A Negative Experience

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-18 14:31:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I've been reading all these posts and I truly appreciate everyone's insight.

Even though there are "Tons" of negative comments, our family decided to schedule an interview, we chose Woodstock.  Our experience was incredibly enlightening, our interviewer really was able to grasp where we were as a family and what steps needed to be taken.  our twin daughters plan to attend the summer program.  We are very, very excited.  And so are our girls."

Yes, Hyde is very good at reeling em in!!  Just wait until you are in the "real program."  You will not only be confronted on your own problems in your family, you will be pressured into attacking other kids and parents.  If you don't attack these other parents you will then be told that you are not honest.  The whole place is messed up!  You will see.  Give it time!  

If you don't mind me asking, why in the world would you enroll your twins at Hyde?  Who recommended Hyde School to you?

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-18 11:33:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Hi Could you tell me what school you found for your daughter, I was considering Hyde, but after reading this I am rethinking, and looking for something else for my daughter.  Thanks."

It's hard to recommend specific schools without knowing more about what your daughter needs specifically.  There are so many different kinds of schools that specialize and do better with certain kinds of kids.  Some schools are good with kids with learning disabilities, ADD, drug/alcohol problems, psychiatric issues, defiance.  Hyde's major problem is that it accepts almost everyone who applies and treats them all the same.  Hyde doesn't have special services or programs and many kids have trouble there and leave.

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-18 14:31:00, Anonymous wrote:


"I've been reading all these posts and I truly appreciate everyone's insight.


Even though there are "Tons" of negative comments, our family decided to schedule an interview, we chose Woodstock.  Our experience was incredibly enlightening, our interviewer really was able to grasp where we were as a family and what steps needed to be taken.  our twin daughters plan to attend the summer program.  We are very, very excited.  And so are our girls."

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.  We were also impressed at the beginning and our child had a good summer experience.  Only after that did we discover the REAL Hyde.  Summer Challenge is Hyde "lite."  The real bad stuff started in september.  Get ready to be confronted if you don't spill lots of personal details about your family dysfunction.  Get ready for staff to fill your heads with lots of Hyde terminology.  Get ready to meet kids who have big struggles that Hyde won't address.  Get ready for the Joe Gauld sermons.  "

I want you to be very careful when you go to Summer Challenge.  On the surface it makes Hyde look pretty good-some good discussions, performance, etc.  But I'll never forget what I witnessed at the end of Summer Challenge when parents visited.  A girl's dad figured out that Hyde was the wrong place for his daughter.  It was obvious to everyone, and I mean everyone, that she had some mental illness problems.  Her behavior was often out of control and she took lots of meds.  She had lots of problems during Summer Challenge obeying the rules and staying out of trouble.  Anyway, on the last day her dad announced in seminar that he had decided to send her to a different program for kids like her.  He was worried that Hyde didn't have the professionals his daughter needed to help her.  Later that afternoon I was standing about 10 feet from a bench outside the dorm at Woodstock.  I heard an entire conversation between Mr. Felt and the dad.  Mr. Felt was going on and on about how the dad was making a mistake sending his kid to another school.  Mr. Felt tried hard to convince the dad to keep his daughter at Hyde.  He sounded like a salesman.  Everything in that conversation told me that the priority at Hyde is keeping kids enrolled at Hyde even when another school is what the child needs.  I got to know that student well.  There's no way in the world that Hyde was the right place for her.  But Mr. Felt did everything possible to keep her there.  Was he more concerned about how many Summer Challenge kids would stay at Hyde than he was about what was best for this child who was in pain?  It sure seemed that way to me.  That's when I began to realize what Hyde is all about. And it's not good.

[Troll Control]

On 2006-04-18 14:42:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-18 14:38:00, Anonymous wrote:


"http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/CounselingPrograms.aspx"

Why would you post this, The Who?  What is your motivation for promoting an abusive facility on a thread that has nothing to do with HLA?



For anyone who doesn't know this person, he is The Who, supporter of all programs, especially abusive ones.



Who, you're behavior is deplorable.  Don't think you can hide behind the bag either.  Remember your idea of "tagging" anon posts?  Well, you're the test case."

yeah this guy the who is real loser.  he only comes on to argue about stuff that he has no clue about.  i hope he doesn't pollute this thread like the other ones he posts on.

[Joey Shakes -Moitoza]

I was almost sent to HLA i kindve wish i was now being at hyde at least they physically abuse me not mentally hyde bombards your brain with stupid relentless rhetoric as chris anter would say there all fascist. The people that know whats up are always shut down

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-19 06:24:00, Joey Shakes -Moitoza wrote:

"I was almost sent to HLA i kindve wish i was now being at hyde at least they physically abuse me not mentally hyde bombards your brain with stupid relentless rhetoric as chris anter would say there all fascist. The people that know whats up are always shut down"

It is a great preperation for life.  Society bombards you will effemeral drivel, "some man comes on the radio with some useless infomation try'n to fire may imagination"  Truer words never passed Mick's lips.
"I can't get me no .. no no no yah yah yah"

Remember the words of Sir Paul:
"Boy your gonna carry that weight, carry that weight along time."
cheer up. hve fun at lacross practice this after,

Love

Sue

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-19 04:44:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:


"

On 2006-04-18 14:31:00, Anonymous wrote:



"I've been reading all these posts and I truly appreciate everyone's insight.



Even though there are "Tons" of negative comments, our family decided to schedule an interview, we chose Woodstock.  Our experience was incredibly enlightening, our interviewer really was able to grasp where we were as a family and what steps needed to be taken.  our twin daughters plan to attend the summer program.  We are very, very excited.  And so are our girls."

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.  We were also impressed at the beginning and our child had a good summer experience.  Only after that did we discover the REAL Hyde.  Summer Challenge is Hyde "lite."  The real bad stuff started in september.  Get ready to be confronted if you don't spill lots of personal details about your family dysfunction.  Get ready for staff to fill your heads with lots of Hyde terminology.  Get ready to meet kids who have big struggles that Hyde won't address.  Get ready for the Joe Gauld sermons.  "

I want you to be very careful when you go to Summer Challenge.  On the surface it makes Hyde look pretty good-some good discussions, performance, etc.  But I'll never forget what I witnessed at the end of Summer Challenge when parents visited.  A girl's dad figured out that Hyde was the wrong place for his daughter.  It was obvious to everyone, and I mean everyone, that she had some mental illness problems.  Her behavior was often out of control and she took lots of meds.  She had lots of problems during Summer Challenge obeying the rules and staying out of trouble.  Anyway, on the last day her dad announced in seminar that he had decided to send her to a different program for kids like her.  He was worried that Hyde didn't have the professionals his daughter needed to help her.  Later that afternoon I was standing about 10 feet from a bench outside the dorm at Woodstock.  I heard an entire conversation between Mr. Felt and the dad.  Mr. Felt was going on and on about how the dad was making a mistake sending his kid to another school.  Mr. Felt tried hard to convince the dad to keep his daughter at Hyde.  He sounded like a salesman.  Everything in that conversation told me that the priority at Hyde is keeping kids enrolled at Hyde even when another school is what the child needs.  I got to know that student well.  There's no way in the world that Hyde was the right place for her.  But Mr. Felt did everything possible to keep her there.  Was he more concerned about how many Summer Challenge kids would stay at Hyde than he was about what was best for this child who was in pain?  It sure seemed that way to me.  That's when I began to realize what Hyde is all about. And it's not good.   "

I once stood on the sidelines on the field at a Hyde varsity game at Woodstock.  It was during spring family weekend.  I was standing near Malcolm Gauld and Duncan McCrann (and the McCrann dog).  I overheard Gauld and McCrann talking about enrollment concerns.  The 2 of them talked about the percentage of parents who at this time of year have committed to returning to Hyde for the fall and that the percentage was lower than usual.  Right after that I heard Gauld talk about the heavy competition from other boarding schools for the kinds of kids Hyde usually takes.  He said something about how many other schools have started taking Hyde-type kids and this is an issue.  It's all beginning to make sense to me now.  I think Hyde is taking many students that aren't the right fit for Hyde because they have enrollment problems.  No wonder there are so many complaints about Hyde not meeting students' needs. I get the STRONG feeling that there are Hyde enrollment problems and concerns.

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-19 07:39:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2006-04-19 04:44:00, Anonymous wrote:


"

On 2006-04-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:



"

On 2006-04-18 14:31:00, Anonymous wrote:




"I've been reading all these posts and I truly appreciate everyone's insight.




Even though there are "Tons" of negative comments, our family decided to schedule an interview, we chose Woodstock.  Our experience was incredibly enlightening, our interviewer really was able to grasp where we were as a family and what steps needed to be taken.  our twin daughters plan to attend the summer program.  We are very, very excited.  And so are our girls."

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.  We were also impressed at the beginning and our child had a good summer experience.  Only after that did we discover the REAL Hyde.  Summer Challenge is Hyde "lite."  The real bad stuff started in september.  Get ready to be confronted if you don't spill lots of personal details about your family dysfunction.  Get ready for staff to fill your heads with lots of Hyde terminology.  Get ready to meet kids who have big struggles that Hyde won't address.  Get ready for the Joe Gauld sermons.  "

I want you to be very careful when you go to Summer Challenge.  On the surface it makes Hyde look pretty good-some good discussions, performance, etc.  But I'll never forget what I witnessed at the end of Summer Challenge when parents visited.  A girl's dad figured out that Hyde was the wrong place for his daughter.  It was obvious to everyone, and I mean everyone, that she had some mental illness problems.  Her behavior was often out of control and she took lots of meds.  She had lots of problems during Summer Challenge obeying the rules and staying out of trouble.  Anyway, on the last day her dad announced in seminar that he had decided to send her to a different program for kids like her.  He was worried that Hyde didn't have the professionals his daughter needed to help her.  Later that afternoon I was standing about 10 feet from a bench outside the dorm at Woodstock.  I heard an entire conversation between Mr. Felt and the dad.  Mr. Felt was going on and on about how the dad was making a mistake sending his kid to another school.  Mr. Felt tried hard to convince the dad to keep his daughter at Hyde.  He sounded like a salesman.  Everything in that conversation told me that the priority at Hyde is keeping kids enrolled at Hyde even when another school is what the child needs.  I got to know that student well.  There's no way in the world that Hyde was the right place for her.  But Mr. Felt did everything possible to keep her there.  Was he more concerned about how many Summer Challenge kids would stay at Hyde than he was about what was best for this child who was in pain?  It sure seemed that way to me.  That's when I began to realize what Hyde is all about. And it's not good.   "

I once stood on the sidelines on the field at a Hyde varsity game at Woodstock.  It was during spring family weekend.  I was standing near Malcolm Gauld and Duncan McCrann (and the McCrann dog).  I overheard Gauld and McCrann talking about enrollment concerns.  The 2 of them talked about the percentage of parents who at this time of year have committed to returning to Hyde for the fall and that the percentage was lower than usual.  Right after that I heard Gauld talk about the heavy competition from other boarding schools for the kinds of kids Hyde usually takes.  He said something about how many other schools have started taking Hyde-type kids and this is an issue.  It's all beginning to make sense to me now.  I think Hyde is taking many students that aren't the right fit for Hyde because they have enrollment problems.  No wonder there are so many complaints about Hyde not meeting students' needs. I get the STRONG feeling that there are Hyde enrollment problems and concerns.  "

Oh sure kick a man when he is down.  You must have been one of those leadership seniors.  What do they call them now "SLA" ?

sue doenym

[Ursus]

On 2006-04-09 17:54:00, Anonymous wrote:

On 2006-04-09 16:30:00, Anonymous wrote:

I would like to see a list of staff who have "devoted their lives" to the kids?  I would like to see some of these names other than the close knit family and extended family of Joe Gauld who are in it for the money and the fact that they can't succeed in anything else.  Give us some names of some morally correct and emotionally stable staff at Hyde who have been there for years.  PLEASE!!

There's a big difference between "devoted their lives to Hyde" and "emotionally stable."  Based on my extensive involvement with Hyde, I'd say that there are a number of people who have devoted their lives to the school and aren't married into the Gauld family (examples: Pam Bertschy, Donna Dubinsky, Bob Felt, Charles Fraser, Pete Gregory, Tom Lord, Mickey McGuire, Rose Mulligan, Dan Murphy, Pete Neal, John Rigney, Rich Truluck, Jason Warnick).  A few seem like fairly reasonable people.  Quite a few, however, seem to use Hyde as a crutch as a way to deal with their own major demons and challenges in life.  I'm not sure some of these people could make it outside of Hyde.  Hyde tells them how to think, how to talk, how to behave.  All they have to do is fill in the blanks.  I like a few of the Hyde people who have devoted their lives to the place.  But I find many of the staff to be fairly stunted emotionally, immature, power hungry, glib, and very insecure. Hyde gives them the fuel they need to function.

Wow, mentioning all these names is opening a big can of worms.  Hate to mention what I know about some of these names, but lets just say that you have listed many who are there only because they need heavy psychological counseling themselves. You have someone on this list who slides through Hyde only because he needs a job and needs to support a big family. Why does his family not participate at Hyde?  Ever ask yourself that?

You have another couple of staff who went to Hyde themselves yet after 30 or more years are emotionally stuck back in time. They even dress alike, wear their hair the same and are all overweight. You also have a couple of kids on the list whose lives have been messed up since the day they went to Hyde themselves. They can't seem to move on after all those years of Hyde seminars.  I see one family on the list whose son went to Hyde and now teaches at Hyde.  The parents were on the Hyde staff then moved away to try to make a go of the career they were educated in, yet now they are all back. It is a form of therapy for them. Do you really think they came back because of a calling in life or more that they can't get along in a normal environment.  Very sad.  They are nice people but definitely need the type of therapy that Hyde can't provide.

For those of you who question what a normal environment is, Hyde is definitely not it.  It is a communal environment with a lot of dysfunctional staff, teachers, and alumni parents.  I do not know all of the people on this list as I was only there for 2 years, but don't kid yourself about these people being there to help.  I like some of them and they are decent people, but the truth is they are there because they need the therapy.

The most important question is, DO YOU WANT TO PAY $35,000++ to be taught by these role models?  It isn't as though your children are getting good educations from Hyde because the school itself is very lax in education.

This is one persons opinion.

Perhaps underscoring some of the above observations, perhaps not, is Kirstie Truluck's blog post "Teacher's Prayer for Today"...

Tell me, is this in any way even remotely reflective of what actually goes on at Hyde School these days? Or, is this the result of some well intentioned but clearly delusional koolaid consumption? Or is this, possibly, simply yet more public relations and marketing?

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Teacher's Prayer for Today
September 21, 2011 | By Kirstie Truluck | Bath Blogs, Blogs, Kirstie Truluck



It is a sacred thing we do here  – working with the minds, hearts and souls of young men and women.

I must take a quiet moment each day to be thankful for my gifts and shortcomings as I strive to wake them from the slumber of mediocrity and pull them from the chaos of the youth culture.

Thank you God for the work I do each day.  May I be up to the task tomorrow and the next day.

Help me remember to love them.  Remind me to hold my tongue sometimes when my mind drifts to criticism.  Give me the sight to see their beauty.

Thank you for giving me a heart that breaks just a little when they hold themselves back from their greatness – especially the so small greatness that comes from small acts of courage, concern, integrity and humility each day.  And finally thank you for the gift of wisdom concerning the ways I can coach them to do what they believed they could not.

Amen.


# #

[Anonymous]

Experience is experience weather it is positive or negative. If you had negative experience then it is effective for you as through that you will definitely learn something. To gain success and to achieve your goal then it is necessary for a person to except the negative experience as a challenge.

[survivorami]

Some things you don’t forget until your dying day.. or dementia, whichever comes first…