Kentwood Preparatory School

Kentwood Preparatory is a great school! I have volunteered at the school for a few years now and have seen how much the staff genuinely care about their students and push them to be the best versions of themselves. Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to see many students come such a long way and truly excel academically and behaviorally. I would recommend this school.

As the time comes for my son to move forward to new horizons, I find myself reflecting on the journey he has undertaken at Kentwood. As a parent, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional support, love, and education that my son received during his time at Kentwood. Kentwood holds a special place in our hearts as it played a crucial role in shaping my son's mind and helping him overcome various challenges. It is heartening to acknowledge how Kentwood made a significant difference in my son. I believe that teaching with love and kindness has proven to be powerful. I am convinced that it has contributed immensely to his growth and can indeed make a big difference academically and emotionally. My son felt supported, valued, and cared for, and it created an environment where he could thrive and reach his full potential. My son's handwriting improved drastically and he gained confidence and independence during his time at Kentwood. As a parent, there is no greater joy than seeing one's child grow into a responsible young individual. Kentwood has been instrumental in helping my son develop the essential life skills and values that have laid the foundation for his future success. The dedication and commitment of the teachers, staff, and the entire school community have not gone unnoticed, and I extend my heartfelt thanks for making such a positive impact on my son's life. As we bid farewell to Kentwood, we carry with us cherished memories and invaluable lessons that will stay with us throughout our lives. Kentwood has been more than just an educational institution; it has been a second home, a place where my son's dreams were nurtured and his potential was unlocked. I want to thank the teachers, staff, and the entire school community for the effort, exceptional care and education that you provided. Your efforts have not only impacted my son's life but also the lives of countless other students who have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Kentwood family.

Kentwood has been a lifesaver for our daughter.

From a child who struggled academically, socially and with anxiety, she has made a complete transformation. She is now looking forward to entering college, but more importantly actually has the skills to make it. Her confidence is sky high, she is socializing and I now have a child who loves school and life. The staff is so dedicated. They really care about the children and it is evident each time I see or meet with anyone.

From a very grateful parent!

My daughter is a middle school student at Kentwood. I am so happy with my decision to enroll her into this program.  The staff are fully invested in the student's happiness and overall wellbeing. My daughter has become more social with her peers and has developed some wonderful and healthy friendships.  She enjoys going to school now and I could not be more thrilled about that. 

I have noticed her everyday home life has improved as well. She is getting along better with her siblings and interacting more with the family, as well as being more responsible.

I highly recommend Kentwood!! It has been a fantastic experience for my daughter and our family.

We are so thankful we found Kentwood Preparatory School for our son who was not successful in public high school. During his first year enrolled at Kentwood, we saw a significant improvement both academically as well as socially. He has continued to thrive at the school learning life skills and his grades have excelled. His participation in the school plays as well as other group outings have been tremendous. The Director, teachers as well as the school staff have been so caring and supportive and have been instrumental in our son’s success. We are so proud of his accomplishments. He has a part time job at a local grocery store, helps out at the school and starts college this month. Thank you Kentwood for a job well done and for exceeding all of our expectations.

My stepson just graduated from Kentwood. He started as a frustrated kid who was angry at the system, but left with a completely different mindset and a purpose in life. The staff have not only given him the skills he needs for his future, but they are committed and caring. Thank you for everything Kentwood!

Our daughter has been at Kentwood for the past six years.The headmaster Mr. Fein, and all of the teachers at the school, could not be more well trained to handle any type of academic challenge, or any behavioral or social situation.Rather than being just a number and one of many, each student is evaluated and taught according to their abilities and cognitive level. They foster their strengths and help build up any of their weaknesses as many of the students have had difficulties in main stream schools. They help students with their self-esteem and teach students social skills, independence, and executive functioning.I highly recommend Kentwood Preparatory School and would not look any further if you were looking for a great school for any child with special needs.We saw a major difference in our daughter even within a year of attending the school, and in the past six years she has developed close relationships with her classmates, and we have seen great behavioral changes as well.

Thank you Kentwood, Ms. Wiehl, and the entire staff  for all you do to make a difference in the life's of our children/teens. We are thrilled that we have finally found a place that really cares about each child's individual needs.

My son just graduated this year after having attended 6 years at this school. I knew the first day I met with the director Mr. Fein, that Kentwood was the place for my son. Mr. Fein has experience with kiddos not just as a school director but as a father, too. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for such an amazing School that gives an opportunity for kids like my son to reach their potential, to learn and grow in the way that "they" best learn and grow, in a safe and loving but realistic environment. All of the staff go above and beyond and always do for all the kids. I have watched my son overcome challenge after challenge with loving support from all of his teachers, the front office, and the school director - most especially during the critical high school years!! I hoped for the best, and got the best! My son has had great days and he has had bad days, but he was always happy going to school at Kentwood.

I am so pleased that I brought my son to Kentwood. He has developed into such an extraordinary young man, intellectually and socially. The school is very family oriented. Everyone cares about and takes an active interest in the kids. I will be forever grateful for everything they have done. Without Kentwood, my son would never have come this far. One of the best schools I have ever encountered! God bless them!

Our family is extremely grateful to the administration and leadership at Kentwood Prep. They are truly committed to the mission of helping our children become successful in the classroom and in life. My daughter although there is much work to do; is a happier more well adjusted teen that is making friends and developing better academic habits. She is enjoying learning in her classroom and her teacher is a great communicator and constantly thinking of new ways to inspire her students. We feel very fortunate to have found Kentwood Prep.

l wish to take a moment to thank-you as founder of Kentwood Preparatory for your wonderful school. Your dedication to create a school for children with a diagnosis as daunting as ADHD is admirable. However, the true talent of your school is the gradual transformation that has taken place in my son Teddy. He has matured in his two years at Kentwood from an unruly and defiant child to a much more responsible, respectful, and academically motivated young man who is free of medication.

I was at the point of utter exhaustion with his behavior and academic performance when he first entered Kentwood. He was in great danger in the public school arena, having failed one grade and was in grave danger of failing another. My feelings about his academic future were very pessimistic. 1 knew I had a bright and talented child, yet, no matter how hard I tried I was unable to motivate and organize him. Through a referral from his doctor I found Kentwood and your staff was able to diagnose and treat his many initial deficits. It has taken some time to do this as would be expected, however, I now have a son I am proud to say is motivated to succeed.

This note is to thank-you and your staff for your dedicated efforts. I wish you much success and I highly recommend your school to any parent who is struggling with a child like mine was.

It is with our deepest and most sincere gratitude that we write this letter. When our sixth grade daughter came to you in January 2002 from public school, she was failing or nearly failing every class. You were our last hope for her academic well being.

Thanks to your staff and their techniques for educating and behavior modification, we have seen our daughter succeed. She now enjoys going to school and, while she is looking forward to summer vacation, she is expressing sorrow that the school year is ending.

During the past five months in the Kentwood environment, we have seen our daughter improve her grades, her behavior, self-esteem and general attitude. While we all agree that she has a long way to go, we are filled with hope for a successful future for our daughter.

There are not enough words to thank you all for the work you are doing with our daughter. We are all looking forward to summer camp at Kentwood and for the start of the new school year.

Again, thank you for all that you have done and continue to do.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help and work with my son. Even after our initial meeting I was VERY apprehensive, and as you know my sons Tutor came with me on the 2nd interview. We were both very impressed with everything you had to say but we still had concerns that the follow through would be a problem. You definitely could "talk the talk"; I was anxious to see if you could and would "walk the walk".

Your genuine concern for my son and our entire situation was shown in everything you did to try and help us. The after hours work you did with Bradley one on one; the brain storming sessions with me, phone calls, video taping and so on was proof that everything you said was backed up by action. We have had a long history of "talkers”, but no one did the "walking" prior to our experience at your facility.

It was very refreshing to meet and work with you and your staff. Keep up the good work. Your dedication; caring and concern are important to our "special" children out there.

Feel free to use this letter as a reference for other concerned parents, and if I can be of further assistance in any way don’t hesitate to call.

My husband and I want to take this opportunity to let you know just how pleased we are with the progress Bradley has made since he started attending Kentwood last fall.

The past 8 months have been such a positive experience for our family. We know behavioral skills are being reinforced daily and, more importantly, on a consistent basis. We have also noted that Bradley has been applying his newly acquired skills at home as well as when we visit friends and relatives. We have been getting positive feedback from others about the tremendous differences in his behavior and his interactions with others.

Over the years, we were continually assured from various schools and teachers that they could handle his disability. Then reality would set in and, of course, they couldn't handle him. When we enrolled Bradley at Kentwood we were desperate, but also fearful that once again he couldn't be helped. We are so overjoyed and grateful that our fears were unfounded. Our horne life has been much less stressful since we are not constantly being called to school for meetings.

We would also like to share some of the feedback we have been getting from Bradley. He shared with us that he is starting to understand that he has to take responsibility for his behaviors and that he now understands that there are consequences for inappropriate behaviors. He has also shared that his self­-confidence is growing because much of the emphasis is placed on recognizing his positive behaviors, rather than criticizing his negative behaviors.

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the work you are doing. You are an answer to my prayers and a true inspiration.

In the past, most of my time with my children's education was spent in the schools, trying to figure out what could be done so that my children could be successful. I had investigated and exhausted all the resources available, but my children were still struggling. They struggled academically and socially. Our home life was also in turmoil. With all three of my children diagnosed with ADHD it has been a lot of trial and error to figure out how to work with them. There have been a lot of tears, heartache and emotional energy spent. It is not until I came upon Kentwood that there has been relief and confidence knowing that here is a group of people who are thoroughly trained and understand how to work with children with ADHD. I am so impressed with how you work and develop the whole child in all areas of their life.

You are definitely preparing my children and the children at Kentwood for life teaching them the skills that will carry them through adulthood. You are teaching them to take responsibility for themselves and in so doing their self-esteem is being built. I appreciate so much how you are helping me to learn how to parent differently so that I can follow in the same methodology. You truly have our best interest in mind and have the skills to back it up. It is rare these days to find people who have the knowledge and are dedicated to the well being of children and are willing to devote their lives on a daily basis to helping children with ADHD to be the best they can be.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your heart, your hard work and dedication to all of these children and families. My gratitude goes deeper than I can express.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help you further this work. It is indeed a privilege to have my children attend this school.

We are writing this letter to let you know how pleased we are with Amber's progress at your school. She has earned the best grades of her school career this past semester. If she can continue this advancement, it is sure to raise her self-esteem.

We feel that Amber has also benefited from your staff’s excellent teaching abilities and caring nature. Mrs. Hemdon's guidance has been extremely helpful for Amber. She goes above and beyond what is expected from a teacher. Her beneficial counsel to us in dealing with issues during the school year is also much appreciated. For the first time in her life, Amber actually looks forward to going to school.

Thank you for offering this excellent educational opportunity for Amber. It is a great comfort to have her learning in such a positive setting.

I just wanted to take a moment and extend to you a "thank you" for all that you have done educationally and socially for my daughter, Shea.

This first year at Kentwood has really been a growing year for her. Friends and neighbors who have known our daughter for years have all commented on how well she is coming along and that they have noticed how she has improved socially. Where once our daughter had trouble fitting In with the other little girls In the neighborhood, friends are now knocking on the door seeking out her friendship.

She comes home happy and without anxiety as opposed to when she was in public school and we had to deal with unreasonable homework, anxiety over not being able to keep up with the other students, social unacceptance, and good but expensive tutors. Shea is being taught academically in a way that she can comprehend and we can see that she has progressed. We also like that the curriculum is individualized to her needs.

My husband and I have appreciated how your staff works with Shea and how the administration has worked with us financially.

I look forward to next year to see what further improvements she will make and I feel confident that Shea will grow to be the best that she can be with your help! Thank you!

As the school year comes to a close, I just want to extend my gratitude for the incredible job you and your staff have done with David. I have had so many friends and relatives comment on what a change they have seen in him since the beginning of this year. Tim and l feel that a majority of it is due to the patience, kindness, and persistence of Barbara Bongiorno. She has given David his self-esteem back and he now has the confidence to do his school work. He has matured socially as well and Barbara has given him many opportunities for growth. His love of reading was fueled by her weekly library trips with the class. Her nurturing demeanor and positive attitude made many a tough day easier for David.

I want to thank you, personally, for all the time on the phone you spent with David and how well your behavior modification program has worked in our home. Tim and I feel that, through Kentwood, we have been given the tools to raise a productive adult and more importantly, a decent, kind human being. Your program has allowed us to do things as a family and have a happy, peaceful home life.

I look forward to many more years of David growing and learning at Kentwood. Thanks!