A Day in the Life of a Talisman Student
Students at Talisman will find structure, rewarding activities, and social skills development opportunities built into each and every school day. Whether being introduced to new people and places on one of our school learning trips or studying new concepts here at our North Carolina campus, students are sure to develop valuable life skills each step of the way.
Monday through Friday students at Talisman Academy attend classes which include Math, Language Arts, Health and PE, Social Skills, and either science or Social Studies/History. Students participate in life skills training by working on time management throughout the day, completing chores such as cooking meals, cleaning up after meals and tidying up their living spaces. Evenings are a time to complete homework, relax, e-mail, and make weekly phone calls home.
Talisman Academy incorporates a level system into everyday life that helps students tie in behaviors, goals, and motivation throughout the entire day. Students earn points in school, and work towards completing goals throughout the day. As students move through the levels, they are able to earn privileges such as IPOD usage, more computer time, and special trips off-campus. Click here to view a sample of the "Journeyman" level sheet.
Each day, students are actively engaged in group meetings that let each student set goals and address issues with staff and peers. The group setting encourages students to discuss their concerns in a safe, constructive, and solution-focused way. The structure of "Group" provides guidance and lessons when addressing ideas that our students have a hard time communicating appropriately.
Weekends are used to generalize concepts taught during the week on campus and in wilderness, community, and service settings. A Saturday might include helping to plant trees at a park, ice skating, or picking apples at a nearby orchard. Sundays are typically devoted to relaxing and cleaning our campus and perhaps baking a pie or cooking dinner for the school. Each weekend students are able to buy necessary items at a store in practicing budgeting skills. They will do laundry and complete homework for the upcoming week.
At Talisman Academy, structure and consistent schedules help students know what to expect throughout the day. Each day begins with a morning group, where students are able to set goals and develop strategies for success. We end each day with evening group, where students receive feedback on their goals and address concerns from their day in a safe, structured environment. Students are also encouraged to get into groups throughout the day to address issues in the moment. Each transition throughout the students' day is typically preceded and concluded with a group meeting.
The following is a sample of what a typical day looks like at Talisman Academy:
6:30 |
Wake-up Call |
6:45 |
Dorm Chores and Personal Hygiene |
7:30 |
Morning Group |
7:45 |
Breakfast |
8:15 |
Announcements |
8:30 |
Math |
9:30 |
Social Studies |
10:30 |
Language Arts |
11:30 |
Lunch |
12:15 |
Elective |
1:15 |
Social Skills |
2:15 |
Science |
3:15 |
School Group, Personal time |
4:00 |
Afternoon Activity – PE, Clubs |
5:30 |
Dinner |
6:30 |
Email, phone calls, homework |
7:30 |
Showers, evening routine, downtime |
8:45 |
Evening Group |
9:30 |
Bed time |
10:00 |
Lights Out |