Chelsea School or Siena School for Language Disabilities

[Anonymous]

I hate to start another thread about SN schools, but I a have searched DCUM and have not seen anything about these schools in Silver Spring. Both have been recommended to me for my GTLD DS with auditory processing, SI, dyslexia and mild ADHD (inattentive.) He has done great with interventions, but we are on the cusp of middle school and I can tell this is going to be hard. He needs a language-support school. I am posting here since I hope some of you have experience and the private school board is so unkind. Anybody have a child at one of these schools and can supply a little of the atmosphere? We have looked at both, but are wondering how much they keep the academics challenging while balancing the support. We think our kid will need a lot of reading/writing support and not sure for that reason about Siena, though it seems a fun place for learning. TIA!

[Anonymous]

We have a child at Siena school going into the 7th grade. Last year, with the prospect of her entering middle school, we were very concerned about her success (both socially and academically). The small class sizes really help, and Siena really has its act together in developing language processing and writing skills. But we all know that middle school is very much also about social development, and our daughters confidence and sense of self has blossomed. For this, we are the most grateful that she is in Siena.

[Anonymous]

We have been at Siena for 3 years (entering our 4th year) and Siena has been a great place for our child. \Academically she has flourished. I have always been concerned by the size of the school (enrollment) but my daughter loves it and the small enrollemt does help create family atmosphere. I think the school is acdemically challenging.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter who is also gifted academically entered Sienna midway through 4th grade. Sienna has been great at challenging my daughter mathematically....she is very gifted in math, but is challenged in reading and writing because of her expressive language disorder. We couldn't be happier with our daughters growth academically and socially. To me the greatest testament to a school is the fact that your child wakes up every morning and can't wait to get there. BTW...my daughter commutes one hour each way to school.

[Anonymous]

We too were concerned about the usual potential drawbacks -- very small size, church-basement atmosphere -- but our high-school-age daughter LOVES Siena & is excited to be entering her 3rd year. The fact that ALL the kids have learning issues actually becomes something of a point of pride -- they learn how to talk about it and make light of it. Leveling the academic playing field really allows their personalities to shine. The value of having inclusive, accepting, fun-loving friends and teachers who really do care and really do know what they're doing, is invaluable. Even the teachers say they honestly aren't bothered by the fact that there's no fancy staff room or place to "get away." The school does have a contract on a new building, and in the next year or so, such niceties may happen (along with the possibility of enrolling more students.) For now, the students & faculty alike love where they are -- and it totally shows. Yes, the tuition is expensive and requires continuing sacrifices for many families. But for those who decide to bite the bullet, Siena is truly a wonderful gift. Please come!

[Anonymous]

Our daughter entered The Siena School last year as an 11th grader. As you say the work got harder as she went through middle and high school. Siena has been a god-send. The small classes, the help with organization, the excellent writing program, the emphasis on self advocacy, the caring staff, and the challenging curriculum have made an amazing difference for her as a student and us as parents. Please look into these programs. Do not wait for things to get worse.

[Anonymous]

Our son has been at Siena for 3 years and loves it. He's in the middle school. He has significant dyslexia and ADHD. The reading/writing supports are excellent -- not only in the specific classes, but they are integrated throughout the curriculum. He too looks forward to going to school and is very proud to tell people that he goes to Siena. He has learned alot about his learning style/differences and is learning how to advocate for himself, which will be invaluable throughout his life. It has been wonderful for him socially, and the small size has allowed him to shine in lots of areas. I encourage you to check it out. After he had been at Siena for about six months we began to realize how much his academic struggles when he was in public school had been affecting his self-esteem.

[Anonymous]

do they have a kindergarten? What year do they start with

[Anonymous]

I believe Siena starts in 4th grade

[Anonymous]

My son has spent the last four years at the Siena School. Before I praise the school, let me give you a little background. His dyslexia was discovered very, very late, in the 6th grade. He had attended a Montessori school from kindergarten to 6th grade, where the classrooms are not structured like traditional schools. The classrooms are set up in learning areas (stations) and the children are self-directed, spending the time they need in each area to accomplish the lesson, then moving on to another area.

They also were encouraged to work in groups, so it was common to find other students helping each other. The classrooms are mixed in ages, so the lower elementary had 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders all together, so they functioned like a community, with the older children assisting and mentoring the younger ones.

Lastly, Montessori schools, in general, do not test like traditional schools. Very few timed tests, if ever. I, as a mother, could sense that something was wrong with his reading (he absolutely hated to read, his spelling and punctuation was atrocious, reversed alot of letters and numbers, etc.), but every time I broached the subject with staff they would say something to the tune of, "don't worry, it's the Montessori method....he will learn at his own pace and once it clicks, he will be fine".

Because the teacher's didn't teach the children math all together, or reading all together, it was impossible for them to identify which kids were really struggling. My child would hurry through the learning areas that were easy for him (all the sensory, visual and hands-on lessons) and then spend much more time on the areas that were difficult (reading, writing and comprehension) and asking his classmates for assistance, so he was masking his disability very well. Only by reviewing the results of his first mandatory standardized test did we realize he was lagging behind his classmates. But again, the staff assured me that Montessori schools don't "teach to the test" and the students are not used to taking tests, so some students don't score as high as the average and that he would catch up. I believe that was when he was in the second (or third grade) at that time.

Fast forward a year or two later, when he entered the upper elementary with the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. In all the learning areas, reading comprehension and writing became more important. There is less sensory-based lessons and my child began to show signs of stress and dislike of school. I continued to express concern about his reading and language skills, but was told they give him more attention, they were introducing a new reading curriculum and not to worry about getting him tested because he was doing well in other areas. Finally, around the time he was to take his second round of mandatory standardized tests (I believe in 6th grade), he told me that he felt dumb, because all the younger kids read better and faster than he did, and he just hated reading and writing.

The standardized tests, at that grade level are heavily weighted in reading comprehension even in the math sections, so it WAS but WAS'NT surprising (if that makes sense) that the results of his second round of tests showed he was performing at well below his grade level. So low, that I was told (and this is verbatum) "depending on what your expectations are for him in the future, you might want to get him tested for a learning disability. But if you are considering college, I would. I think there might be something not quite right". Needless to say, I was furious. Lesson learned, trust your instinct.

When he was tested, in the sixth grade, he was reading at the 10% level for his grade, which would be less than 1st grade level. On all the language-based and decoding tests he pretty much failed. They said if he had scores like that on all his tests, he would be considered mentally challenged. Fortunately, he scored above average on other tests and off the charts on others, so I wasn't quite as devastated. Just tremendously guilty for not listening to my instincts and getting him tested earlier.

His next school was Parkmont, a truly wonderful school with very small classes and individualized attention, but it didn't teach to his specific learning disabilities. He liked the school but he was struggling to keep up. We supplemented with intense tutoring to try and close the gap on his reading, but after the first semester, we knew he really needed to be in a school that really understood how to teach to students with these unique learning styles.

So that was the LITTLE background (sorry I got a little long winded) but it will illustrate why Siena has been life changing for my son.

We looked at numerous schools, including Chelsea, but Siena, with its small class size and community feeling really felt like it would be the right fit. At the time of admission, we were told that he had to be reading within 2 years of his grade. The tutoring had closed the gap a immensely, but he was about three years behind where he should have been. Fortunately for us, the Siena staff recognized the potential in him and were willing to grant him admission.

From the very first semester I saw improvement in his reading and writing. Because the kids all have similar struggles, they are highly supportive of one another. Each semester, I saw his confidence improve. Here was a student who entered Siena who didn't capitalize letters, didn't punctuate sentences, wrote in fragmented sentences, spelled words backwards or incorrectly, still reversed his numbers and letters - I could go on and on. He wouldn't pick up a book or magazine. He hated reading aloud - it was torturous for him.

With every year his reading and writing skills noticably improved. Now he writes all the time creating fantasy stories. He capitalizes when appropriate, punctuates his sentences, writes in full sentences and with proper sentence structure, has greatly improve in spelling and his vocabulary is immense. He doesn't mind reading aloud anymore. He still reads at a slower pace than others, but he pronounces words right and doesn't skip words. I don't think he will ever be a fast reader, but he is a good reader and comprehends what he reads. he is much more articulate than he was when he first came to Siena. One of his favorite stores is Borders. We have gone to movies with subtitles and I don't have to whisper the text in his ear. He reads magazines. His penmanship has drastically improved, but it could be better. He does well in all his classes and will be entering his senior year in Siena. When we entered Siena when he was in 8th grade, he said he didn't want to go to college - he was too afraid it would be too hard, too much reading. Now we are looking at coleges and he is excited. I attribute his academic success to the way Siena is structured, the way the classes are taught, and the stellar teaching staff, advisors and administrative staff.

The curriculum is challenging and for each grade level, so far, has actually a more advanced curriculum than the curriculum taught in the Prince George's County Public School System for the same grade. The teachers are very approachable - you can contact them any time and they respond quickly. The advisors keep parents very informed about their children's academic progress and how we, as parents, can support their academics at home.

They also keep us in the loop on how they are integrating into the Siena student population. How well they are socializing with others, who they are buddies with, etc. The few times there have been any behavioral concerns with my child, they have been addressed immediately. By that I mean one time my child was rough housing in the hallways; another time he was clowning around and a bit disruptive in class; and one other time he was just feeling very sad and looked depressed. I received phone calls from his advisors on those days to let me know what was going on and how they intervened. I then could follow-up with him that same day.

Siena also played a part in increasing his social confidence and self-esteem. The staff has a way of really bringing to light the strengths and talents of each student. They all have gifts that are revealed and appreciated. They push the students to do their very best and be good citizens. There is a comraderie among the student body, a closeness that you find in small schools that really promote respect, trust, and compassion. There is a strong sense of identity among the Siena students that is evident.

Let's see, what have I forgotten? The art and photography courses are great. It is nice that they have phys ed and sports. The families are all so supportive of each other and the school. Okay, I guess I will stop now. I hope at least some of what I wrote has been helpful. It is a big decision...we've all been there. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Our son has been at Siena since the school started in 2006. He will be entering the 11th grade, and we plan to have him enrolled through graduation. This school has changed his life. At his old school, a bully polled the other students and elected our son "The Stupidest Kid in the School." You can imagine how devastated he was. The next year he started at Siena, and got straight 'A's. The hands on teaching methods made the difference, and his self esteem eventually returned. He used to struggle to read and comprehend, and now he sometimes reads in his spare time, and his writing has developed to include more descriptive passages.
One key to the success of the school is that their admissions is very selective, and they only take kids who meet the criteria for the learning issues which are addressed. If the school accepts your child, that means they believe they can truly help, so I would urge you to apply.

[Anonymous]

Our 4th grade son (GTLD, ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia) had an amazing first year at Siena last year. He began the year unable and unwilling to read (public school assured us that he was right on target for reading) and had very low self-esteem. At Siena, he was finally given the right tools in a supportive environment and was able gain confidence in his abilities. He ended the year not only as a true reader and book lover but as a happy and engaged student. In all academic areas at Siena, he was challenged, pushed, and inspired. He's counting the days until school begins in September. And, yes, it's most definitely a fun place to learn!

[Anonymous]

OP here: thank you to all the posters for sharing their children's experiences at Siena. This is very helpful. We have already toured the school. I must admit it is daunting to come up with $28,000/year since they will not accept government payments. (Siena does not accept state monies to cover tuition for a private placement. It is self-pay.)

Our dilemma is that our son is really on grade level after a Lindamood-Bell intervention. He has also socially blossomed at his local public school thanks to several very fine teachers. But he finishes there this year and with a new school looming and a bigger workload, he can't go to the local MS.

16:02: My DS was also in Montessori school. But unlike yours, because he was struggling to interact with other kids due to the SI, he did many activities alone and the teachers noted that he had plateaued. (he noticed it too and was frustrated that he could not read - this at the age of 4.) He was also sometimes a behavior problem. But their observations did not lead to telling me that they suspected an LD. I respect Montessori methods, but I also think the method does not lend itself to an early intervention if something is wrong because of the strict attitude that 'kids will catch on." They don't if there is an LD and that's why individual evaluation is still so important.

[Anonymous]

OP again: Let me say about DS that it was not only LMB, but also years of OT, speech-language therapy, psychological counseling, etc. We have brought to bear all the therapies we could outside a school system that failed us in that regard. I have no expectations that we can successfully continue this mix of approaches going forward.

I do not want all of you to think the only LMB was responsible - it was a several things, but the LMB helped especially to becoming a real reader. His SLP had used it as part of therapy and we were seeing progress which is why we pushed for an intensive. But being functional at a 4th grade level for the rest of your life is not the best outcome.

[Anonymous]

My daughter switched to Chelsea School from another private school. She has been there 2 years and the progress she is making is tremendous. Her English and Math classes are very small (4-5 students) and she is learning the content! When she started at Chelsea School she had viewed herself as not being college bound and that has totally turned around. She understands that she can learn difficult material and is motivated to do well. She understands that doing well in school takes hard work. She seems realistic and is learning strategies that help her learn difficult material rather than having an easy curriculum.