Jemicy School

First, It baffles me how a parent knows that an unnamed student is "clearly having a temper tantrum."(February 2, 2012)...The school claims to have "bright children with learning disorders." I guess that's their goal. There are some bright kids and very sweet kids. But there are some very disorderly kids that are over medicated. I found the school to be very welcoming, at first. Some of the teachers are very, very nice. Then I saw and experienced some extremely rude staff including the administration. And I mean extremely rude. I recommend really researching the schools in the area. When you apply, they will have parents, call you...of course it is going to be parents that support the program.
--Submitted by a parent

Very disappointed with the school. There is also asbestos in at least 1 large building. Don't forget, these ratings can be done by staff, including admissions.
--Submitted by a parent

Oh. My. God. I am so embarrassed at the post dated 11/29/11. This person does NOT speak for me or anyone else. Our family has had a child at Jemicy for a few years-we are in the Upper School, and we dont know anyone like this. Clearly he's having a temper tantrum and maybe their child has issues Jemicy isn't suited to deal with. It's not a school for behaviour disordered children. My child has had many challenges- educational and social (like any normal teenager) and we have met with nothing but support, encouragement, kindness and most importantly, resolution of the issue. And NO we are not rich and don't have extra money to donate. Head of the School is attentive, approachable and VERY invested in these kids' success. Parents are involved and friendly and invested in the success of the program. We are delighted to have found this gem of a school and to be off the public school merry-go-round of failure. Even another private school would not be able to handle my child's complicated LD the way Jemicy does. My child appears on the outside to be so "normal" but his brain is a scattered mess. At Jemicy, he is successful and believes in himself. It's an amazing, wonderful place.
--Submitted by a parent

So proud to be a parent and so incredibly grateful for Jemicy School and all they do to help so many children in the area for many many years...Thanks to Jemicy and all they have done for both my boys...instilling the confidence, skills and academic believability, achieveablity in both their dreams and aspirations... this will be my last year as my youngest will be graduating from this incredible school but I know that that is not where it stops just because they graduate many move on but always come back and visit the school. The mentoring and relationship that my boys have made with several of the teachers is not something that you pay for...its something they just give...from the heart and they truly care about these students! What a remarkable school...as a networker many of my associates will admit I have and will always encourage, complement and give credit to this school for helping my boys they were able to attain their dreams...Thank you from my heart.... as this school I know we will take with us a piece we will hold close to us...if you are looking I highly recommend them and proud to be a parent of Jemicy! Tammy Barnes Bowers
--Submitted by a parent

Do not let the initial warm welcome influence your decision. On paper Jemicy seems good and many of the "key" players will make you feel like they totally understand what you are going through and make you believe how happy and wonderful this school is. All schools have positives and negatives. All have good and bad teachers, but Jemicy is not giving what they preach. If your child ends up having any issues whatsoever (educationally or socially) you are in for a rude awakening. This is an environment that is supportive in a very political kind of way, and we are not the only family that feels this way. The overall feeling of most of these families is very similar. The more you donate, the better treatment your child will receive. What's lacking is far superior to what is amazing. There are better choices in the state of Maryland, including Odyssey School and the Summit School. We personally feel that there is a good chance you will regret sending your child here unless you are very wealthy and plan on donating plenty of additional money (and time) on top of the 29k tuition. Don't settle and think this is your only option
--Submitted by a parent

This is my second post on this forum. Based on posts after mine I am concerned that what I hoped feedback that I offered as guidance based in my years of experience was not taken as I intended. Let me be clear. The purpose of my post was to emphasize the very real problem of high teacher turnover. We all look to this school to help our kids with very real needs. One of these needs is for stable educators to be consistent voices year after year. The numbers speak for themselves: almost the entire science and math faculty has turned over in three years. My comments pertain only to the upper school. I think the lower middle campus is much more stable. 28 grand a year is a lot of money. Make sure you ask questions and do your research
--Submitted by a parent

As a parent here for several years, I can say with all honesty we are very satisfied with our child's education at Jemicy. I don't know who these people are who have such negative things to say so early in the year about a school for which they already wrote a $27K check, but it sounds like they made the wrong choice for their child or have some sour grapes about something that didn't go their way. And no, I'm not a 'follower'. To us the plusses outweigh the negatives. The IMPORTANT things...like the incredible use of technology to help support my child's severe executive functioning issues; the creative and passionate teachers who focus on my kid and encourage leadership, creativity, kindness and independent thinking; the very small class sizes...are our priorities. It's not perfect and I have yet to find a school that is. But the things that matter to us, are covered at Jemicy. Don't let the haters discourage you from giving this school a fair chance. If you are considering Jemicy, your kid has already struggled in school. Probably alot. They get that here. My kid is worth the $ to be in a compassionate environment where he is learning to believe in himself as a student.
--Submitted by a parent

Jemicy offers state of the art education for kids with dyslexia and language based learning differences. They truly care about each child and his/her individual development. The staff there stays on top of and employs the latest teaching practices in this highly specialized field. I give the school an excellent rating and highly recommend it!

Jemicy is an excellent school that offers an education of unparalleled quality. Their teachers are committed, highly educated and truly care about each child. Jemicy is one of the oldest and most well respected schools in the country when it comes to educating students with dyslexia and other language based learning differences. Their staff is frequently a driving force behind the latest dyslexia research and their head of school is one of the country's top experts in the field. I would not hesitate to send my child to Jemicy. The warmth of the teachers and administration along with their knowledge, commitment and experience in educating children with dyslexia are second to none. I cannot say enough good things about Jemicy and highly encourage parents to check them out. One visit to their campus and a meeting with any member of their staff (teachers or administration) will speak for itself.

I very was disappointed with the education my child received at the Jemicy Upper School, at a cost of over $28,000/year. Some teachers were excellent, but the Upper School lacked a good, strong leader; teachers were leaving; enrollment was declining; & the level of education for a college-bound student was weak in crucial areas: I had to have my child tutored, the summer before college started, in order to learn how to take proper notes, make a good outline, & study for exams. At the Upper School there were no study periods in a 7 hour day - from 8:15 am to 3:15 pm; students took 8 classes, back-to-back, with no breaks except lunch. There was no time for a glee club, art club, music club, etc., as one expects to find in a good private school. Participation in sports meant not leaving school until 5:00 pm. This kind of schedule placed too much of a strain on the students, & was difficult for those applying to colleges, & taking PSATs, SATs, etc. I would not recommend the Jemicy Upper School for a college-bound child with Learning Differences; instead, I would advise enrolling your child in a good college preparatory private or parochial school, and hiring a tutor.
--Submitted by a parent