Spencer’s Story
by Spencer's Mom

To say that New Horizon School saved our family is not an exaggeration. Honestly, before we found this school my son was failing out of school. He had no self-esteem. My husband and I had to take time off of work on a frequent basis. Our family home life was in constant turmoil. My husband and I were terrified of what the future held for our son.

My son has Attention Deficit Disorder without Hyperactivity, although it was not diagnosed until he was in seventh grade. He began falling behind in fifth grade. He just could not keep up with the quantity of work assigned. As the workload increased he did less and less. His teacher felt that he was capable but lazy. He finished the school year with C, D and F grades. Sixth grade was worse. My husband and I were called to school to meet with his team of (6) teachers, a nurse, a psychiatrist, a counselor, and a vice principal.  We were not given any suggestions on how to help him nor were we offered any testing of any kind.  Our son’s grades didn’t improve and he became more and more detached.  By January of seventh grade we knew our son did indeed have ADD. In addition he had a language processing delay and gaps in his mathematics abilities. His I.Q. is above average to superior. He ended seventh grade with a 0.0 grade point average. 

The stress was taking a toll on us. Our son was becoming more and more belligerent. My husband and I were wracked with guilt and worry. I was crying on a daily basis.

We knew he needed a different type of school and a fresh start.

I researched many schools via the Internet. I asked everyone I knew to tell me about schools with different types of teaching methods. I talked to several principals. Many said they did not think their school would be a good fit for my son. Then I saw a New Horizon advertisement in Seattle’s Child. I knew someone whose son had gone there. She had really good things to say and she also told me that if not for New Horizon her son would not have graduated.

During the summer I met with the New Horizon Principal, Marla Veliz. We went over all of my son’s records. I toured the facility and learned about the teaching methods, class size etc. My son went to a trial week of summer school to see if this was a good placement. The teacher said my son was great; He would be a nice addition to the school! It had been so long since I had heard anything positive about him I was nearly giddy with joy. I began to feel a surge of hope. My son had not wanted to leave his friends at Public School but he agreed to go to New Horizon for his eighth grade school year.

New Horizon seemed like a miracle. The class sizes are small. The students are ability- grouped so that they can achieve at their own pace. The electives are quite varied for such a small school. The staff is so friendly. After my son’s first month he was doing so well, I was joyous. People kept cautioning me not to be too optimistic, that this might not be the answer to all of my son’s problems. And they are only a tiny bit right. My son is still challenging sometimes but it is proportionate now. He is your everyday, oddball, normal teenager. I send him off to school happy and pick him up from school happy. We’re delighted!

My son finished Eighth grade with a 3.85 grade point average. He was chosen to be one of the speakers at Eighth grade graduation. He is a Ninth grader now and he is still doing great. He is at grade level in two subjects, above grade level in two and is fast getting to grade level in his weakest subject, math. He intends to stay at New Horizon School until he graduates.

New Horizon School really did become our salvation. My son is a happy, confident learner now. He feels that he is in a supportive, friendly environment. I no longer cry at the drop of a hat. My younger daughter no longer feels neglected because her brother receives so much attention. My husband and I go to work with relative confidence that we will not have to be called away any second. There are not enough adjectives in the world to describe this wonderful school.