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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What kind of student is your child? We have decided to go to private school, so my knowledge is from touring the school and talking to friends. My sense is that it's a fabulous school for strong students who are self starters; I've also heard good things about the school from kids who high levels of special education needs. Kids in the middle, especially if they struggle with executive function or anxiety (both of which describe my child) don't do as well there.[/quote]

My child has executive functioning problems. She's a good student and gets all As and Bs, but we're coming from a small school where her teachers are all invested in her. She came off of an IEP last year, but still struggles. We're working on those skills, but afraid she'll fall through the cracks in such a large school. I don't mind homeschooling and would love to do it if it weren't for lack of social opportunities. It's the main reason I'm considering trying out Deal. [/quote]

My daughter has ADHD inattentive and very very poor executive functioning skills.  I was also very nervous about Deal.  I want to type in all caps:  DEAL IS FABULOUS.  Each grade is divided into teams, and each team has &lt;100 kids on it.  Kids take classes with other team members and more importantly, every teacher in the team teaches every kid on the team.  So it's a lot like a school with 100 kids.  The team works closely together and we have found our team to be responsive, timely, proactive, understanding, and DEDICATED to our child.  It has been a really good growth year for her, and I am SO GLAD she is there.  [/quote]

My DD has ADHD and Executive Functioning issues with an IEP, and we're IB for Deal. We're also in a feeder to DCI and need to decide between the two. What you're describing sounds fabulous.

Can I ask what the school does to support this? And what I would need to do as a parent?[/quote]

I'm the PP - my daughter has a 504, and has what is considered mild ADHD (but very poor executive functioning.  I should point out that there is another child my daughter is friends with who also has ADHD and poor executive functioning, with a 504, and those parents aren't as happy as we are.  So what's the difference?  For one, our DD gets a mix of As and Bs, and we are happy.  She could get all As if we pushed really, really hard.  But we don't push it (homework, making up assignments, etc) that hard.  I do think, at least in 6th grade, that the school is set up to help your child succeed.  There is a lot of focus on keeping binders organized.  Homeroom teachers do a binder check.  They do a lot in the beginning of the year to get parents acclimated to the idea of a "gradual release of responsibility."  The idea is coming out of elementary, parents are very involved in the day to day, and by the ned of the school year, the child is more responsible for his/her own school work.  Because of the ADHD/exec functioning/504, we are more involved than that.  We are on top of things daily/weekly.  We are proactive in pushing our daughter to ask for more help, for more time, for more assistance.  Each team has one day after school each week for "team tutoring" where each teacher is available for an hour, and we require our DD to attend that.  We also ask hr to stay after school in the library or wherever (other teachers who might still be there, not on the team tutoring day) and give her homework a try.  We check the grading syatem (Aspen) regularly).  We talk every day about assignments.  With the teachers, we have our 504 meeting early in the school year.  We try really har dot be personable and approach it as a team environment, where we're part of the team with the experts - the teachers.  I think it helps that our daughter is personable and people tend to like her, and we try to be personable and likable, too.  We also hired an outside tutor for our daughter 1 day a week.  But, the teachers also push this - they emailed a few weeks ago and said DD seemed more distracted, was there something going on?  They offer retakes of tests to improve grades.  They offer (or readily agree) to extensions.  They are available.

The other family's child has more severe ADHD and the parents aren't as happy, although their daughter has gotten straight As.  So I don't know why their experience is less pleasant, while their "results" are arguably better.  I think, to be honest, that their child is more difficult, and they may be pushier or expect more?  I don't know.  [/quote]

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