Lara came to Huntington in Morristown, NJ as a fifth-grader who was struggling to keep up in most of her classes. She had extremely low confidence and wasn't sure how to ask her teachers for the help she desperately needed. She did, however, ask her mom to find her help. Lara's mom brought Lara in for testing. We found Lara to be an extremely happy, well-adjusted 10-year-old girl, but when it came to reading and doing math, her cheerful disposition disappeared.

In the initial conference, Lara's parents relayed to us that Lara was dejected when it came to math in particular. Lara knew she needed help, but wasn't sure exactly what she needed. Lara's parents were happy to hear that we had a plan to help Lara succeed in school and she began her program immediately. On her first day, Lara walked in with a huge smile and seemed excited about being here and getting help. She started with one hour of verbal and one hour of math, and after her first two sessions Lara's confidence was rising.

From the beginning, Lara was very aware of what she was getting out her time at Huntington. She grasped the relationship between her Huntington work and her class work. During the summer, Lara's parents had Lara come to the center more frequently and Lara was very excited to participate in our Reading Adventure program. Lara was now voluntarily reading books for fun. She asked for help in setting goals for herself so that she could finish her summer reading. Lara also took it upon herself to take notes after reading each night to ensure she was remembering what she read. She was excited to share these notes with us at every session.

At the beginning of the program, Lara expressed to us that she was extremely nervous about transitioning to middle school in the fall. She was intimidated about the bigger school and concerned about getting lost. Lara was also worried about meeting grade expectations at her new school, as the elementary school Lara attended did not give grades.

During school visits, all of Lara's teachers stressed that she was a pleasure to have in class. She participated and helped out when needed, something she was too timid to do before she came to Huntington. During the Student Conference, Lara talked about how much she enjoyed school. She also now feels that school is easier for her and says Huntington was a big part of this change.

A few weeks ago, Lara walked into the center with that same huge smile she had on her first day here and told us all that she had something to show us. She held up a small ribbon with the words "honor roll" on it and told us excitedly that she had made honor roll her first marking period of middle school.

Lara is now nearing the end of her program. She has finished her math program and is excelling in school. Lara's positive attitude made her a joy to have in the center and she will be missed. Lara's parents are extremely proud of her success and have noted a big change in her attitude toward school work. Her positive attitude and self-esteem help her face challenges with confidence because she now believes that she is capable of handling whatever comes her way. When asked what she gained from attending Huntington, Lara said she is better at math and feels more confident in school.

FROM: Lara