This is my recommendation for Kentwood Preparatory School.  It is very emotional for me to write this, however, it needs to be said.

My son attended public school from Kindergarten through the first month of 5^th grade.  He was officially diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age.  He has many components of other learning and emotional disabilities, although he wasn’t officially diagnosed with any of these disabilities.

I knew my son did not fit in as early as Kindergarten; however, the children were kind and tried to help him, and the teachers more tolerable. 

In the first grade with the help of a liaison we had my son put in and IEP.  I tried to mainstream him.  In the second grade, he started to realize he didn’t fit in and knew he was different.  His self-esteem was very low.

Up until 3^rd grade, everything focused on the FCAT so my son did OK with grades.  I could see he still did not fit in, and so did he.  The kids started to call him weird.   He still tried to fit in, but he was ignored and he knew it, but never voiced this to me, but I knew he knew as he is very smart.

By fourth grade, everything changed.  The curriculum changed.  The teacher had no patience for the learning disabilities and the IEP’s he was enrolled in were useless.  I also saw a great change in the IEP teachers.  I also watched my son become withdrawn, his self-esteem was at an all-time low and he knew he had no friends at school.  Whenever, he did try to open up to a teacher, he was ignored, and the teachers claimed he was over reacting.  He actually saw another student stealing and when he reported this to the teacher, she told him he was imagining it.

In the beginning of 5^th grade, I saw a safety patrol mock my son’s tick.  I complained to the head of the safety patrol and she said my son made it up.  I told her my son didn’t see it, I did.  For that first month, I cried every day after I dropped him off because he looked so sad and it broke my heart. Actually, I cried many tears for his whole time at public school.  Then one day he came home and exclaimed he had no friends, sat by himself every day at lunch and he was miserable.

I had many meetings in the beginning of each year with the new teacher on how I would appreciate the teacher’s help for him to fit in, but to no avail.

I always had Kentwood Prepatory in the back of my mind and in the second month of 5^th grade I pulled him out of public school and enrolled him in Kentwood.

My son is now in the 7^th grade at Kentwood Prepatory School.  The changes I have seen over the last three years are amazing.  Kentwood has an excellent curriculum and my son is doing very well.  His grades are very good.  If the children need extra help, the teachers stay after school to help them.  This is their own time and does it so willingly.

The Director of the School is always available for the parents to discuss any and all matters.  The children at the School knock on his door all day, because they adore him.  Yet he commands respect from the children.  The School has an Office Manager who always goes above and beyond to help the children and parents out.  They both have helped us out so much.

All of the teachers at Kentwood are amazing.  They have done so much for my son.  They go the extra mile.  So many times I have received calls in the evening from a teacher to discuss my son’s progress.  When my son started at Kentwood, he did not talk, he did not participate in any school discussion for fear of being made fun of or ignored.  He wouldn’t even take his coat off.  He had so much anxiety and was so afraid to go to school.  His teacher worked with him and drew him out of his anxiety and encouraged him to speak his mind and always respected what he had to say.  The other children would not dare make fun of what my son had to say as that is how they are taught.

The school also teaches the children how to advocate for themselves and prepares them for real life.  If the child has a concern, they are to taught to try to solve the problem through a “Chain of Command” rather than running to the parents. 

Last year, my son declared to me that Kentwood is like a second family and he is happy to be there.  He participates in school discussions, is not afraid to speak his mind and never stops talking.  He always sits with someone at lunch.  The teachers listen to him when he speaks.   They have a school play every year and everyone is in it.  No one is left out.  That does so much for the self-esteem of the children.

He has made friends, and I see he has developed close relationships with some of the kids and the teachers.

The school is an accredited school and teaches all of the subjects a public school does.  However, the school addresses social behaviors and assists the children in fitting in.  If there is an issue the child is able to speak up for himself and the situation is always addressed.  Kentwood prepares the children for life.  The children have learning and emotional disabilities and the real world will be a greater challenge to them as opposed to kids without the disabilities.  Kentwood focuses on this and it is part of their daily mantra.

Kentwood has many activities that are fun for the children, but there is an underlying theme of assisting in social behavior.  For instance, there is a “Strategic Games Club” held once a week after school.  The teacher does this on his own time.  The children all participate and have fun playing games.  They play Chess, Checkers, and Battleship, etc..  The real idea of this Club is to teach social skills and getting along with each other.

When I went to the first high school graduation three years ago, I sat there and listened to the graduates and their parents tell their stories of what the children were going through when they first attended the school and how far they have come as they stood there with their diplomas.  I thought I was the only one who went through this and when I heard these stories, I cried my eyes out, but I was happy and knew my son was going to be OK.