School Age

The School Age Program at Gateway serves students between the ages of 5 through 22 years old who have qualified for placement in a Public Separate School setting to meet their educational needs. Students may remain in the Public Separate School setting until they Graduate, which is determined by the student turning 22 on or before the start of the next school year. 

There are currently eight school age classrooms at Gateway: four elementary, two middle school, and two high school. These classrooms offer specialized instruction to students with a variety of cognitive, medical, physical and developmental disabilities.  

Students may be placed at a Public Separate School such as Gateway to participate in the educational environment that has been deemed most appropriate through the Individual Education Plan process. A student may be referred for placement by the county's Exceptional Children's department. Students at Gateway follow the North Carolina Extended Content Standards or Adapted Curriculum. 

In our School Age program, we strive to ensure that all students experience the excitement and joy of active participation in their school community. Our staff members provide opportunities for students to develop a wide variety of skills through thoughtful and creative daily interactions with adapted lessons and materials, sensory experiences and gross motor activities. Students also participate in Specials, including Music, Art, and Media. Throughout the year, students attend various Special Activities by visitors from the community, produce /perform in a school musical, and participate in on-campus events such as Prom and Special Olympics.  

Vocational Programs/Projects across the school environment provide students with a wide range of activities in which to explore various interests and engage with an assortment of materials and tools. Some examples of these include an on-campus coffee shop, a student-run thrift store, and service-learning projects for school-based fundraising. In addition to strengthening our school community, these activities facilitate individual student growth in the areas of communication, self-help, independence, social-emotional, and motor skills.   

Students are provided with individualized adaptations to address a wide variety of physical, sensory, and communication needs to maximize participation in all activities of the academic curriculum and related special activities and programs.  Skill development and adaptations are facilitated and supported by education staff (teachers, teacher assistants, support staff) and by additional support services as indicated on the IEP (Related Service Providers/therapists: Physical, Occupational, and Speech/Language and Teachers of the Visually- and Hearing-Impaired).  

In addition to addressing students’ academic needs, our staff members must remain alert, vigilant, and attentive in order to provide the consistent care required to meet each student’s specific health, personal, and safety needs. This care is an imperative element in the Public Separate School setting that enables students to safely participate in the school environment.