Kindergarten at lunch time is an exception. Little hands try to open lunch boxes and the voices grow louder while teachers and aides help the students. The academy's 160 students belong to about 20 different religions, and their families come from 33 different countries, said Joy Morrow, the principal of the Landover Hills school. The respect of races and religions is the school's first moral teaching, she said. The code of conduct includes 10 items, and revolves around tolerance of others and respect for their property.
Children also learn to resolve conflicts before they escalate.
The school takes pride in the fact that children with learning disabilities also participate in the same classes with other students, including ones with talented and gifted pupils, Morrow said. Her child started at the academy in October and the change in his behavior is remarkable, his mother said. Now 12, he is in 6th grade. She explained that her son has no short-term memory. Teachers give him extra time and tutor him after school.