Kradwell School's new elementary program
works for families
By Nicole Adrian
Wauwatosa News-Times
Posted: Oct. 19, 2006
For a variety of reasons, a traditional
education doesn't work for all students.
That's where Kradwell School steps in.
For 43 years, Kradwell School has been serving middle- and high-school
students with learning and emotional disabilities, as well as gifted and
talented students.
This year, because of a generous donation
and fundraising efforts to build an addition, the school began serving
students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
A couple of years ago, a market research
study found that there weren't many options for elementary-age children
who needed an alternative to a traditional school, said Mark Bialzik,
Kradwell principal. Families also expressed an interest in an
elementary-level program.
Kradwell School, which is operated by
Aurora Health Care, serves students with dyslexia, attention deficit
disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and depression, as well
as students who are at risk of not graduating. It also provides an
option for gifted and talented students who aren't succeeding at a
traditional school.
Tuition is either privately paid by
families or sometimes school districts that can no longer provide
services for a student pay the tuition. One year of full-day elementary
school tuition is $17,860. The elementary program is designed to be full
day, although families can opt for a half-day program.
Moving toward mainstream
The goal of the school is to teach and
help students so that they can get back to attending traditional
schools, Bialzik said.
Kradwell was able to expand and add the
elementary program with help from the Gretchen and Andrew Dawes
Foundation, which contributed $600,000 with the stipulation that the
school would raise $1.7 million for the 1,698-square-foot addition.
Construction on the addition began in late 2005 and was completed in
June 2006.
The addition provided 10 additional
rooms, new bathrooms and allowed the building to become completely
accessible for people with disabilities, Bialzik said.
The program was designed for a maximum of
15 students; only two are enrolled this school year.
Because of the individualized classrooms,
different grade levels can be in the same classroom and each student can
learn at his or her own pace.
"You're working exactly where that
student is," Bialzik said. "You're matching your tools, curriculum, to
the student's ability levels."
In addition to traditional subjects,
students are taught how to work with their peers and treat them with
respect, Bialzik said. Taunting and teasing doesn't happen at Kradwell.
Students can start at Kradwell at any
point during the school year, and leave whenever they need to, although
a natural break is preferred, Bialzik said.
New approach to educating
Kradwell has three teachers for the
elementary grade levels.
One of the teachers, Mary Helen Schulte,
who teaches primarily math and science, is new to the school this year.
Many differences exist between other
schools Schulte has taught at and Kradwell, including the individualized
teaching style, flexibility in the curriculum and the ability to meet
each student at his or her level.
Schulte was hired in June, and she and
the other elementary teachers, along with one of the high school
teachers, worked to put the new program together. During that time, they
developed the curriculum, made the schedule, prepared the building and
attended some in-services.
"It's hard to do it without knowing the
kids," she said. "We chose curriculum that was going to be adaptable."
Kradwell teachers don't just work on
academics, but try to improve the whole child, including getting
unacceptable behavior under control.
"We really try and teach the whole kid,"
she said.
Parents have responded well to the
elementary program, Schulte said. The teachers and parents are in
constant communication with phone calls and weekly reports.
Learning to make friends
Jennifer Heinrich, mother of
fourth-grader Elena, said her daughter is excited about going to school,
which hasn't happened since she was in kindergarten. Elena is one of the
two children in Kradwell's new elementary program.
"She was struggling terribly in the
traditional school setting," Heinrich, of Greenfield, said. "While she
was performing well academically, socially she was just a social
outcast. Kids were teasing and teachers weren't much help."
Heinrich, whose family is currently
paying the tuition, discovered Kradwell on the Internet while she was
searching for schools specializing in educating children with attention
deficit disorders.
"I'm relieved to have found a school,
that realizes that, unfortunately, there are some kids that don't really
fit in," she said.
Heinrich said she's also happy that
Elena, 9, made a friend in her classmate, Aaron Tejon, on the first day
of school.
"This is the first time ever that she
actually has a positive experience with a friend and a teacher there to
help facilitate things," she said. "They're really helping her to form
and maintain friendships."
Aaron's mother, Lillian Yanny, was
relieved to find that Kradwell had started an elementary program, after
her son struggled at other schools. Yanny, of Oconomowoc, had been
desperately searching for a school for Aaron where they could help with
not only his education, but mental illness, behavior and social skills,
too.
Aaron, also a fourth-grader, had been in
special education rooms, but it wasn't the right place for him, Yanny
said.
So far, her son's experience at Kradwell
has been great, Yanny said.
"They've told me nothing but positive
things about him," she added.
One of the biggest differences in the
school is that there is no homework, which had overwhelmed Aaron in the
past. His home school district is paying for him to be educated at
Kradwell.
"I'd love it if he'd be able to function
in a regular education program next fall," Yanny said. "But I am glad
there is a school out there if it doesn't work out."
Though Elena and Aaron are the only
elementary students currently enrolled, Bialzik said there are five new
students looking to attend the school.
Besides increasing enrollment, future
plans for the school include developing an outdoor area with an outdoor
classroom, gardens, and a play area with a tether ball and four-square
court.
Heinrich and Yanny said they want parents
in similar situations to them to not lose hope.
"A regular educational environment might
not be the best for each child," Yanny said. "It's overwhelming for
parents of a child with special needs. Sometimes we don't know what's
out there."
"If it's breaking your heart to see your
child not doing his best, this may be a place for them to go to reach
their goals," Heinrich said.
