Our Programs

How Learning Should Be

2014 Seniors
A better way to learn

Enjoy Your Time

There is so much that makes The Leelanau School unique, with our setting on Lake Michigan, being one of only three boarding school in Michigan, and having a long history of experiential education. The following pages will help you dive deeper into what The Leelanau School is all about.

Class work can happen anywhere!

The Leelanau School

A Better Way to Learn

Hands-On Approach

Teamwork

Lasting Friendships

At Leelanau, our mission is to help students maintain or rediscover their passion for learning and discovery – by respecting their individual strengths.

We can do all this because the Leelanau School is a different kind of school – a private, non-profit organization. While our colleagues in public school environments must contend with larger class sizes and high-stakes standardized testing that forces instructors to teach to the test, our unique position allows us to do things differently.

A Better Way To Learn For Students With ADHD

At the Leelanau School we flip labels on their heads. We embrace the gifts of our students with ADHD, and support learning through strategies that nurture independence, confidence, and success.

The Leelanau School

Academics

Project-Based, Experiential Learning at The Leelanau School

What Does This Mean?

Academics at The Leelanau School go beyond hands on. We engage all your senses in learning to include kinesthetic, visual, and verbal learning. Through our methods, students are immersed in the learning experience. When you go out to collect data from the Crystal River for Biology class, you will not only be asked to note what the instrumental readings are, but also what you observe through sight, sound and smell.

Music, Visual Arts & Theater

At The Leelanau School creativity is encouraged and students are welcome to explore each arts discipline. Parents are often amazed that their “non-singing” child has a beautiful voice or that their camera shy child feels perfectly comfortable on the other side of the lens!

Arts offerings include:

  • Photography and Darkroom
  • Ceramics
  • Improv
  • “Mighty Snappy” Band
  • Singing and Songwriting
  • Musical Theater
  • Applied Design
You don’t have to come with a talent,
we will help you discover and develop your talents.
The Leelanau School

Exploratory Trips

At The Leelanau School it is our mission to discover and develop the potential of the whole individual.

Learning happens everywhere, not just in classrooms. It also happens in the residence halls, in clubs and on trips. We want all of our students to become lifelong learners and develop the ability to grow and meet whatever challenges them in their lives. Many of our students learn differently, which requires them to learn about themselves and develop strategies to be successful in academic settings. We help them develop the strategies and push themselves appropriately to excel.

During this five week immersive academic term students have the opportunity to experience two engaging and exciting courses of their choosing.

Winter Term

This innovative term – designed and facilitated by our faculty – is strength-based, experiential learning at its best and provides an environment where students can flourish in areas of their interest and/or expertise.

From trips that open students’ eyes to the world to courses that allow deep exploration or practical life skills – Winter Term is an opportunity for students and staff to make the most of the winter by doing what brings them joy!

During Winter Term students spend two and a half hours per day in each class, giving them ample opportunity to delve deeply into the subject material and produce high quality, creative and original work.
The Leelanau School

Family Advisory Units

A long standing Leelanau tradition is the participation in Family Advisory Units, or FAUs.

Every student is assigned to an FAU that is overseen by two teaching faculty parents and residential faculty advisor. The families are comprised of students of mixed ages. FAUs are one important way we get to know you.

Every student is assigned to an FAU that is overseen by two teaching faculty parents and residential faculty advisor. The families are comprised of students of mixed ages. FAUs are one important way we get to know you.

COUNCIL

The Leelanau School values the development of the whole person, not just a student’s academic skills.

Over the course of the school year, we participate in a tradition known as Council, which is a way to communicate, connect, and learn about ourselves, each other, and our place in the world.

The Leelanau School

Afternoon Activity and Athletic Program

Leelanau Athletic Field

Exploratory Leaders

Our Afternoon Activities and Athletics Program is designed to provide students at all levels, abilities, and interests engaging opportunities that foster the development of skills and interests.

We believe fun and diverse extracurricular play an integral part in a well-rounded education and development of a student – even if that means participating in things outside of their comfort zone.

Throughout the school year students participate in one activity per six week session. Activities are held after classes Monday through Thursday for an hour and fifteen minutes and are facilitated by the supportive adults of the Leelanau community.

Parents are constantly amazed to see their children’s self-confidence and sense of belonging soar in our safe and accepting environment.

The Leelanau School Greenhouse

Our Greenhouse was funded through generous support from donors, and provides a learning laboratory and true experiential learning for our students.

Greenhouse Class

Everyone has the opportunity to get involved in the school greenhouse, but this class takes students deeper in a discovery of food systems, sustainability, and farm-to-table. Students participate in the growing, harvesting, processing, and even cooking of food from the garden.

Growing Our Food

We believe at the Leelanau School, that knowing how to feed oneself in a healthy, satisfying, and sustainable way is an important life skill. The Leelanau School’s greenhouse and food gardens provide an exciting hands-on environment for students to experience and understand where food comes from and how it is grown.

COMPOSTING

Reducing waste is incredibly important at the Leelanau School. We treasure the natural environment that surrounds our campus and want to pass on it’s stewardship to the next generation. We compost 100% of our kitchen waste and also have composting programs in the residence houses and academic buildings.

Health & Wellness

The Leelanau School feels that students need to develop healthy lifestyles for their lifetimes.

Our overall wellness program is designed around this premise by providing activities and guidance.

Health Services is staffed by a full time coordinator and 4 part time nurses. The nurses are on site every day from 7:30 am until 11:00 pm. We also have a nurse “on call” from 11 pm until 7:30 am. Our residence life faculty works closely with Health Services to ensure students’ health care needs are met. Nurses are available throughout the day to examine students, treat minor maladies, and are present for emergencies. Our medical staff possess active medical certifications and our faculty is certified in basic first aid as well as CPR.

Food & Nutrition

Healthy foods are a daily part of life at Leelanau School.

You won’t find fatty, fried foods in our cafeteria line.

You will find freshly prepared, nutritious and delicious offerings that are locally sourced and prepared on site. Each meal has an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, a gluten-free entree and we are attentive to those with food allergies and sensitivities.

STUDENT LIFE

At The Leelanau School, we do not define a classroom by four walls. The term “school” on our campus encompasses every aspect of a student’s daily life. Approximately 85% of a boarding school student’s life exists in the unstructured time outside of the class day.

We consider our campus as an active and living learning laboratory where students continually are learning about themselves, about the lives of those around them, learning student skills as pertaining to their own learning styles, as well as the course content during the class day.

The daily schedule is designed to provide structure and accountability to the students, yet allow freedom and flexibility.

A typical day at The Leelanau School is busy and diverse.

Below is a general outline for the week, with variation day to day.

8:15 Students are up and ready for their day. The cafe is open for breakfast, offering healthy options to start the day. Students are required to sign in by 8:15.
8:15 – 8:30 Quiet periods and advisory meetings
8:35 – 9:05 Morning Energize. Exercising first thing in the morning is key to an awake mind and body.
9:10 – 10:25 First and Second period class blocks. These alternate during the week.
10:30 – 11:00 Break period. Students use this period to regroup, grab a snack and to seek additional help for their studies.
11:05 – 12:25 Third and Fourth class block
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch! Healthy eating is such an important part of life here at the Leelanau School. We utilize fresh food from our campus greenhouse plus as much locally produced food as possible.
1:05 – 2:25 Fifth & Sixth class block
2:30 – 3:45 Seventh class block or Council period
3:45 Break period. Snack
4:15 – 5:30 Afternoon activities
6:15 – 7:00 Dinner. As with all meals, we integrate our students with the process as part of the healthy living learning process.
7:15 Sign in to Dorm
7:30 – 9:00 Study Hall
9:00 – 9:45 Open Gym
9:45 Call to dorms

College Advising

The college advising process officially begins during your Junior Year.

You will have the opportunity to attend ACT and SAT prep classes and take the ACT and or the SAT. Working with our College Counselor you will begin to create a list of potential schools that fit your learning style and desires. As you visit the schools during the spring summer and fall, this list will continue to morph until you have found those schools that you feel would be good fits. Applications are made prior to January 1st of your senior year.

College Acceptances

At The Leelanau School we are proud of our 100% college acceptance rate.

You will have the opportunity to attend ACT and SAT prep classes and take the ACT and or the SAT. Working with our College Counselor you will begin to create a list of potential schools that fit your learning style and desires. As you visit the schools during the spring summer and fall, this list will continue to morph until you have found those schools that you feel would be good fits. Applications are made prior to January 1st of your senior year.



Enjoy our Intro Video
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Leelanau School

One Old Homestead Road
Glen Arbor, MI 49636

231-334-5800

The Leelanau School ignites a passion for learning in a boarding school where students thrive by engaging academically and by celebrating everyone’s unique learning styles in a culture of acceptance, leading to successful and meaningful lives in college and beyond.


Copyright 2018 Leelanau School
One Old Homestead Road, Glen Arbor, MI 49636 | 231-334-5800