|
Round up: A look
at residential schools in
New England
NEW HAMPSHIRE
(October
2004 Issue)
New Hampshire has two new residential schools operating this year,
according to the Department of Education's Leslie Higgins, the administrator
for non-public boarding schools. Both the Oliverian School in Haverhill
and the Shortridge Academy in Milton offer an alternative to public
schools for children who need a more supportive environment in which
to thrive. Neither is coded for special education, explains Higgins,
but instead work with children who might be having a difficult time
in mainstream schools.
Shortridge opened its 40 beds in November of last year. The school
offers an 18-month program for "non-clinical children with a myriad
of self-esteem issues," says Roger Topp, the school's admissions
director. The academy's program is divided into three six-month
phases, each focusing on a theme of foundations, relationships and
leadership.
"The school has a softer profile," he says, than some alternative
schools. "We do not take dual diagnoses."
Shortridge is geared towards a college prep environment with graduates
going on to top colleges, Topp adds. The curriculum runs year-round
with an open enrollment for children in grades nine through 12.
The school has a licensed social worker on staff to handle clinical
assessments.
Oliverian, a non-profit school that is heading into its second
year, offers a college prep program for non-traditional learners
in grades seven through 12 who may have "lost their way." Students
accepted include those whose educational needs can be better met
with smaller, one-on-one attention, says Barclay MacKinnon, head
of the school.
"It could be smaller classes and a closer classroom" that makes
the difference for these students, he says. The school's program
combines academics with service goals and what they call Adventure
Education. The physical education part of the program includes Outward
Bound activities, ropes courses, skiing and intramural sports.
The school has a psychologist and a staff psychiatrist available
to work with students who have issues ranging from Attention Deficit
Disorder to low self-esteem.
Catherine Robertson Souter
|
