As part of the ongoing discussion inside of Dyslexic in America, we have dedicated a special section to K-12 Education with Strong support Services for people with dyslexia and other disabilities. I have sent out a request for information from each of the institutions we have begun two explore, I will be posting the responses from each individual institution as they come in. Some of the information I have requested are Annual Tuition cost, Teachers to student ratio, Date and time lines for admissions and other criteria and documentation needed for assistance..
The Winston School, located in Short Hills, NJ, is currently in its 29th year of operation, In 1981, the school opened its doors to 10 children at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chatham; one year later the school moved to a wing of the Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, across the street from the Public Library. In 1991, The Winston School moved to its present facility at the Christ Church “Education Building” in Short Hills. The current enrollment is 61 students, and children travel to the School each day from 28 different communities throughout New Jersey. Children attending Winston range in age from eight to thirteen and are in grades 3-8. Each child benefits from a robust and flexible curriculum that builds on individual strengths while effectively addressing areas of difficulty in learning—particularly in language-based areas. Small classes and one-on-one instruction help children develop the skills needed to meet the academic and social challenges of life as well as provide the necessary academic preparation for enrollment after Winston at leading independent schools regionally and out of state, as well as top public school programs. In addition to receiving a well-rounded curriculum enhanced by the latest innovations in technology, many of Winston’s students receive supplemental instruction in reading and language arts. Dyslexic students are trained to decode by using a multi-sensory approach based on the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching. Students are also able to receive “Speech and Language” and “Occupational Therapy” services at the school as part of the overall Winston program. The Winston program is rich and varied and there are specialist programs in Studio Art and Digital Arts; Music, Drama and Performance; Physical Education.
Students graduating from the school in eighth grade find they are well prepared for new opportunities at the secondary level and beyond. Normally, students enter Winston in grades 3 or 4 and graduate from the school in eighth grade. There are opportunities for students to enter at other grades on a space available basis. Many graduates are now attending college and several alumni, who recently graduated from college, are attending business school, law school or other graduate programs.
Dr. Peter S. Lewis, Ph.D., became the Head of School at Winston on July 1, 2009. An educator for more than 35 years, Dr. Lewis holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Public Policy Analysis from the School of Education at Stanford University. He previously served as the Head of School at The Kew-Forest School in Forest Hills, New York and Gateway School in Santa Cruz, California.
The Winston School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, as well as the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS). Winston was recently re-accredited by the Middle States Association, and also received accreditation from NJAIS. At the completion of the 2006-2007 year, all Winston faculty members were certified as “Schools Attuned” instructors. The “Schools Attuned” Program is an innovative, yearlong professional development program that embraces the philosophy and principles of All Kinds of Minds, a non-profit institute designed to help students who struggle with learning differences become more successful in the classroom.
Winston’s “individualized” approach to education calls for each student to work with different learning tools—particularly as related to “assistive technology”– in order to meet individual goals and objectives. Thus, all students have benefited from new technology that has been rapidly and enthusiastically incorporated into the program in recent years. Additionally, Alpha Smart personal computers, used for everything from homework preparation to in-class writing assignments and note-taking, enable students to develop measurably stronger writing, vocabulary and spelling skills. Technology assists prominently and productively in providing an innovative and expansive learning program relevant to all curricular and service areas.
The Winston School relies greatly on the generosity of its current and past parents, trustees, alumni and friends of the School to build and sustain its “cutting edge” programs—particularly those reliant on assistive technology. In addition to the “Annual Fund” and annual fund-raising events and extravaganzas—like the “Winston Pops” every May—Winston has received enormous support over the years from the following foundations:
• Hyde and Watson Foundation
• Robert and Joan Dirks Foundation
• Newman’s Own Foundation
• Summit Area Foundation
• CIBC World Markets
• Ambrose and Ida Frederickson Foundation
• Laura J. Niles Foundation
• Members Handicapped Children’s Fund
• Provident Bank Foundation
• Van Pelt Foundation
The Winston School also sponsors a special “speaker of renown” every March as an additional fund-raising event for the school. In 2009, actor Henry Winkler—who is dyslexic himself—was the special speaker. On March 24, 2010, 7 pm start at the Christ Church of Short Hills main sanctuary, the former Notre Dame football player, Rudy Ruettiger—who learned to contend with his own dyslexia—will share his amazing story of determination and fortitude. This “speaker series” presentation is sponsored by the following:
• Vincent Cestone Foundation
• The Linda P. Nortillo Foundation
• The Nacheff Family
• Simeone and O’Sullivan
• The Grand Summit Hotel
Contact: Dr. Peter S. Lewis, Ph.D.; 973-379-4114; plewis@winstonschool.org
Teacher-student ratio = 4 to 1
The Winston School, located in Short Hills, NJ, is currently in its 29th year of operation, In 1981, the school opened its doors to 10 children at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chatham; one year later the school moved to a wing of the Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, across the street from the Public Library. In 1991, The Winston School moved to its present facility at the Christ Church “Education Building” in Short Hills.
The pioneering founders of Winston were committed to ensuring that children with language-based learning challenges have the opportunity to realize their potential intellectually and emotionally in a warm and nurturing school setting. The founders also saw Winston as a special place that would provide children throughout the surrounding communities with an education enabling the child to develop essential learning and self-advocacy skills as well as self-respect, confidence and optimism for the future. This vision for Winston continues to be very much a part of the culture and abiding ethos of our school—a school that has transformed the lives of scores of children and parents over its nearly three decades of existence.
Indeed, The NJAIS (New Jersey Association of Independent Schools) Visiting Team commended our school after a successful accreditation visit (in the spring of 2008) by highlighting the extraordinary commitment and dedication toward achieving the school’s mission and related goals on the part of all stakeholder groups—trustees, administrators, faculty and staff, and parents, and those friends of Winston who have remained committed over the years to the ideals and passions of the founders.
Winston students are extraordinary young people with a vast range of abilities and interests; they are gifted in so many respects and they do reflect the greatness and the importance of The Winston School.
Today, The Winston School enrolls 61 students in grades 3 through 8; with 26 students in grades 3-5 and 35 students in grades 6-8. The school has 26 staff members providing a broad range and breadth of experiences, insights and training—serving to maintain and grow the school’s student-centered approaches to school.
Winston School forges a partnership with every family and every student enrolled—a partnership that will culminate with a successful graduation from the school—and the “moving on” of our students (and our parents) to success, confidence and happiness in the future beyond Winston.
Winston is a place where—to use the words of the NJAIS Visiting Team—there is a “strong congruence between the philosophy and the mission and the school’s curriculum and instruction.” The school provides a structured sense of purpose and fosters a community of “participants” rather than “spectators.” Winston draws out the best in children: the programs support the intellectual and emotional sides of students through providing varied opportunities that support their emerging growth and development.
As students grow and master various areas of the program, they also learn to reflect: they develop a keen insight into this art of reflection whereby they learn to make “knowledge stick” and they generate in themselves an internal scaffolding for further learning and mastery—as they move on to high school and to college and eventually to the work place.
Two recent excerpts from the New York Times are reflective in many respects as to the challenges experienced by Winston students prior to beginning at the school and the potential opportunities the school can provide. The first excerpt is from an interview with John T. Chambers, the chairman and C.E.O. of Cisco Systems. He was asked the question: “What are the most important leadership lessons you’ve learned?” Mr. Chambers replied:
“People think of us as a product of our successes. I’d actually argue that we’re a product of the challenges we faced in life. I had an issue with dyslexia before they understood what dyslexia was. One of my teachers…taught me to look at it like a curveball. The ball breaks the same way every time. Once you get used to it, you can handle it pretty well. So I went from almost being embarrassed reading in front of a class—you lose your place, and I read right to left—to the point where I knew I could overcome challenges. I think it also taught me sensitivity towards others.”
The second excerpt comes from an interview with the recent Nobel Prize recipient in Medicine, Dr. Carol W. Greider—a research biologist who is now at Johns Hopkins University. She is most notably one of the few women in history who has been awarded a Nobel Prize in a hard science. Dr. Greider commented:
“My parents were scientists. But I wasn’t the sort of child who did science fairs. One of the things I was thinking about today is that as a kid I had dyslexia. I had a lot of trouble in school and was put into remedial classes. I thought I was stupid….It was hard to overcome that. I kept thinking of ways to compensate. I learned to memorize things very well because I just couldn’t spell words. So later when I got to take classes like chemistry and anatomy when I had to memorize things, it turned out I was very good at that. I never planned a career. I had these blinders on that got me through a lot of things that might have been obstacles. I just went forward. It’s a skill that I had early on that must have been adaptive. I enjoyed biology in high school and that brought me to a research lab at UC Santa Barbara. I love doing experiments and I had fun with them. I realized this kind of problem-solving fit my intellectual style. So in order to continue having fun, I decided to go to graduate school at Berkeley. It was then that I went to Liz Blackburn’s lab, where telomeres were being studied.”
We at Winston certainly seek to build and sustain for children enrolled now and those who will enroll in the future a foundation for future learning and enjoyment—as well as a foundation for future reflection and self-awareness. I would be happy to speak with you personally about our school. Contact me at plewis@winstonschool.org
