Your true thoughts about the Newton School

[Anonymous]

My son is in the 4th grade in a great public school. But he has an IEP and an aid also. He has significant ADHD and sensory challenges. He is on medication but it helps only minimally. He has a hard time making friends. He's very, very bright. But he has zero motivation. He sometimes presents as an autistic child because he seems to not notice or understand how people feel toward him. He acts goofy, makes noises in the classroom, bothers other children and keeps trying to them during work time. But many times he is extremely perceptive, keenly aware of how people feel about him. He has a couple of friends. These friends are children who also has IEP. Other children don't seem to want to play with him.

If you were to talk to the teachers, their biggest challenges with my son is lack of motivation and rigidity. We were thinking of placing him at the Newton School. What have yo heard about this school? If your children go there, what improvement have you seen? We were hoping that after two years at the Newton School, he can be mainstreamed again.

[Anonymous]

I don't know but I'm curious as well. Do you think Fairfax mighty for the private placement?

[Anonymous]

I know one family who sends their older son to the Newton School. He seems to be a very bright boy (age 10 or so?) but when I have seen him in social situations, I can tell there is something a little bit different going on. But not that much. He just seems to not know when to talk and when not to talk. He is almost like a little adult, in that he'll strike up a conversation with me about a book I am reading? But like I said he is very intelligent, so I actually did not know that this was a school for children with special needs. I just thought maybe he was a little nerdy, to be quite honest. This family seems to be happy with it. I only know them casually b/c their younger son is friends with my DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know but I'm curious as well. Do you think Fairfax mighty for the private placement?

Highly unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am a Newton School Mom and I have been over the moon about the results with the school. We are finishing up our 3rd and final year. I placed him there in 6th grade (wish I had done it a year earlier). My son was in a wonderful public school with a great teaching staff. My older son sailed through this school but my younger son started presenting with social challenges in the 3rd grade. By the beginning of 5th grade he was totally miserable and I knew I needed to make a change.

When I started looking for schools I came across Newton. His first year there was difficult in some ways and totally wonderful in other ways. He really loved that he could actually participate in class and not have to sit quietly all day. He also is an accelerated learner and they were really able to challenge him in all subject areas - which he loved (after having been bored in school for many years). He really embraced their style of classroom learning and discussion. The more difficult part was his social growth. In the beginning he had a difficult time embracing the social coaching that goes on at Newton. As I look back on it now - I see that I now consider his first year as year of 'detoxification' from the very negative experiences he had in public school. All of the defense mechanisms I had helped him put into place in public school - just to help him survive the day - really weren't going to be beneficial to him in the long run. And Newton recognized this and was wanting to help him grow in this year. So that first year was a lot of simply 'undoing' old habits.

Make no mistake - growing socially is WORK for these kids - it doesn't come easily. There is no silver bullet. But Newton has an excellent program to teach the kids these skills. By the second year he really started to blossom. And now in his 3rd year I'm happy to say that he is ready to be mainstreamed again. I can't even tell you the number of family and friends who have commented on his maturation and growth over these last 3 years. He even has applied to TJ - still waiting for the results.

Newton is a place where I have felt my son was totally safe - emotionally - and that has been a load off my mind. He has told me that the thing he will miss the most next year is that he has felt like Newton has been a 'Family' to him. That just warmed my heart!

Please feel free to ask any questions - or call the school owner and have her let you talk to some parents - or meet them and their children. Also, a visit day is good too - because every school is different and not every place is a good fit for every child.

Regards

[Anonymous]

My son sounds very similar to yours (and the same age with the same issues in public school). He started the Newton School last September and we've seen dramatic positive changes both at school and at home. Although, as one poster suggests, the changes may not be readily obvious as far as social affectations (although, those have improved as well), the real issue is his executive functioning (impulsivity, over reactivity, etc.) and improving executive functioning on a daily basis is just something we felt we couldn't get from public school, even with an IEP. I could go on at length about how happy we are at Newton and my only regret is that we didn't enroll him earlier before his self esteem took such a hit. You are more than welcome to contact me directly if you'd like to hear more details about our experience. I also strongly encourage you to visit the school and speak with Allison Abraham to see for yourself how much they "get it." My son simply is happier now and loves going to school, which is a huge change for us.

[Anonymous]

We left our very well regarded (and rightfully so) Arlington public school for The Newton School after grade 2. My son had friends, but I could tell it wouldn't necessarily stay that way. I had my own personal experiences to draw on from what it is like to navigate a big public school setting with ADHD and sensory issues (many years past). My main goal was at the time was to make it so "my son didn't grow to hate himself." When your executive functioning doesn't work like most everyone else's, ultimately you're cast off as "irrelevant" or "weird" or a "spaz". I also knew that he had intense sensory seeking behaviors that kept him from really focusing on his day to day work/tasks. It takes a special (loving) teacher to keep a child like mine on task, not get turned off with the seemingly never ending need to address the same issues over and over again AND still deal with 24 other kids. Who says you're going to get that prize teacher year after year? The current public school system simply CANNOT truly help these kids they way they need. Mine needs to MOVE. A LOT, every day. Before I found Newton, I spent a lot of time fantasizing about what kind of "perfect" school needed to be created so that my son would have this wonderful place that was geared toward all the things he TRULY needed.. like the ability 'hang from the rafters" (so to speak) a few times a day. I figured it needed to have a huge gym that was unlike any other school gym and the kids would get to use everyday——and more than once a day or once a week. And in this gym, there would be experienced professionals who knew all of the right and best activities to engage my son in, that would help him in more than just learning how to throw a ball or run fast. But also on deeper more fundamental ways of working as a team and communicating. I knew it would be a place that somehow integrated teaching social skills, if not in every daily situation, maybe it would have a specialized course on social skills. Because there are kids who are born with that "knowledge" (i have one of those, she came fabulously pre- programmed that way) and plenty of others who really need to be TAUGHT all the ins and outs of the social world. It needs to be EXPLAINED and EXAMPLED to these kids more than once.

When I found The Newton School, I was blown away by how it seemed to be almost exactly what I had hoped magically existed somewhere. There it was. Right there in Sterling.

I knew private school wasn't in the budget and I knew an Arlington to Sterling commute wasn't at the top of my "Fun Things to Do Every Weekday" list. But I also, knew I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least go and look and tour the school.

Husband and I met the next day with the Director of the school, Allison Abraham. We talked with her and toured the school for at least an hour. We left that interview with absolute determination that this was THE place our son needed to be and HOW would we be able to make it happen?

Anyway, coming up on two years later, we figured it out and we are still there. Having my son at Newton has helped him in ways that I KNOW would not have been addressed had he stayed at our neighborhood school. He is very proud of Newton, he knows it is special and he feels valued there. Because he *IS* valued. There are about 57 kids at Newton, and I feel very confident that every single one of them is genuinely cared for and looked after. Our parent/teacher conference is one hour, twice a year. Not twenty minutes sandwiched between two other families.

I can call the Director almost any time and hear back from her immediately. Be careful what you bring up to her. It will be solved before you know it. She is extremely responsive and will do all she can to address your child's needs.

My son also presents as neuro-typical. Plenty of my friends and people I've met in passing hit a tiny glitch in their thoughts when they find out where my son goes to school. "But, Um, isn't that a special needs school? I don't get it. It doesn't seem like your son is special needs." Well, he IS special needs. He has ADHD, he is an intense sensory-seeker and has other social things going on that he needs to have spelled out for him. It has been a great environment for him and he has grown emotionally a lot since starting there. I too get the "Wow, he's changed/grown emotionally." comments from family who've not seen him in many months." People are pleasantly surprised by his progress.

If you do nothing else, go visit the school. Have Allison Abraham show you around. Her drive and positivity is impressive.

[Anonymous]

apparently they won't have a K class next yr?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:apparently they won't have a K class next yr?

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:apparently they won't have a K class next yr?

Why?

I was told they didn't receive enough qualified applicants.

[Anonymous]

So I was wondering about the K question - so I asked the school. They are having a K class next year. They actually have had one every year. They are a K-8 school. Depending up the number of kids enrolled they may have some mix between K and 1st grade. But they do this a lot at the school. For example, there are several 7th graders in my son's 8th grade writing class. They have the ability to group classes based on skills and maturity instead of just considering chronological age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I was wondering about the K question - so I asked the school. They are having a K class next year. They actually have had one every year. They are a K-8 school. Depending up the number of kids enrolled they may have some mix between K and 1st grade. But they do this a lot at the school. For example, there are several 7th graders in my son's 8th grade writing class. They have the ability to group classes based on skills and maturity instead of just considering chronological age.

Thank you soooo much!

Hopefully, I will be in contact with them Monday!

Thank you again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

I am a Newton School Mom and I have been over the moon about the results with the school. We are finishing up our 3rd and final year. I placed him there in 6th grade (wish I had done it a year earlier). My son was in a wonderful public school with a great teaching staff. My older son sailed through this school but my younger son started presenting with social challenges in the 3rd grade. By the beginning of 5th grade he was totally miserable and I knew I needed to make a change.

When I started looking for schools I came across Newton. His first year there was difficult in some ways and totally wonderful in other ways. He really loved that he could actually participate in class and not have to sit quietly all day. He also is an accelerated learner and they were really able to challenge him in all subject areas - which he loved (after having been bored in school for many years). He really embraced their style of classroom learning and discussion. The more difficult part was his social growth. In the beginning he had a difficult time embracing the social coaching that goes on at Newton. As I look back on it now - I see that I now consider his first year as year of 'detoxification' from the very negative experiences he had in public school. All of the defense mechanisms I had helped him put into place in public school - just to help him survive the day - really weren't going to be beneficial to him in the long run. And Newton recognized this and was wanting to help him grow in this year. So that first year was a lot of simply 'undoing' old habits.

Make no mistake - growing socially is WORK for these kids - it doesn't come easily. There is no silver bullet. But Newton has an excellent program to teach the kids these skills. By the second year he really started to blossom. And now in his 3rd year I'm happy to say that he is ready to be mainstreamed again. I can't even tell you the number of family and friends who have commented on his maturation and growth over these last 3 years. He even has applied to TJ - still waiting for the results.

Newton is a place where I have felt my son was totally safe - emotionally - and that has been a load off my mind. He has told me that the thing he will miss the most next year is that he has felt like Newton has been a 'Family' to him. That just warmed my heart!

Please feel free to ask any questions - or call the school owner and have her let you talk to some parents - or meet them and their children. Also, a visit day is good too - because every school is different and not every place is a good fit for every child.

Regards

I am glad that your child has thrived in this school. I have a 5 year old that I have some concerns about. Do schools like TJ discriminate against kids that come from special needs schools? (In sense that the kid will not be accepted admission?)

[Anonymous]

I'm a former Newton parent who has only positive things to say about the school, AA, the faculty and the students (all amazing kids). The kids are all smart, bright and will have great futures. But I can tell you with (almost) absolute certainty that the majority of parents aren't looking to get their kids into TJ. Call AA to discuss your concerns further but you probably won't be a good fit at any special needs school if that is your ultimate goal, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello,

I am a Newton School Mom and I have been over the moon about the results with the school. We are finishing up our 3rd and final year. I placed him there in 6th grade (wish I had done it a year earlier). My son was in a wonderful public school with a great teaching staff. My older son sailed through this school but my younger son started presenting with social challenges in the 3rd grade. By the beginning of 5th grade he was totally miserable and I knew I needed to make a change.

When I started looking for schools I came across Newton. His first year there was difficult in some ways and totally wonderful in other ways. He really loved that he could actually participate in class and not have to sit quietly all day. He also is an accelerated learner and they were really able to challenge him in all subject areas - which he loved (after having been bored in school for many years). He really embraced their style of classroom learning and discussion. The more difficult part was his social growth. In the beginning he had a difficult time embracing the social coaching that goes on at Newton. As I look back on it now - I see that I now consider his first year as year of 'detoxification' from the very negative experiences he had in public school. All of the defense mechanisms I had helped him put into place in public school - just to help him survive the day - really weren't going to be beneficial to him in the long run. And Newton recognized this and was wanting to help him grow in this year. So that first year was a lot of simply 'undoing' old habits.

Make no mistake - growing socially is WORK for these kids - it doesn't come easily. There is no silver bullet. But Newton has an excellent program to teach the kids these skills. By the second year he really started to blossom. And now in his 3rd year I'm happy to say that he is ready to be mainstreamed again. I can't even tell you the number of family and friends who have commented on his maturation and growth over these last 3 years. He even has applied to TJ - still waiting for the results.

Newton is a place where I have felt my son was totally safe - emotionally - and that has been a load off my mind. He has told me that the thing he will miss the most next year is that he has felt like Newton has been a 'Family' to him. That just warmed my heart!

Please feel free to ask any questions - or call the school owner and have her let you talk to some parents - or meet them and their children. Also, a visit day is good too - because every school is different and not every place is a good fit for every child.

Regards

I am glad that your child has thrived in this school. I have a 5 year old that I have some concerns about. Do schools like TJ discriminate against kids that come from special needs schools? (In sense that the kid will not be accepted admission?)

I don't know the specific answer to you question, but I worried about similar things when enrolling my child in a different SN school. But what I can tell you is that if you get your 5 year old the help they need now, he will be in a much better place to take advantage of any subsequent schools. If you don't give him the help he needs, there might not be the "SN school stigma" but e also won't be thriving.