Dear Chris,                                                                      May 31, 2008

    Last week after the termination ceremony (you really need to find another word to describe this wonderful ceremony) you asked me to jot down a few personal feelings about The Discovery School.  I am assuming you have asked me to do this for two reasons; our son had such a positive experience at the school and as a secondary, special education teacher/administrator for the past 30 years, I suppose it is safe to say that I have seen many different therapeutic and academic programs. However, I am not going to presume to know what is best for any one student (or teenager) at any given time. 

    As a parent, sixteen months ago I was ready to put him anywhere that would take him, we were at our wits end! We visited Georgia Irvin, an educational consultant in the Washington, D.C. area and she reluctantly suggested The Discovery School. I say reluctantly because our son didn’t seem to fit the “emotionally and or behaviorally troubled, learning disabled, and some boys that need a therapeutic wilderness program in a very rustic, rural setting” criteria. Well, he was an unmotivated, argumentative, lazy and doing poorly in school 15 year old from a comfortable, suburban area who definitely needed help. He had been to private schools, public schools, therapeutic summer programs, therapists and tutors. He just “didn’t care” about school or family and just wanted to have FUN.  We feared things would only worsen as he progressed to high school, if indeed he made it that far. My husband and I liked the rustic and rural setting part in the description of the Discovery School so we decided to drive out to Dillwyn, Virginia. 

    My absolute favorite part of this journey has got to be our first ever visit to The Discovery School. I have told this story so often to so many people that I’m certain   everyone believes me to be the official spokes person for the school! As we walked from the parking lot toward the administration building a small group of boys approached us. Their group leader asked us if we needed assistance, we said we were just visiting the school and would like to walk around and see the grounds. The group leader asked one of his charges if he’d like to show “ these people around?” Justin answered with a jovial “sure thing.” I will never forget this young man as long as I live. 

    The next hour was fun, informative and so entertaining that at the end of our tour I shook his hand and told him that I hoped one day our son could be as happy, mature and kind as he was. Justin just blushed and told us that he enjoyed our company and that he was sure that our son would “work things out here at DSVA”. Justin was one of those boys he told us, the court- ordered kid who had no family and always found himself in some kind of trouble. He had lived in various foster homes with no one ever wanting to take him in permanently. He told us that here at school he realized that he could be very happy just being himself. He had learned how to be independent and accountable which he felt gave him the tools to be successful where ever he ended up. I cried all the way home and was determined to send my son to the Discovery School.

    Fast forward sixteen months which finds our family sitting at the termination ceremony one week ago. We are watching our son standing in front of The  Discovery School staff and all the students listening to him thank us (his parents!) for sending him to such a great place. I couldn’t believe my ears as he laughed about all the hard work and the life lessons he had learned while in the woods. But the real reward came after the ceremony when a couple came up to me and took my hand and said they were so happy to be on a family visit that day to witness his termination. They went on to tell me that they too visited the school out of desperation one day and were given a tour by my sons. The woman told me that she went home that night and prayed that her son might one day be “just like him”. She described her son as unmotivated, lazy, and doing poorly in school, I cried and of course had to tell her our story.

    I know we still have a long road ahead of us. He will always be one of those kids who will have to do things his way and choose to take the road less traveled. He will make mistakes and he will most certainly get angry and frustrated at times. However, he can now share all of this with us without blaming us for his choices and ask us for help and maybe even accept our advice once in a while. He now has a whole new perspective on life; he is more appreciative and empathetic of people because of his own newfound confidence. 

    He told me recently that it was important to talk things out in his group but it was really more important to listen to what the other group members had to say and then listen some more just to be sure that you “get it right”. I find it amusing that since he has been home he has come to the conclusion that most of his friends could benefit from a year or two “in the woods” he told me that “none of them listen mom, it’s really frustrating.” I keep my fingers crossed for him and pray that his future is bright and in my heart I know that Justin was right, he did work things out at DSVA and we are so proud of him.

Sincerely,
Mike and Joanne B.

With his mom, May 2008