On 2005-12-04 17:49:00, Anonymous wrote:
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On 2005-12-04 15:39:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Wow, thank you so much for the information!! Any OTHER schools you can recommend? After reading some of the things discussed on here about Hyde, and after what you just told me, I think Ill take your advice...Please share some other schools with a more upstanding reputation"
It's hard to recommend other schools without knowing more about your son and his unique challenges. (One of the big problems with Hyde is that they accept an unusually high percentage of applicants, many of whom are troubled kids with significant mental health, behavioral, and/or substance abuse issues. And, Hyde doesn't believe in employing professional mental health staff. Most of the other schools we've recently checked out are much more selective than Hyde and want to be sure they can meet the child's needs. At Hyde, they believe their model fits everyone who walks through the door.)
If your son is in the midst of significant crises, you'd have to look for a school that's equipped to deal with that (therapeutic boarding school, such as the Academy at Swift River: http://www.swiftriver.com/). If he's functioning well, overall, an "emotional growth" boarding school may make sense.
Woodbury Reports (see the Struggling Teens website) provides a good overview of available schools: http://www.strugglingteens.com/
For boys, I've heard very good things about the White Mountain School in New Hampshire: http://www.whitemountain.org/
Also you may want to check out the Glenholme school in Conn. (http://www.theglenholmeschool.org/) and Carlbrook in Virginia: (http://www.carlbrook.org/).
Again, it's hard to say without knowing more about your child.
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I found it very interesting when I looked up the description of "Swiftriver" and then looked up the description of Hyde on Hyde's site.
Swiftriver is very honest and clear about what type of school they are "Therapeutic boarding schools specialize in educating troubled teens struggling with behavior,emotional issues, or academics."
On the other hand I see that Hyde is NOT clear in their description of the program/school. I do not see where they have a definitive plan on the type of student that fits into this type of school. Are they a college prep school? A therapuetic boarding school? A Character Based School with a high percentage of students who have severe problems including bulimia, suicidal tendencies, drug abuse, alchohol problems? What is Hyde?
In reading some of these posts I see where a high percentage of the students at Hyde have mental health issues. If this is the case then why would Hyde not mention this on their promotional materials?
My question is, what type of school is Hyde? I think this is what all potential and current parents should be asking themselves. If Hyde doesn't know what type of school they are and what type of kids they can help, then how can they be successful?
Please look below at what is posted on each website;
Swiftriver
The Academy at Swift River is a private college preparatory therapeutic boarding school located in western Massachusetts. Swift River fosters personal growth and healthy self-expression in adolescents, inspires academic excellence, and teaches individual responsibility and service to others.
Therapeutic boarding schools specialize in educating troubled teens struggling with behavior, emotional issues, or academics. Boarding schools that specialize in troubled teens offer these teens the opportunity to focus on school and receive individualized attention.
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The Hyde Promise
Hyde helps students learn, embrace, and adopt a character compass that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This compass has four points:
1. An explicit philosophy of character in the form of Five Words: Courage, Integrity, Leadership, Curiosity, and Concern;
2. The most dynamic student peer culture in American education;
3. A dedicated faculty that will go to the ends of the earth to help teenagers and families connect with their potentials;
4. The opportunity for parents, the primary teachers, and the entire family to participate and gain individual and collective strength.
Hyde?s Offer To All Families
We strive to offer every student and family what we call a top five experience of a lifetime.
Those of us who work at Hyde do so because we believe that the world would be a better place if everyone spent some time here. We will continually strive to ensure the legitimacy of this belief.
Hyde is a one-of-a-kind place where entire families grow together.
Hyde consistently places at least 96 percent of its graduates in four-year colleges. From academic preparation to actual college admission counseling, each student receives boundless personal attention.
emotional issues, or academics. Boarding schools that specialize in troubled teens offer these teens the opportunity to focus on school and receive individualized attention.
