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I have a daughter, age 11 who has ADHD but is very bright in math, science and love the arts. Has social issues but very sports active. Has trouble with language arts (writing/reading). Has anyone heard of the Fletcher Academy in Raleigh? I see it is a school for ADHD children. Would welcome input and thoughts. Makng a move from MA to NC and schooling a HUGH issue. Thanks!
I have heard good things about fletcher academy. I think it can help students in the long run because the staff understand the different needs of the students, and is excellent at creating consequences with behavior. They are better able to understand the issues with add and or ld because it is their niche in the area. The downside, as I see it (I worked with college students with ADD) it is very small (125 students in grades k-12) which can make for a difficult transition to college. I would hope that the school teaches the kids independence even though it is small.
Other than that, I have heard excellent things about it.
Hands down the best school in the area for AD/HD and sports is Hopewell Academy.
Check our their academic web pages and their extensive athletics program including co-ed soccer and co-ed tennis. Other girls sports (basketball, volleyball) are in the works.
Coach Pogach and Coach Rendleman are terrific with the kids. This is a professionally run athletics program. Hopewell is a founding member of the new Central Carolina Athletic Conference. All ages including your daughter can participate.
Hopewell is a mere 3 years old and has already won the Entrepreneurial Award in Education by the Cary Chamber of Commerce and set a world record in the 2007 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Competition. Also they have extraordinarily talented teachers--most of whom have a master's degree or higher. They are one of the best kept secrets in the Triangle.
We enrolled our child at Fletcher this year. We won't be going back next year. While most of the teachers are really great. The school has grown very quickly recently and they've hired a lot of new teachers. Not all are qualified to work with these type of kids. The administration has recently changed too. Mrs. Blaylock is the headmaster and is totally inaccessible. We had a couple problems this year and requested a meeting with her more than once, and were always told she's busy. Ms. Bugg is the Dean of students/counselor and she stepped in to take care of everything. Ms. Bugg is a horrible counselor. She has been at Fletcher for 1 1/2 years now and has never worked as a counselor anywhere before. She may have a degree on her wall but is not experienced at all and it shows. Things seem to go from bad to worse when she gets involved. And she ALWAYS gets involved. Many parents are looking into new schools. We are looking at either Hopewell Academy or as very small school called Stevens Prep Academy. http://www.cmstevens.com/
Fletcher also has a lot of strict rules. They believe in no warnings. Some teachers are more forgiving than others. But for the most part, if you break a rule there is immediate consequences. They work on a check system. Checks are good. You must earn 4 checks in each class every day. If you do something wrong you lose a check, at the least. If you lose more than 4 checks a week you can't go to the fun activity on Friday. If you are tardy without an excuse you lose 4 checks and must go to behavioral hall during the free period after lunch. If you violate their strict dress code you lose checks and go to behavioral hall. They have a new dress code this year that all students must wear shirts with a collar. If you violate the dress code, depending on how serious they can expel you. If they expel you, you still have to finish paying for the rest of the year.
The new administration does not like parental involvement at all. If you have an issue with a teacher or your child has a problem getting along with another student or anything. Try to advise your child to talk to a teacher or someone and work it out themselves. If a parent talks to a teacher or send an email about anything all communication is forwarded to Ms. Bugg. She will become involved with everything. If you bother Ms. Bugg too often she will become annoyed with you and you will not be invited back the next year. They have no problem kicking people out.
Until new administration comes into this school I would strongly advice you to look elsewhere. If you decide to consider this school I would strongly advice you to request a copy of the student handbook and learn all the rules and consequences.
I strongly agree with LetsTeaParty. Stay away from the Fletcher Academy. Since the hiring of the headmaster, Junell Blaylock, the school has gotten out of control. I have no idea where Junell Blaylock got her education from, but I would get my money back if I were her. One thing that went wrong was when Robyn Munro left or actually from what I hear.....ran off by Ruby Bugg and Junell Blaylock. Ruby Bugg is the Dean of Students there and like LetsTeaParty stated......really has no idea how to be a counselor. There have been situations where students have been mistreated, physically and mentally, by Ms. Blaylock and Ms. Bugg. If you have any ounce of love for your child.....do not send them to the Fletcher Academy.
My husband and I may be moving to NC and the cary area in a few months. I have a step son who has ADHD but the private school that he is currently at has scholarships to help pay for the tuition ( the john mckay scholarship) . Are there any such programs in this area? I am so fearful of not being able to give him a good education if we move or find a school that he would fit into.
Most schools have some form of tuition assistance. But of course it's a first come first serve basis and only a limited number of people can get it. So you may not be able to get it for the first year you are here. Wanted to update that we decided to go with Steven's Prep Academy. Mainly because it is such a small school that we thought our daughter would get a lot of one on one help and the tuition cost is about half the price of other private schools in the area. We pulled her out after only 2 months there though. There was very little, to no instruction given. Students are expected to practically teach themselves. Read the text books and answer question sheets based on what they read. My daughter has several learning disabilities including Dyslexia, so this was very difficult for her. The headmaster (Dr. Steven's) I think is getting senile. He would often interrupt class to have a (quote)current events(quote) discussion. She was there back during the election and Dr. Steven's was a very strong McCain supporter. He had some very bad remarks to say about Obama and blacks in general. We were very offended, even though we aren't black. Bigotry isn't something I want my child to be taught at school, especially from the headmaster, whom she is supposed to respect. But some people seem to like this school. It has short days, 9am to 1pm with extra stuff you can enroll your child in if you need them to stay later. It all cost extra of course. But basically they will (quote)babysit(quote) your child until you get off work to pick them up. Kids who only have ADD/ADHD seem to do pretty well here. But my daughter has several learning issues, not just ADD, and they were not able to teach her in a way she needed. And they don't offer any art type classes at all and the only "elective" is a mandatory martial arts class. You get the basics at this school at that's it. But if you are able to pick your child up by 1pm then they have time to do extra stuff like dance class or whatever they are in to. We have a friend who sends her daughter to The Trilogy School The Trilogy School (http://www.trilogyschool.com/ts/main.php - broken link) Her daughter has attended there for several years, she's a Junior in high school. She says other than the school being so small and there aren't many potential friends there she's really happy with it. I have no personal experience there though so can't vouch for them myself. I'd heard from a family that works with my husband who send their son to Hopewell Academy that their policy with LD/ADHD kids is to pair them up with (quote)normal(quote) kids so that they try harder to keep up with their (quote)normal(quote) classmates. Not a philosophy I agree with, but again I don't have first hand experience with this school. Hope this helps you.
Last edited by LetsTeaparty; 05-05-2009 at 09:14 AM..
Letsteaparty, your discussion of Hopewell is not accurate. First only a small portion of Hopewell students have learning differences -- not unlike the classroom ratio you will find in any public school classroom in Wake County. Most are typical learners. And, without knowing which children were partnered or why (was it reading buddies?) or what grade level it is hard to make assumptions.
I encourage you to call or attend an open house to find out more information.
Fletcher also has a lot of strict rules. They believe in no warnings. Some teachers are more forgiving than others. But for the most part, if you break a rule there is immediate consequences.
<sarcasm> Oh, no! Not immediate consequences for breaking a rule!?! </sarcasm>
What the heck is wrong with holding children accountable for their behavior? I believe most schools and organizations don't do this enough. At least Fletcher got this right.
<sarcasm> Oh, no! Not immediate consequences for breaking a rule!?! </sarcasm>
What the heck is wrong with holding children accountable for their behavior? I believe most schools and organizations don't do this enough. At least Fletcher got this right.
As a mother of a child with a learning disability, children with learning disabilities do not always understand what they have done wrong right away. sometimes they may not understand why they are being punished. im all for holding kids accountable for their actions, but i think people have to understand they kids with ld's sometimes hear things a different way than we do.
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Hopewell Academy
