St. Jude School Program

School Program Parent Information

School is a normal part of childhood. For children undergoing treatment, school can offer a familiar and reassuring routine, as well as a feeling of being in step with the outside world. School gives children a chance to keep a sense of identity and hope for the future.

To help, the St. Jude School Program, which is part of the Division of Behavioral Medicine, offers several services to assist patients with their academic progress.

The St. Jude School Program is accredited as a Special Purpose School by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Hospital-bound services

  • Teachers who are licensed in the State of Tennessee are at St. Jude full-time to teach K-12 patients who are from outside the Memphis area. Two classrooms are available in the Patient Care Center—one for grades K-6 and one for grades 7-12. Both classrooms are located on the Plaza level. The K-6 classroom is in Room BP035 down the hall from Patient Services. The 7-12 classroom is in Room BP031 across the hall from the Behavioral Medicine clinic.
  • Each child enrolled in the School Program will receive at least three hours of instruction each week.
  • The classrooms are open every day. Please check with the teachers to find out what hours they are available for instruction.
  • The program emphasizes using books and assignments from the patient’s home school. Assignments can be sent to St. Jude by fax, mail, or e-mail. The School Program will provide curriculum materials if it is not possible to get assignments from your child’s home school.
  • While your child is enrolled in hospital-bound services, she will need to attend class regularly and will have homework to complete.
  • International patients who do not speak English can attend the English as a Second Language (ESL) class held twice a week at Target House. The class is taught by Memphis City Schools ESL teachers. It emphasizes improving English skills.

Homebound services

Some children will need homebound services either in the Memphis area or in their home community outside the Memphis area. School Program staff can help parents arrange for these services. Usually for homebound services to be authorized, your child’s doctor will need to sign a document explaining the child’s illness. This will be either a letter from the doctor or a form provided by the school system.

School re-entry services

Planning for returning to school should begin shortly after diagnosis.

  • School Program staff can help parents contact the patient's school. They can help give the school information about the patient's diagnosis, treatment, and discuss options for continuing the patient's education.
  • When the child returns to school, School Program staff, along with Child Life, can work to make this transition easier for your child.
  • For patients who live within an hour's drive of Memphis, St. Jude staff can visit the patient's school. They can talk with classmates about the child’s disease, treatment, side effects of treatment, the central line/port-a-cath, and answer questions. The program may include a video as well as other visual aids and written materials.
  • For patients who live more than an hour's drive from Memphis, School Program staff can contact community school personnel to discuss school re-entry issues and send them relevant video and written materials.
  • Each child is an individual, and each child's school re-entry program will be designed to meet the wishes of that child and the parent or guardian. What is said to classmates and how it is said will be based on the children’s age level.

Special Education Services

For some patients, school re-entry may mean beginning or continuing special education services. Special education involves a wide range of services from the use of simple changes in a regular classroom setting to having an all-day resource room placement. School Program staff can assist parents by providing information about how to obtain special education services and about federal laws that mandate these services for students who need them.

Frequently asked questions

Does the School Program provide services for patient siblings?
The St. Jude School Program does not provide teachers or tutors for siblings. School services for brothers and sisters can be arranged in two ways:

  • Siblings can go to a local public or private school. School Program staff can give parents a list of schools in the area.
  • Arrangements can be made with the sibling's community school so that work from the school can be completed while they are here in Memphis. Assignments can be sent to School Program staff by fax, mail, or e-mail. The staff can also help with sending completed work back to the community school.

Will there be computer access for students in the School Program?

  • Two computers with educational software are available in each classroom.
  • Each computer will have supervised Internet access for student use only.
  • Ports are also available for hook-up with a personal laptop. This service is for student use only; the student will need her own account to access the Internet.

How do I enroll my child in the School Program?
To enroll your child in the School Program, call Laurie Leigh, program director, at 595-3346. If you are at the hospital, you may dial extension 3346. Or you can go to the appropriate classroom (either K-6 or 7-12), and the teachers will help you sign up.

What is the fax number for the School Program?
901-595-3121


For more information

The mission of the School Program is to provide opportunities to continue normal educational activities and to provide re-entry services to ease the transition back to the community school.

For more information about the School Program and services provided, call 595-3346. If you are inside the hospital, dial 3346. If you are outside the Memphis area, call 1-866-2STJUDE (1-866-278-5833) extension 3346.

 


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