After more than a year of preparation, children in Kindergarten through 4th grade who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, ADDADHD, mild Dyslexia, and auditory processing issues will have the opportunity to attend a private elementary school created exclusively for them. “Rosemont Academy is a school for extremely bright children who simply learn differently,” says Lainie Hansen, Rosemont’s owner/Director and the mother of a daughter with high functioning Autism.
“I wanted to offer a program that was like no other,” Hansen states. She worked for months with Curriculum Coordinator, Vanessa del Campo, to create the academic aspect of Rosemont’s program. Hansen then moved on to creating the Rosemont Method™: a carefully crafted adaptation of scaffolding techniques, gifted elements, differentiated learning applications, and cooperative learning strategies. Finally, Hansen turned her attention to finding the perfect staff. Each member of the teaching staff is state certified and possesses specialized skills and experience that makes them outstanding in their field. “I have never and will never underestimate the role a great teacher plays in the lives of their students,” notes Hansen, who also happens to be a Florida certified Language Arts teacher with a Gifted Education endorsement.
“We consider Rosemont the bridge to mainstream classrooms and schools,” Hansen explains, sitting in one of her sunny, spacious classrooms located on the campus of Temple Bet Breira Samu-el Or Olom in east Kendall. Tanya Tepper agrees. Tepper, whose daughter just completed Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ LEAP pre-school program feels Rosemont’s small, specialized kindergarten class is the logical step before the jump to public elementary school. “We are so excited to know that at Rosemont our daughter will be given the chance she needs to maximize her potential at this critical age so that we can fulfill our goal of mainstreaming her down the road.”
Hansen has also assembled an impressive roster of therapists to help her Rosemont Falcons soar. Included in Rosemont’s tuition are weekly Language and Social Skills Circles created by Wendy Nottoli, M.A., CCC, BCaBA; Occupational Therapy groups facilitated by Nicole Hanna, OTR/L, C-SIPT; and Music Therapy provided by Jillian Mehler, MT-BC, NMT. Art, yoga, P.E, computer lab, and Skill Builder Groups will round out each student’s academic experience. “We even threw in all of the school supplies,” Hansen says with a smile. “I listened to what parents wanted in a school.”
Listening to parents of kids with special needs is nothing new to Hansen. She is also the founder of Moms Reach—Miami, a local organization that serves as a clearinghouse of information and source of support for families with kids on the Autism Spectrum in South Florida. “Moms are hearing that there is a new school out there created exclusively for their high functioning kids,” Hansen says. And the word is spreading. Aura, the mother of an incoming fourth grader sums it up nicely, “I feel like someone read my mind on what I wanted from a school and its curriculum, and that includes a huge faith in my son’s potential. I have been searching extensively and could not find a better place for my son.” For more information about Rosemont Academy visit www.RosemontAcademy.com
Sounds awesome . Best of luck!