Mr. Station and HPDS have made a world of difference to Zac academically and emotionally.

Zac is a current HPDS student who entered — and won — an essay-writing contest about his favorite teacher. His parents added this introduction:

Hyde Park Day School (HPDS) serves children with diagnosed learning disabilities. Among Zachary’s diagnoses are dyslexia, dysgraphia, sensory processing disorder, language based learning disorders, ADHD, fine motor issues and auditory processing disorder. Zac has an IEP because his disabilities impact his ability to learn although he is bright.

Because (his teacher) Mr. Station and HPDS have made a world of difference to Zac academically and emotionally, Zac wanted to enter this contest. There are a lot of great teachers that educate typically developing children. When a teacher can impact a special needs child in one semester and change the trajectory of his life, that teacher is truly special. Teachers like Mr. Station deserve to be acknowledged.

Here are excerpts from Zac’s essay:

Mr. Station is my favorite teacher. He’s my teacher at Hyde Park Day School. Hyde Park Day School is for kids with issues like dyslexia and ADHD. Mr. Station is my math teacher and my guitar teacher. He’s in the classroom for other stuff too like social studies and science.

Mr. Station makes me feel good. He never tells me to try harder. He never says what‘s wrong with you or makes me feel embarrassed. He never makes me or anybody cry. I never get sick on Sunday anymore. Mr. Station makes me want to go to school and makes me want to learn.

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“I always thought I was the dumb kid. I don’t feel like the dumb kid anymore.”

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Mr. Station makes me feel smart. I always thought I was the dumb kid. I don’t feel like the dumb kid anymore. I’m never afraid to raise my hand. I don’t worry if he asks me questions I don’t know the answer to. Mr. Station told my mom that I’m smart at math. He said that I just learn different.

I know he’s interested in us. He talks about college with us and says we are smart enough to go. He knows what teachers are supposed to do. He smiles a lot. He understands us. He’s a good teacher for kids who feel bad or stupid.

Mr. Station made me like school again. I live far from school. I have to get up really early for school and that’s ok because I like going to this school. He makes me want to do homework and study. That’s why I sometimes do it on the car ride home. He makes me want to learn even when I’m tired or bored.

I know he cares. He’s proud of me and that makes me really happy. I feel safe in his class and never afraid. I like going to school and not being afraid. Mr. Station is my favorite teacher.

Jonas completed High School with high honors, and graduated from Indiana University all because of the help of Hyde Park Day School.

My name is Jonas W.  I attended the Hyde Park Day School from the summer before 4^th grade in 2002 until 6^th grade in 2005. You may be asking yourselves, “What can a school even do for a kid in that short of a time?” …especially one who has severe ADHD, Dyslexia, Anxiety, and OCD or as I like to call it, my holy Quartet. Well, let me just tell you, it did everything and then some.  Ever since kindergarten, I always felt different from everyone else when it came to school. I always found myself extremely discouraged and frustrated when it came to school work. My therapist suggested we look into a new school that was just for kids with LD. I was immediately against it, going to another school where I knew no one and the thought of leaving all my friends, or lack thereof, sounded like the end of the world. However, after countless fights and perhaps some bribery, I agreed to give it a try for summer school.

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“From the moment I stepped in the door on my first day, a sense of ease I had never felt before came over me.”
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I remember my first day like it was yesterday. From the moment I stepped through the door, a sense of ease came over me that I had never felt before. After I got home, I could not stop talking about how amazing it was…well there are very few times when I’m not talking…but honestly I had never been so happy at school in my life. I was finally surrounded by other kids, who were not all 10 steps ahead of me, and by teachers who were not telling me I had to catch up or get left behind. The first of many things HPDS taught me was it’s okay to need a little extra time! In fact, one of the most important skills that HPDS taught me was the importance of self-advocating. My teachers helped me to realize it’s okay to say that I needed help and you should never be afraid to ask for that help. The faculty and staff of HPDS are one of the most significant and valuable assets the school has. Each and every one of them had a hand in helping mold me into the man I am today.

When I finally transitioned back into my local school system, I was nervous I was going to miss all my new friends. Ironically, this was really the only thing I was worried about. I was not worried or scared about not being able to stay with the class, not scared to ask questions, and not even concerned about bullies. For the first time in my life, I finally felt confident that I had all the tools and skills I needed to be successful.

Today, I am proud of where I came from, where I am, and where I am going. I was able to graduate middle school with High Honors and High School on the Dean’s List and with honors. Most importantly, I was able to graduate within four years from Indiana University, majoring in Apparel Merchandising, and minoring in Business, Fashion Design, and Informatics. Currently, I am the Assistant Buyer for watches at Sears Holding.

I am where I am today because of HPDS, and I am completely confident almost nothing I just said would have happened without it. Words cannot describe the gratitude I have for this school and the faculty and staff for changing my life. This quote from former president John F. Kennedy reiterates how I keep HPDS with me every day and how I show my appreciation, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

Hyde Park Day School has changed the course of Christopher’s life for the better.

When Christopher started at HPDS, I was so worried and fearful that I was losing him. He had always been an incredibly curious and adventurous kid, however, being a kid with dyslexia at a traditional school was sucking the life out of him. The stress that Christopher felt, that I felt, and that my family felt was truly overwhelming.

After spending three years at HPDS, he emerged a totally different person. He is more confident, he understands his strengths and weaknesses, and he is learning to advocate for himself.  Most importantly, he’s beginning to like himself! This school has changed the course of his life for the better.

I hope everyone at HPDS understands the impact they have on students’ lives, and how much their efforts are appreciated. I respect everyone there as a true professional, and incredibly talented, patient, hard-working, and committed. More importantly, you are all incredibly kind and warm human beings. Christopher and I are better people because we had the chance to get to know all of you.

Thank you all so much.

Aislinn has a new-found outlook on herself and her own possibilities.

By the time Aislinn was in second grade, she began to withdraw from her friends, her schoolwork and us, her family. Previously an inquisitive, outgoing child, she rarely called her friends for play dates and she stopped raising her hand and engaging with her teacher at school. In her public school class of 30 plus students, she spent most of her day being teased by her peers as she watched other children do their work.  Then she would come home to struggle through hours of homework at night, as we tried to re-teach her what she was supposed to be learning in school. She met with failure and frustration every day at school and every night at home. We were also unsure of what Aislinn’s challenges were and what she needed to learn to read and do basic math.  Also, her social challenges were taking a toll on her confidence.

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“She perceives herself as a learner, someone who persists through barriers to access knowledge.”
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(Fast forward five years later) Aislinn now lives in a different world because of her time at HPDS. She has different opportunities now because she has gained academic skills that enable her to do grade level work with the necessary learning supports. Most importantly, she has a different outlook on herself and the possibilities that lie ahead.  She perceives herself as a learner, someone who persists through barriers to access knowledge.  She understands that everyone brings something different to the table; that everyone has their own set of challenges. Thanks to HPDS, she has many tools she can use to address her own challenges.

Her teachers at HPDS left no stone unturned and now Aislinn can live a different life. Perhaps people might think I’m exaggerating about what HPDS has done for Aislinn, but I have a brother and a father who struggle with similar challenges and while they have made good lives for themselves, their early academic difficulties continue to define their worldview in difficult and painful ways.

Aislinn’s learning challenges will always be with her, but she believes that she is a learner, that she can go after academic goals, and with hard work and support she can achieve them.