I sincerely appreciated your thoughtful message. Your concern about Hyde students responding on this site with perhaps inflammatory words is probably just age-appropriate, but may also truly reflect their frustration in being so very suppressed 24/7 and living in a fear-oriented atmosphere....this is just my gut reaction. This gives them a venue to vent without being (hopefully) put on 2/4.
I learned of this site recently from parents of a wonderful young man who spent two years at Hyde - He did NOT want to be a senior at Hyde - he was tired of it all, and was extremely frustrated that he was constantly being pulled out of academic classes to act as a "senior Proctor" for the kids on 2/4 when the school could not find enough available seniors.
He is happy with his transtion - but Hyde put his parents through absolute hell and agony when they chose to withdraw him - recommendations and school reports and all that stuff that is required to transfer ANYWHERE were just incredibly difficult to get.........Hyde didn't want to lose this student, but they did.
They also lost my son after just one year - My husband and I were totally "on board" with Hyde and totally committed to availing us of all opportunities...........participated fully and honestly at Family Weekends and FLCs. But it started to become apparent that we, too, were living in an atmosphere of fear and "Big Brother is Watching You" - There were often many HAPA parents strolling around with flat affect on their faces and "snooping" into people's private conversations, etc. - It was just so eery - My husband and I have made some really wonderful friends at Hyde - but our bond has been the genuine laughter we shared when we were allowed "off campus" for a meal during these weekends.
But backing up a bit - our son went to Hyde with our blessing for a few reasons. He is learning disabled, has two genetic brain anomalies which impact his auditory processsing and his word retrieval abilites. He needs the structure of a "shoe box" and NOT the structure of a "football field" - he was adopted at birth and has waded through immense attachment issues.
We thought the Hyde Message was great - (It turns out that the messenger is 180 degrees opposite...)
In our interview, we were told the following:
1. There were many adopted children at Hyde - and they were about to launch special programs for these adopted children with huge issues.
2. We were encouraged to sign our son up to participate in the "LEAD Program" - a nightly special ed study hall/classroom where their individual needs would be addressed - for this, we paid an additional 2/3,000 dollars each semester.
FACT-
Yes, there are many, many adopted children at Hyde - they never started any sort of help program - and when asked, they were dismissive - child's problems had nothing to do with adoption - we should just reach further into ourselves to ascertain that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" - In an FLC seminar, I mentioned that for our son, adopted at birth, the apple fell from a different tree in another orchard.........I got the evil stare from the facilitator - a divorcee and recovered (recovering?? - as are many...) alcoholic - she chewed me out literally after the seminar broke...
LEAD Program - we paid extra thousands of dollars so our son could get the extra academic help that he truly needs. Turns out that the LEAD program has NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, to do with helping kids with learning disabilities. It is just a mandatory study hall - staffed by whomever might be available - there was absolutely no help given to individual students - according to our son, whom we have chosen to listen to, most of the time was spent by the "proctor" critiquing, criticising and demeaning the kids.
I spoke to a few of my son's teachers periodically about his progress. Bear in my mind, it can be VERY, VERY difficult to reach a teacher - you might wait DAYS for a return phone call - not always, but often enough.
I was just blown away by one of my son's teachers - who, after several questions from me, finally admitted that her "teaching credentials" included ONLY studying a foreign language in HIGH SCHOOL and then spending a few weeks in Europe!!!! She had no certification at all!!
The other issue which transcends all of the above is the lack of adequate medical staff. I have talked to many, many parents at Hyde. Some of their children have huge medical/psychological issues. And Hyde has a nurse and nursing staff who basically distribute meds.........period!!
When my son was ill last Winter at Hyde, I was phoned to be advised that he would be taken to a local doctor. I asked for his symptons - was told what they were - and then I asked if they had read his medical history - They had NOT - My son had a life-threatening disease when he was 3/5 years old - it impacts ALL medical intervention for him - they couldn't find his records - I ended up driving to Hyde on a minute's notice to take him to their local off-campus doctor - we ended up in the local hospital for further tests - and he was much sicker than Hyde would EVER have known, because THEY DIDN'T READ HIS HISTORY or COULD NOT FIND IT. I was appalled, and this incident started to turn the tide against HYDE for us as a family.
I just thought that if they can't even take care of him medically, how on earth can they take care of his learing issues.
I don't know how many of you know that there is no doctor on the Hyde campus and there are absolutely no medical professionals on campus to help a myriad of kids with a myriad of issues.
But one tragic moment sticks in my mind - and will stick in my mind forever........and should make ANY prospective parent think twice about Hyde and its abilitiy to deal with an emergency....
A father of a Hyde-Woodstock boy collapsed outside the gym last Spring - Hyde had no doctor to help him, Hyde had no defribilator to help, Hyde eventually called a local ambulance. The father died where he fell. Hyde THEN had NO help for the many kids who witnessed this tragedy.....Hyde again had no plan...........
And they seem to have truly NO plan for much of anything, but the constant hype to solicit the almighty $$$$ at every possible gathering.
Shame on Joe Gauld - and shame on his pathetic family followers and other wierd followers.......
I have never been in such a negative atmosphere - smiles and "good stuff" is put down. Truly sad....
