A snapshot from Tommy's first month at Garden Academy in May 2018
A prevailing trait across our Garden Academy students is resilience; our students work every day to learn skills that many people in this world may take for granted. Tommy is no exception.
When you see Tommy fly high on the swing today, you might not know that before coming to Garden Academy, he struggled to understand play. Tommy used to walk the perimeter of the playground, watching from a distance as the other children played. He also struggled with things like communicating what was on his mind, sitting down at the dinner table with his family, and going to the dentist.
But Tommy is so much more than these challenges. He is energetic and smart and a bright spot in the day of everyone he meets. He has his own unique sense of humor and an inquisitive way about him that you can see when his bright blue eyes light up. His family could see these traits in him, and so could all of us at Garden Academy.
Tommy happy to be at school in October 2020
Since coming to Garden Academy, Tommy’s world has opened up. Within his first few months at Garden Academy, Tommy’s vocabulary and communication blossomed. He’s learned to sit at the table and eat dinner with his family and is learning to have more successful trips to the dentist. And of course, he climbs, slides, and swings on the playground. Tommy comes to school each day happy and smiling, which means the world to his family and to us.
We believe that children and young adults like Tommy deserve an education founded not just in science and best practices, but in the respect and kindness we give each and every one of our students.
And we also believe all children should have their chance to play on the playground.