From a Gwinnett County parent:
My 16-year-old is an amazing kid. He has overcome a lot of obstacles, and (for the most part) stays very positive through it all. When he was very young, he was diagnosed with ADD and Central Processing Disorder, which makes it harder for him to focus and make connections. He has attended private school since 2nd grade. The smaller environment made it easier to concentrate and receive more individualized instruction.
In 8th grade, he had a LOT of social difficulties, so we contemplated putting him in public school, where the pool of friends would be bigger. We had him tested first to make sure he was entering an environment that would be conducive to learning for him.
His ed-psych testing was very thorough. The results indicated that he would not be placed in gifted or high achieving classes, but he also scored high enough that he wouldn’t qualify for any special assistance or services in the classroom. So, he would be placed in classrooms with 30+ students, without any extra guidance. For someone who struggles to be in big groups, the distractions would be overwhelming. He would simply be a number in a large, public high school. The test told us that he was where he needed to be: in a small environment with lots of support.
He got a fresh start at a different private school, has found a place to learn and serve, and has lots of supportive adults to help him. This year is his best so far. None of that would’ve been possible without a scholarship from Learning to Serve. And, he is serving his school, church and community, which has grown a heart of service in him. We are so very grateful for the opportunity Learning to Serve provided for him!
