Hello all,
I've been holding off on reporting this great news! Pinching myself - waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well it hasn't and I really don't believe it will. DS LOVES his new school! It's a Friends School (independent Quaker school).
What a huge difference the right school has made for DS7. Some of you may recall that we had a horrific experience with our public school during 1st grade. We dealt with a principal who is truly clueless and a guidance counselor who only made things things worse. They were all on a bandwagon with the teacher & believed DS7 must have some disorder that we were hiding & refused to treat (Asperger's/ADHD). They tried to remove our parental rights and seek intervention for him. They refused to accept private testing from a highly qualified neuropsychologist who found NOTHING wrong with DS and identified him as gifted. Besides all that, DS was subjected to unchecked bullying for 4 months - even though we complained almost daily! (The principal tracked our communication and informed us that we required the most attention from him - what a JERK! By the way - DS7 hasn't been bullied once at Friends and we haven't called the school with a single complaint this year - HA!).
We decided that a public school in NJ was no place for DS7 and we are so happy with our decision. Yes it's a huge financial burden - even with financial aid, but it's worth every penny. Oh, and the Friends School cured our son of his "disorder". His report card was outstanding and his teacher thinks he's wonderful. Not one single social/behavioral category requires development. We were told he's a kind, respectful young man. He also developed beautiful handwriting in one month's time thanks to her efforts. At the PS we were told by the OT that DS would never have good handwriting and that he needed a slant board and other accommodations. Pure non-sense and a waste of tax payer dollars in this case! All his new teacher did was praise him and give him meaningful reasons to write! Simple stuff! No expensive sensory therapy needed! Go figure...
So what is so different about this Friends school? Well for starters the kids work at their own level and many are gifted or very, very advanced. The class moves very quickly and DS7 is never bored. There are wonderful specials like violin and yoga so he's always doing something new. And he goes to an actual science lab with a dedicated science teacher which thrills him. They also take learning field trips (museum of anthropology,etc) unlike our PS.
Being a Quaker school they celebrate diversity and have children with many different interests and backgrounds. As we like to say, they have many shapes there - they don't try to shave the edges off the square peg and jam it in the round hole like they did at our PS. My DS has found a home. He's accepted for who his is. He's respected - everyone is respected there. His self-esteem has soared and we are watching him flourish. It's a beautiful thing!
I am so grateful to have found this school! I highly recommend a Friends School to anyone looking for an alternative to PS. We have several Friends Schools in the Philadelphia area but I doubt you can find them many other places.
Imagine where we would be today if we listened to the teacher (who told me that she was sure any doctor would be happy to give him a diagnosis), principal & guidance counselor? DS7 would be medicated and sitting in a resource room. What a terrible thing! As a professional, I've seen gifted kids put in BD (behavior disorder) classrooms and forgotten. It's so very sad. I wasn't going to let that happen to my son. I'll sell my house to pay tuition if it comes to that! Anyway, I wish there was something more I could do to help other parents avoid this outcome for their children. I see it all the time - teachers and guidance counselors playing doctor.
Thanks for listening.
