As parents, we all have been down a similar path. We start by seeking a safe harbor where our children will thrive; but, then we encounter difficulties getting proper help or attention for them. Before finding Fairhill, we struggled, worried and despaired over the education of our four children. Fairhill helped to rebuild our trust and confidence in the education process and helped our children find academic success. Fairhill encourages students to discover the best within themselves and to achieve excellence despite the challenges they find along the way.

Parents of an 8th Grader, 11th Grader, Graduates, Fairhill family since August 2012

Our son was diagnosed with learning differences at a young age. Prior to finding Fairhill, he was filled with self-doubt and we were incredibly frustrated by the one size fits all approach to learning. After only a few months at Fairhill, he stated, “the teachers at Fairhill teach differently. I think we found the missing piece to my puzzle!” We are thankful for the highly qualified teachers at Fairhill who think outside the educational box and teach based on the individual and unique needs of their students. Fairhill is not only teaching our child how to learn; but, is also making a positive difference in our family.

Parents of a 6th Grader, Fairhill family since February 2015

During the pandemic, the worldwide medical community has put their lives at risk every single day, and certainly deserve every bit of the attention and recognition they receive. Although teachers aren’t risking their lives, their efforts to teach our kids during this new age of “Distance Learning” is also worthy of great admiration. For months, they’ve had to figure out ways to hold the attention of their students who are challenged with every possible distraction imaginable. (“I’m not kidding Mr. Bresslow, my dog really did eat my homework. Look!” Cut to live Zoom footage of Daisy enjoying fractions a lot more than Timmy.)

So, as a tiny tribute to all the educators out there who’ve persevered through these extremely challenging times, I’d like to share this two-minute video of one of my son’s teachers who clearly loves teaching. To me, she represents all the great educators out there who demonstrate tremendous passion, creativity and ingenuity to hold the attention of their students even in the most trying circumstances. (The teacher’s name is Señora Dallas, the class is Spanish II, the school is Fairhill, and yes, that’s a real dog.)

Thank you Señora Dallas! Thank you, teachers! Your effort and passion is greatly appreciated! You are truly on the front lines of our children’s future.

Link to the instructional video mentioned above: https://bit.ly/2AFU4bl

Parent of 10th grader

I came to Fairhill at the beginning of 4th grade unable to read or write. I was at risk of being held back and ‘falling through the cracks’ of the public school system. My parents knew I could succeed if given the proper educational environment … At Fairhill, teachers pushed me to learn and grow. They drove me to go beyond what I thought I could do. Because of Fairhill, I was given the opportunity and tools necessary to succeed.

Graduate, Fairhill family for 7 years

When I first heard about Fairhill I was in middle school, ironically, I was getting more testing done; because, I have ADHD and Dyslexia. My parents and I talked about setting a date to do a school tour at Fairhill. During the school tour; I saw other kids who also have learning disabilities and it made me feel better because they knew what I was going through. The principal let me come visit for a whole day to see what it was like to be a student. After the visiting Fairhill, I knew this was the school for me and I was so excited to go to high school at Fairhill. This school made me feel like I was at home and I felt like I belonged somewhere now. The friends that I made during high school are still my friends to this day. These friendships are extremely important to me and I cherish all of the friends I made at Fairhill. We could relate to one another because we all had different learning disabilities and that was “normal”. I didn’t feel like an outcast at school like I use to before. It gave me the confidence that I was longing for as well as a second chance and reassurance of enjoying school and finally feel like I was somewhere I belong.

If I could say one thing to my former teachers, administrators and coaches at Fairhill is thank you. Thank you for always pushing me to do better when it came to my academics, and challenging me to do better and never settle for less. Thank you for your endless creativity and passion in the classroom, from making science fun and doing experiments to bringing history to life. Learning to enjoy books from reading different kinds of literature from around the world to making Spanish fun and exciting by acting out scenes from Shakespeare. Thank you for your energy and humor, and creating special bonds with me. Building trust and knowing that I can always come to my teachers for guidance. Thank you for the dedication and wanting the best for your students. Fairhill is more than a school, Fairhill is home and they will always be a second home for me and the rest of my life.

Graduate, Fairhill family for 6 years

When our daughter was born, we noticed it took her a longer amount of time to meet the milestones set forth by her pediatrician. She crawled, walked and talked later than what we expected; but, we didn’t think much of it. When entering Kindergarten, the teacher mentioned that she thought she would most likely land in a gifted/talented program because she was so bright. In first grade and second grade, everything was status quo. She was reading and writing on grade level; however, in third grade, it became clear that the teachers had missed a few things along the way. She had reading therapy every day; but her grades were still slipping. She could not keep the pace of the other students and was beginning to fail in many subject areas. As parents, we did not know what to do. Do we get her tutoring? Do we homeschool and find additional therapies? We decided to test her both academically and psychologically and it was determined she had Dyslexia and ADHD, which commonly go hand in hand. This information was very helpful and we could now determine next steps. After learning about Fairhill School from a family friend, we decided to enroll her for the 4th grade. Within two weeks of being at Fairhill, we could see a difference in her. First off, she wanted to go to school and see her friends, which was not the case in public school. Fairhill helped her to become self-confident in her studies and interpersonal relationships. She attended Fairhill School from 4th grade – 12th grade and graduated as Salutatorian of her class. She has been very successful in college and is pursuing a degree in elementary education. She wants to be a teacher and of course, would love to come back to Fairhill and teach, when the time is right.

Parents of Graduate, Fairhill family for 9 years