Every day, students at St. Coletta Day School of Milwaukee learn something new. Academically—learning new vocabulary words or counting money. Socially—interacting with their peers in the classroom, lunchroom or on the playground.

Personally—developing greater self-respect. Students discover their unique abilities by being challenged to achieve their best in a safe environment of respect.

St. Coletta Day School of Milwaukee is a nonsectarian, tuition-based, educational program for cognitively disabled children.

The instructors have extensive experience. Bill Koehn, the program’s administrator and primary instructor, joined the program in 1991 and brings more than 25 years of experience teaching students with special needs.

St. Coletta Day School is an educational program best suited for cognitively disabled students age 8 to 16, capable of academic achievement, who possess sufficient self-care skills to be independent. During the enrollment process, the potential student and his or her parents/guardians meet with the administrator. The student is evaluated using informal measures.

Maximum enrollment is limited to 12 students, and students learn at their own pace. This allows for greater attention to the specific needs of each student and enables them to learn at their own pace. Opportunities for mainstreaming are assessed on an individual basis.

Through art, children with special needs are truly able to express themselves. Students at St. Coletta Day School participate in an extensive art program. Guest artists from the community facilitate projects in a wide variety of media including watercolor, printmaking and clay. The resulting artwork is featured at a gallery opening and silent auction in late fall called ColettaScope, which is hosted by the students. The proceeds of the silent auction benefit the program.

Whenever possible, every activity is turned into a learning experience at St. Coletta Day School.

A classroom lesson about Thanksgiving may expand into an art project and lessons in planning a meal, developing a shopping list, riding public transportation, and paying for groceries. When they return to school, the lessons continue with meal preparation, setting the table and sitting down to enjoy the results of their efforts.

Repetition contributes to a student’s ability to learn. Day-to-day and year-to-year, St. Coletta Day School offers consistency. There is no shuffling from one classroom to the next or between a number of teachers. The school uniform adds to the student’s daily routine. At St. Coletta Day School, consistency helps to create a positive learning environment.

The administrative structure of St. Coletta Day School is unique. Parents are required to serve on the board of directors and attend regularly scheduled meetings. They are responsible for the business operations of the program.