THANK YOU

"...Kyle graduated in June 2004 and I am very happy to say learned to be a much more responsible, self reliant, self starter with greater follow through than he ever exhibited in the traditional setting. He is doing very well in college, has developed study habits that suit his needs, and plans to become a psychiatrist. It is astounding that someone who dreaded going to school, especially his science classes, is now on a course of study that requires such a long term commitment and is loving it! I thank you, Clonlara for being available to guide us through this process."

Cathy Beckwith, MI

APPRECIATIVE PARENT

"I want you to know this parent really appreciates the availability of a school program such as Clonlara's. It is hard to express the discouragement a parent feels when a public school is giving you the message, 'Your child does not fit in and because he does not, you as parents made a lot of mistakes!'

"Now that life has quieted down and in conversation with Peter, he says the best thing that ever happened to him was getting out of public school. As he says, 'Ma, my self-esteem was so beaten by school, when the principal said I could leave, my feet hit the floor running.'"

J. C., MI

FINDING HER WAY

"Kristi just received her letter of acceptance from the school of nursing. She will begin in September. Guess this is another success story for your school. Had she not had to have the volunteer work she wouldn't have gone to the nursing hospital and found this was what she wants to do...

"The real success story is not the school, but the student who is allowed to discover and pursue her own goals."

D. R., VA

INCREASING IN CONFIDENCE

"We are becoming more confident about our resolve in our right to educate our own children. At one point my wife found herself defending our position to a real-estate appraiser of our home, who just happened to be a board of education member. Amazing how the public education psyche works: first it's the loss of public funds issue, then it's the socialization issue-- neither presented with the child's interest at heart."

S. H., MI

PUBLIC SCHOOL IMITATES CLONLARA!

"The Junior High in town is so impressed with what Rachel is doing, that they are creating a program in school next year for a select group of kids to try to mimic Clonlara. The principal wanted to see Rachel's Clonlara book and actually copied a lot of it [!] to get some ideas for this program. They will have one teacher and create student oriented learning. Somehow I don't think it will be quite the same, but at least they are trying to change things."

J. S., VT

CONVINCED UNSCHOOLERS

"We are convinced unschoolers. Emily, Peter and Warren are free to pursue their interests with our support. ... Emily, Peter and Warren are busy doing from the time they wake up until they go to bed....once I became convinced that child-led learning works, I lost my anxiety about keeping track of every detail. The kids unfold exactly on their own time schedule, regardless of whether records are being kept or not."

S. S., OH