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Highlander Academy

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Highlander Academy

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From the Assistant Principal's desk...

Welcome to Highlander Academy!

It is my honor to welcome you to Highlander Academy. Having served the district for many years as a School Social Worker and School Psychologist, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our students and families in my new role as Assistant Principal. Highlander Academy is a special place, supported by a highly skilled and compassionate team of teachers and support staff who bring extensive knowledge and experience in working with students who are developing strategies to better manage challenging emotions and behaviors.

Together, we are committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environment where every student is known, valued, and given the opportunity to grow. At Highlander Academy, we are intentionally striving to take a “wellness approach” to education—one that supports the whole child by promoting healthy thinking patterns, emotional awareness, positive behaviors, and physical well-being.

We believe that learning begins with feeling safe, connected, and understood. Through consistent expectations, therapeutic supports, and meaningful relationships, we help students better understand what they are feeling, recognize how their emotions affect their thoughts and behaviors, and develop the skills to regulate their nervous systems when life feels overwhelming. Our goal is not simply to help students manage difficult moments, but to empower them with lifelong tools for self-regulation, resilience, confidence, and positive decision-making.

Welcome to the Highlander community. We are so glad you are here!

 ~Dr. Patti Cappello~


Highlander Academy

We are a supportive and inclusive educational community, home to students in grades 6-12 in need of a small and personalized educational program.  Highlander Academy students are part of the student body of West Milford High School or Macopin Middle School.  This program is supported by highly qualified high school teachers, child study team members, school social workers, therapists, nurses and district administrators.  Our school culture is built on respect and trust as we recognize and embrace individual differences and strengths of our students.

The staff at Highlander Academy, in partnership with the local community, provide a learning environment filled with rich experiences that build upon academic, social, emotional, and physical development of the whole student to support each individual with their post-secondary goals.  High quality clinical services are made available to our students as well as opportunities to participate in courses at the West Milford High School campus.  We have high expectations for our students and encourage them to always seek new opportunities to continue to develop their strength to meet their goals.  

Academics

At Highlander Academy, academics are taught by Special Education Teachers who are highly qualified in their subject areas.  Academic programs are developed through district Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and comply with NJ Common Core Standards and graduation requirements.  Small class sizes with paraprofessionals allow for optimal academic, social, and emotional growth.  Course instruction and materials are modified based on individual learning styles, and are enhanced through the use of current technology such as Chromebooks, tablets, and Smart Boards.  Students are given the opportunity for credit recovery as part of their course schedule as needed.