The Winston School of Short Hills welcomes students who have struggled in school due to language-based learning differences such as dyslexia or auditory processing disorders.
“We provide a safe, nurturing environment with small class sizes to allow students to work closely with their teachers,” says Head of School Dr. Josephine Diemond. “Many students come to us not knowing how to read, and we teach strategies to help them meet the academic and social challenges of life with confidence.”
FOSTERING INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH
This philosophy has been part of the fabric of Winston School since its inception in 1981; it was named for Sir Winston Churchill due to his own learning differences. With the education Winston students receive, there is no limit to what they can accomplish, Diemond says.
“Many of our students may have been bullied or made to feel that they don’t measure up in other learning environments, and here they know they are accepted and that teachers truly understand how to teach to their learning style,” Diemond says. “Our tagline is: ‘Recognizing Difference, Enabling Success,’ and we feel that holds true.”
The Winston School fosters intellectual, social, and emotional growth in students. Throughout the school day, students in grades 1-8 receive daily multisensory instruction through Orton-Gillingham based programs and cross-curricular project-based learning. “Winston students learn time management and executive functioning skills,” she says. “They know how to self-advocate and ask questions. And they are willing to put in the time they need to learn.”
SMALL CLASSES, CLOSE CONNECTIONS
The school has an active community service program supporting multiple charities as well as events throughout the year, from weekly school-wide morning meetings to barbecues and Thanksgiving feasts, as well as movie nights, field trips and an end-of-year expo.
Staff members include a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, counselor and reading specialists. Despite the school’s continued growth, its approach to small class sizes and close teacher to student interaction remains firm.
“Many of our parents tell us that their lives at home have completely changed because their child is finally confident in reading,” Diemond says. “They say their child is no longer struggling with homework, they feel loved and supported at school and have become confident learners…and that they wish they had found Winston sooner.”
30 East Lane, Short Hills
973-379-4114
winstonschool.org