Elan Parents Bob and Laurie - 5/28/2009

Several years ago I visited Elan; not as my first choice for my sons’ school but as the last. I visited several schools, each with drastically different philosophies.  After several minutes I knew that this school was like no other.  I saw it as a beehive with much motion, noise, rhythmic chatter, energy, direction and purpose.  Like a beehive there appeared to be a lot of loud buzzing and angry bees, but upon further observation, there was a clear sense of purpose and cohesion.  I knew that this was the only place for Alec.
At that time I knew that Alec’s future looked bleak.  I also felt that we did not have a future also.  I felt that everything I worked so hard for was for not.  In short, our family was in despair.  As I toured the school and talked to the kids, they shared stories of their Pre-Elan lives, why they were at Elan and their goals for the future. The key phrase was their goals for the future!  They each had a future!  That was it! They had a positive future ahead of them.  They were focused, aware, positive and determined to succeed.  Wow, I thought, They were telling me of their goal of going to college.  They had a knowing awareness and self-assurance that I could only dream my son would have someday.
 

Now almost three years later, I’m picking up my son to start his new life.  With diploma in hand, Alec will be starting anew with confidence, hope in his heart and promise for success.
 Since Elan, Alec now has a future.  He applied at and was accepted to four colleges and will be attending college in September.  He has received not only a great high school education; he has received a real life education that has given him tools to use in real world situations. Al has learned responsibility, self-reliance, self-correction, proper behavior, organization, and most important insight and self-awareness to help him determine the right path to success.
This was a process and as we all know Alec’s process and pathway to enlightenment was never easy to traverse.  Alec owes his future to Elan.  Our family owes our future to Elan, because without Elan, we would not have a future filled with hope, love and potential successes.


I like to thank Dr. Sapan for accepting Alec into the program and for all his guidance.  I like to thank Connie Kimball for her caring and understanding she showed us during Alec’s entrance to Elan and throughout my several visits.  Thanks for providing the tissues. I like to thank Kate Hawkins for her pivotal percentage phone call which gave me a needed ray of hope during our darkest days and for all her continual guidance.  I like to thank Jeff Gottlieb for his fatherly guidance.  Jeff was the dad I should have been.  I especially like to thank Cathy Sherburne for her care, guidance, love and direction she provided Alec.  Cathy did all the heavy lifting and showed Alec how to be a good man. You will always be in my heart.  I’d also like to apologize to Cathy for being a complaining, annoying, pain in my behind and for the gray hairs I know Alec caused her on many, many occasions. I’d like to also thank the many other caring staff for all the guidance they provided during Alec’s time at Elan.
Most of all I’d like to thank you all for your love, because you do not get paid enough to do this job!!  You do it because you love it and at the end of the day or in Alec’s case at the end of the thirty-three months you can know you truly made a difference, not only for the student but for our family as well.
I’d like to thank Frank McDermott and the Education staff for providing Alec an excellent education.  Alec learned the love of learning at Elan.  Which I hope he will build upon in college. I’d also like to thank finance department for all their help and detailed billing and tax letters. “Thanks Bev!"

Lastly I’d like to thank the always helpful operators, you’re the unsung heroes of the Elan staff.
What else can I say but thank you for giving us back our life.


Letter to Ms. Sharon Terry, Executive Director 8/13/2008 

Dear Ms. Terry:

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to several staff of Elan School:

From the moment I walked through the front door of the Elan School, I was greeted cheerfully by Connie Kimball. Connie was able to excude a sense of calmness and heartfelt concern for the emotional grief we parents are feeling at that moment. Dressing casual, being candid, smiling and reassuring are the perfect qualities that Connie possessed during the admission process (and subsequent visits) that says" ... it's ok...our child will be ok...we've made the right decision to be at Elan".

Kate Hawkins and Jerry Sapan have additionally played key roles in nurturing and grooming our son through difficult times.. Their abiity to be compassionate while delivering reasonableness and reality checks into discussions have provided a well-rounded support team at Elan.

In academics, Meg Waters has been invaluable in the direct administration of our son's educational needs and support with district meetings. We credit the dedication and devotion of Sarah Poulin to our son's success in achieving many skills that were previously unobtainable for him. Her constant reassurance and steadfast persistence in strategies and overcoming learning disabilities have been monumental in our son's academic growth and emotional growth. As his academic success grew, so too did his self-confidence.

In sports, Pete Rowe led by example and demanded a high level of integrity and teamwork in the athletic field. Sports played an important role in the ongoing development of our son's positive self-image. Coach Rowe is tactfully demanding while exuding camaraderie while coaching and pushing for high standards both in sports and within themselves.

Lastly, we have the pleasure of knowing Jeffrey Gottlieb. To summarize the respect and admiration we have for this man into a few sentences is difficult. His experience with the Elan School and its students over the years has been invaluable in guiding our son. In no uncertain terms, our son's emotional stability, social responsibiity and core competency development are credited to Jeffrey's persistence and passion to make a difference; he has never given up hope...even in the face of us parents getting weaker and worn down. He has not only addressed our son's new found ability to fall-down and get back up with confidence and press onward...Jeffrey has been able to coach us as parents with as much persistence and compassion.

Please thank all the staff and peers that play such important roles - their efforts are truly appreciated and will never be forgotten.

Sincerely,

Karen Collichio

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