On Your Mark Academy

Home

Teachers and Therapist Collaborate

Posted March 3, 2010

Veteran occupational therapist, Noelle Wilson, joined the Academy staff in discussing best practices for teaching students with varied types of sensory processing disorders during the Academy's March 1st professional enrichment day hosted at On Your MARK Academy. Ms. Wilson championed the idea that occupational therapists and teachers must work collaboratively to best address the sensory needs of students.

Anonymous gift expands learning

Posted January 24, 2009

Plans are in place to erect a fence around an outdoor learning space thanks to the generous donation of fence materials by an anonymous donor!

U of A Students Volunteer

Posted January 24, 2009

As part of their Service Saturday Campus Ministry community outreach, four U of A students (Adam Koehler, Julia Pritchett, Sarah Mullis and Anna Paige Frein) volunteered their time to make communication, reading and math materials for OYMA students.

Schering-Plough Corporation

Posted January 5, 2010

Four volunteers from the Schering-Plough Corporation made a big contribution in December by making a bulletin board and helping to prepare materials for our January lessons.

Join us at ELLA's

Posted September 17, 2009

Our Fall Fundraising dinner venue has just be announced! ELLA's Restaurant, a historic location in Northwest Arkansas located on the campus of the University of Arkansas, will host the dinner. Mark your calendars for a wonderful evening on Thursday, October 15th. Tickets are on sale now.

Volunteers help make the move

Posted August 13, 2009

August marked a huge step for the Academy as the school relocated to a larger space! Located in north-central Fayetteville next to Children's Therapy T.E.A.M. on Joyce Boulevard, the new building provides much- needed space to accommodate students' specialized equipment needs, bathroom accessibility, afternoon therapies, and the school's overall enrollment growth.

On Your Mark Academy Opens Its Doors

Posted August 13, 2008

The first of its kind in Northwest Arkansas, On Your Mark Academy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. The academy opened its doors to an inaugural class of just three students in Fall of 2008, and continues to grow. Founded by parents seeking the very best education for their children, the Academy strives to provide a caring school environment that nurtures each child's natural abilities and desire to learn. Working closely with physical, occupational and speech therapists, academy teachers strive to provide each child with a holistic education individualized to meet the child's unique needs.

Unparalleled learning for students with exceptional needs

The vision of OYMA is to create a motivating learning environment comprised of qualified nurturing educators using a therapeutic and academic approach, so that each child's strengths are recognized. OYMA strives to give each child the tools he or she needs to succeed. A low teacher to child ratio, individualized curriculum that meets or exceeds public school requirements for academic achievement, and ongoing assessment gives students the tools needed to progress in a continuum of learning.

OYMA offers an unprecedented education for children with special needs in the northwest Arkansas area. Many children have difficulty learning in a large classroom setting, have different learning styles and need to have more individualized curriculum to succeed. Children with special needs learn through touch, visual aids, repetition, motivation and high expectations. Often expectations are not set high enough for children with differing learning styles, particularly those who use alternative modes of communication (such as communication devices) who point to the "correct answer" instead of verbalizing it, or those who are verbalizing but unable to keep up with the pace of a regular classroom setting.