The Depot Campus at E.O. Smith High School understands that each student learns and grows differently. We’ve designed our program to support students who have the ability to thrive but require a different kind of setting to do so.
Using the innovative Big Picture Learning model, we offer individualized instruction in a small-class setting. Depot Students’ learning experience is tailored to each student’s interests, talents and needs. Students learn to engage, communicate and collaborate. Under their teacher-mentor’s guidance, they can discover and pursue their passions and define their place in the world.
A. For Parents of Students Grades 9-12
| “Parents tell us that they see a big change in their kids since they came to the Depot Campus. They say their kids have become their kids again.” – Bill Green, Depot Campus director |
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then the Depot Campus at E.O. Smith High school may help your child.?
- Is a traditional school environment not working out for your child?
- Are they anxious about the prospect of attending high school?
- Are they struggling or overwhelmed in their high school classes?
- Do they act bored or uninterested in learning?
- Are their grades beginning to fail?
- Are they anxious about their relationships with other students?
- Do they find excuses to not attend school – or are they regularly skipping school?
- Is their lack of interest and participation jeopardizing their future life and career options?
| “My son jumped right into the Depot Campus program and was well-supported by his teachers. It really opened him to want to learn. At Depot Campus, it’s all about what works for each individual child.” – Mom of Depot Campus graduate |
In addition to mastering the six competencies – Communication, Information, Media, and Technology, Career Skills, Life Skills, Critical Thinking, and Creativity and Innovation, Depot Campus students:
- Complete a successful internship every year with a mentor at a business or organization in the region.
- Prepare for college, vocational training or other types of post-graduate programs to develop a career.
- Have the ability to participate in after-school or intramural programs with other E.O. Smith High School students at E.O. Smith High School.
- Graduate with an E.O. Smith High School diploma.
Parents of the Depot Campus are valued members of the school community. Parents play a proactive role in helping to assess their child’s needs and in their children’s learning journey. With support from their personal teacher and their parents, each student develops a plan for their future success, be it through college, trade school, travel, military or the workforce.
I entered the Depot Campus my sophomore year not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Nothing in my regular high school courses felt meaningful and I had begun to give up. The internships I had during my three years at Depot included a youth outreach program at the Access Community Action agency in Windham. These experiences helped me realize I wanted to be a social worker or family therapist.
The Depot School’s teachers and my mentor at Access have been behind me every step of the way. They gave me the power to drive my own learning while still meeting Connecticut’s educational requirements for a high school diploma. I was nervous about the discipline and focus that college would require, so they gave me relevant assignments to help me prepare. They helped me put together my college application. They allowed me to interview social workers so I’d understand what this career would offer.
As a result, I entered the social work program at Eastern Connecticut State University much better prepared than most. Now I’m a graduate student at Central Connecticut State University. I look forward to a career as an outpatient clinician, ideally for a school that helps other young people find their own passion and purpose!
Depot School is a supportive environment. The teachers are there to support and encourage your passion…
Amber Barr, Depot Campus Class of 2014 |