One of the most unique pieces of Wolf Academy is that while students enrolled in the Wolf Academy at St. Andrew’s School will benefit from the embedded services and supports offered by the Immersion Model, they will also be an integrated part of the St. Andrew’s community. This means that complex learners will have access to a larger school community, social opportunities through the co-curricular and extracurricular offerings, and a unique high school experience while also getting the classroom support they need to truly thrive.

PBN: How many students do you hope the Wolf Academy can attract when the school establishes a boarding option by 2026?

TINAGERO: At St. Andrew’s, everything we do is curriculum – from breakfast to classes to the residential experience. Our opportunity to impact the lives of students inside the Wolf Academy will grow exponentially once our residential program is implemented.

We anticipate roughly 10 residential students once we reach full capacity.  We think this is a small enough number to truly support and impact student learning while also providing the needed sense of community and belonging.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.