From the Head of School

August 23, 2008

Dear Friends and Family of Dore,

As a member of Dore Academy’s family for over 15 years, I welcome you to our website and thank you for your interest in our school. I encourage you to explore all that our website has to offer, and hope that it gives you inspiration, hope, and insight as to why Dore Academy is so important to our students, their families and this community.

I believe passionately in Dore Academy’s curriculum, its people who influence and shape that curriculum and the mission we carry out each day—but even more important, I recognize what a difference we make in our students lives. Our philosophy and mission is built around offering every opportunity to our students to achieve their potential, build self-confidence, and understand their disabilities so that they may lead productive and fulfilling lives. It is our hope that when students understand and accept their disabilities, they will learn coping skills and strategies to effectively maneuver through the difficulties and frustrations that these disabilities bring.

In addition to our rigorous curriculum, we take great pride in our students’ emotional well-being. We build self-confidence through our personalized and small class ratios (10:1), on-site counselors, and the Dore Signature Experience, which is centered around technology, curriculum and assessment, the arts, and a student’s social and emotional development. This experience offers students the opportunity to express their knowledge in new and unique ways, and teaches our students to be independent in their studies and build lasting relationships with their peers.

Strategically, Dore Academy is at a turning point in its 29-year history. Given the unique challenges among learning disabled students, and the increase in demand for programs that address the unique needs of these children, it has become clear that our community needs a place like Dore Academy. The interest in and admission for our school has grown tremendously, and with that growth comes important strategic issues—addressing the educational needs of this community, serving as a prevention resource and positioning ourselves as a place for the advancement of and knowledge around learning disabilities. In addition to my focus on providing the best possible education for our students, I am also focused on building the long-term sustainability and viability of Dore Academy, because I understand why it is so important for this community.

Our students thrive because they are understood, appreciated, and challenged. This is an exciting time of progress for Dore Academy, and I look forward, as I hope you do, to watching Dore Academy grow. Whether you are a first-time visitor, current parent, long-time friend or donor, I encourage you to remain or become part of the Dore Academy family. I am confident you will find the experience positive, rewarding and meaningful.

Sincerely,

Roberta Smith, M.A. Ed.
Head of School