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Kentwood Prep
Testimonials "We Prepare Children for Life." |
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Kentwood Prep
Testimonials "We Prepare Children for Life." |
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Hi Ms. Bigos and Mr. T: WOW school hasn't even started yet and I already got weepy! Thank you for all the effort you put into making sure Jacob is successful and really caring about him- words cannot express how grateful I am! I should never have even worried - because you really know him so well and this was just another example of why you are amazing teachers and Kentwood is the best! Thank you again, |
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I want to tell you what a blessing Kentwood has been for my whole family, but especially for Vincenzo; he has grown and matured from the first day he walked in those doors, and there is nothing more that I would want for him than to keep getting that kind of support. I thank you, all the teachers involved in Vincenzo's growth (Ms. Hartman, Ms Knatz..etc) everyone's dedication to make, not only my Vincenzo, but all the students feel like they matter..... Many blessings to the Kentwood Family for continued success |
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Good Morning Mrs. Mayhew: I have to compliment you again on the amazing Science Fair last night. The quality of the students work was unbelievable! It was so enjoyable to go around and see how much they have learned and you could tell how hard the students worked on those projects. The whole science fair project was extremely well organized from beginning to end, from what was expected at home to decorating the boards during class - great job!. Thank you very much for working so hard to give our students the wonderful experience of a school science fair. You are a fantastic teacher and our students are lucky to have you teaching them. Just another example of the first class education our children receive at Kentwood. Thanks Again in, Wendy |
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Jacob took the College Placement Test (accuplacer test) today at FAU in Davie and passed! Just another example of the first class, quality academic education Jacob is getting at Kentwood. Thank you for all you do every day to provide him with such a fine education! |
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Hello, This is Jake V. I had the sudden urge to write this email to thank you all for the help and support you gave to me in the past. I am currently enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University as a double major in Psychology and Biology and I most certainly have intentions of attending medical school. I was elected pledge class president for the beta class of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, and am currently involved with many extracurricular activities. I feel that the support I received at Kentwood help to shape me as a person when I left for High School and even as I carry myself forward today. I hope you get time to respond and give my best to all the students and make sure they all know that whatever they want to do they can all go far. I have learned that in life you only have to believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything with enough ingenuity and determination. I would like to wish you a safe and happy new year. And, once again thank you for everything. Love thyself or Lose thyself |
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I think the middle of this letter is the fruit of your labor! When I read this letter, I immediately knew that this was Kentwood’s gift to us and to every family that is fortunate enough to attend! These 18 weeks were full of a lot of adjustment and at times very very hard on Brenna. She still misses the safety and love she knew while she was there and she will never forget how you transformed her life. I thought it was important to tell you to keep doing the work! it changes lives!!! Thanks for changing ours! |
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Hi Ms. Wright, Just wanted to let you know how excited J.R. was to show his dad and me his prize. So cool. Thanks. He mentioned to me several times how hard math is for him. I don't even care. It's the CONSCIOUS THOUGHT that has me so happy. Do you know what I mean? Thank you for being an AMAZING CHEERLEADER to J.R. Your notes lift us ALL up! Kristi |
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I am Cara's mother. I had to write you to compliment the teachers in Room 1. Cara's behavior over the winter vacation was exceptional. She showed amazing improvement in independence, following directions, and social skills. I teased her by asking her how she got to be so good. She replied, "Mrs. Mentz and Ms. Espinosa taught me." Please share my thanks with these exceptional teachers. I will be forever grateful for the huge difference that Kentwood has already made in Cara's life and look forward to what the new year brings. Thank you...Amy |
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November 30, 2010 GOODBYE TO THE KENTWOOD FAMILY I just wanted to say goodbye and explain to everyone why I made the very tough decision to leave Kentwood. My son and his family need me in Colombia and I’m going to be spending quite a bit of time with them. I miss my grandchildren greatly and I hope to enjoy them a lot more from now on. I would like to thank Mr. Fein and Mrs. V. for the incredible opportunity they gave me to be part of the Kentwood staff. It’s a time of my life that I will always treasure. I learned so much and got to know so many wonderful people. The kids are fantastic. I really loved working with them and will miss them terribly. If I made just a little bit of difference in their lives, then I did my work well. To the staff, I feel very proud to have been part of it. I’m so glad I got to meet everyone of you. Mrs. Feldman ,we had so many good talks and you are such a caring friend; Mrs. Brunnemer ,I will always be thankful for your always worrying about me and trying to help me. Miss Nathan, I really enjoyed the year I was your assistant, you are a great teacher with a great personality and I think we made a very good team. Miss Dillion, sorry I was with you only for a few months, but I certainly enjoyed working with you and the beautiful group of students you have. I also worked a whole year with Miss Rivera who moved to Washington, but I can’t forget that time because she was also wonderful. Miss Rivera used to tell the kids as a joke that she was 75 years old. They obviously didn’t believe it but she was so serious that they started to have their doubts. At that point Jaece B. turned around and looked at me and said: “Then Mrs. Shannon must be well over 100”. Miss Rivera felt bad and I just started to laugh but she stopped her little joke. Miss J. and Mr. Malka, I got to help you a little bit here and there, but I hope I made a little difference. Miss U, I loved coming to your classes with the students when I worked with Miss Rivera. You are a great teacher and I enjoyed learning Science along with the kids. Mr. K., thank you for putting up with me when I asked so many times for your help with very basic questions. My gate duty partners, Mrs. Flores, remember the cold mornings? Ms. Espinosa and Mr. Nelson, it was fun spending time with you. To the rest of the staff, it has been a wonderful experience knowing all of you! I have gotten to know some of the parents a lot more than others. Thank you so much to the Book Fair Volunteers!!!! Mrs. Normandin, I can’t thank you enough for all your help and interest in the Book Fairs. Thanks to your help the Book Fairs became better and better each year. Mrs. Bowers, how can I ever forget when we set up the first Book Fair by ourselves. You are an awesome lady, thank you for your support. Mrs. Cohen, Mrs. Davila, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Bard, Mrs. Bandes, Mrs. King, Mrs. Tindall and all the other wonderful volunteers through the years, I will always appreciate your help and treasure the time we had to know each other better. Mrs. Lettman, thank you for offering your assistance if I needed it. I would like to mention a couple of students who where in Room 1 when I started as a volunteer. David O, who asked me with a very concerned expression: Mrs. Shannon, are you sure you are a teacher? So I answered , why do you ask that David? He answered, because you look more like a “grandma”. So I just said, that’s probably because I am a grandma. He seemed satisfied with my answer. Alicia B, I was there the very first time you came to school. You have come such a long way! Brandon S. Brandon A., Jianna L, and Noah R.!! 1You all have a very special place in my heart.
To all the students, I will miss you so much and I will pray that each one of you will get to do in life what makes you happy. Keep working hard and always try to do your best! To quote Mrs. Feldman “You Are All Shining Stars”!!!! Love you all, Sylvia Shannon My email: sylviagomeze@gmail.com |
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Why You Should Appreciate Kentwood While You
Still Can By: Ryan F Many students don't realize how good Kentwood is while they are here. Many kids complain that the teachers are unfair. I remember when I first came here my English teacher Mr. Trujillo told us you had to have at least eight sentences in a paragraph and five paragraphs in an essay. Nobody believed him when he said this because they had been taught that you only needed five sentences in a paragraph and no set amount of paragraphs required in an essay. I too believed that this was wrong. I now know differently. This year I became dually enrolled at Broward College. I take English Composition online with Dr. Xiao Wang. This course has taught me that what I was told at Kentwood was true. In my textbook it says a paragraph has to be at least seven to eight sentences in a paragraph and at least five paragraphs in an essay. I learned that what I was taught at Kentwood was right all along. I have come to appreciate other things about Kentwood. College teachers expect the work from you when it's due and don't take excuses. If it's late it's a zero. My class also doesn't give you your grades back on a timely manner. They don't care if you succeed they just care that you complete the work. I would not be able to write the essays I have been required to write if it wasn't for Kentwood because my Professor hasn't taught my class anything. So many kids complain that Kentwood is unfair and unrealistic but the truth is the exact opposite. The rest of the world is even less fair than Kentwood. The bottom-line is before you start complaining about how unfair Kentwood teachers are realize that they are trying to prepare you for the future and are not trying to ruin your life. ================================================= New Guy around the Block On a more personal note, I truly love Kentwood. The
school has a small and friendly population where you're
welcome within any group you meet. Students are not afraid
of meeting other students here and speaking to them because
the smaller atmosphere creates the sense of a bond, or a
fellowship I should say. I have had no problem in making
friends here at Kentwood, and take it from me, I always have
difficulty making friends, but here, that's NOT a problem. I
see people in the hall who are willing to socialize and give
me insight on their world. The teachers become reliable
friends who guide you not only through academics but also
through life. I enjoy my schedule, it keeps me entertained
and every time I move from class to class, there is always
an interesting twist to the academic structure that keeps me
intrigued in my work. In my opinion, Kentwood is one of the
few schools that I feel is worth waking up for in the
morning. There's just so much to learn and do here, everyday
is different from the last, and mundane repetition is
unheard of. I never feel disappointed to be here, it makes
me feel safe and secure, and most of all prepared for life. |
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Mr. Baier, Once again thank you and Ms. Bigos for waiting for me to discuss Zachary's progress. I truly appreciate all your efforts on behalf of Zachary and our family and your understanding of the distance we travel each day. I would travel 50 more miles one way to keep Zachary in the environment that you all create on a daily basis that brings him so much comfort and the sense of belonging. While driving to school this morning the boys and I were discussing their experiences so far with Kentwood and Zachary once again reiterated how much he loves the way the staff interacts with him on a personal level as well as a professional level. He loves that they can share their sense of humor, likes, dislikes and yet get down to academics when it's time to learn. It's his favorite thing about the staff and school, that they treat the students like "people" and not just a number and makes him feel like he has an extension of his own family. I thank the entire staff for giving Zachary the most important element of beginning to learn, the admiration and respect for those who are educating him. It makes him want to do his best so he doesn't let those he admires down by not giving them back what you all have given him. Again my greatest appreciation to you all for giving Zachary such a sense of comfort and support at a critical time in his academic life. You are truly all the best! Christine |
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Dear Kentwood Family, We want to thank you all so much for everything you have done to help Brenna uncover her special gifts. I have said it before but it definitely bears repeating; we credit each of you with putting her on the right track for her future. Everyone at Kentwood has made an impact on her life and ours, from Mr. Fein and his fabulous wife, Mrs.VanHeyzen, Mr. Baier, the administrative staff (especially Mrs. Doricent), all of the remarkable, dedicated teachers and of course the magnificent Mr. V. We are so grateful to you for modeling respect for oneself and for others, as well as, for providing a loving and nurturing environment. She has grown so much under your loving care and instruction. We can never repay you or convey the depth of our appreciation. This has been a life changing experience and one she will always treasure. We want you to know that you truly change lives! If you ever wonder if all of the hard work and dedication is worth it, IT IS! If you ever wonder if people realize and appreciate the amount of work, patience and time you invest, WE DO! We have struggled with the decision on whether or not to re- enroll Brenna for quite some time now. The decision is by far the hardest one we have ever made concerning Brenna. We are all heartsick at the thought of leaving Kentwood. We definitely realize that the new school will not meet her needs in the same way that Kentwood has, but we feel that we have to try this other opportunity that has presented itself to us or we might look back with regret at not having tried it. If we could have had this choice presented to us sometime in the future, we would certainly have stayed for the 10th grade, but it is now or never due to the requirements of the new school. It is for this reason that we are, with heavy hearts transferring her to another school. Although, we have made the decision to transfer, we certainly hope that in the event that things do not work out as planned, that there would be an open door for her to return. Brenna is aware of our choice now and while she is very sad at having to say goodbye to Kentwood, she is looking forward to going to a school in our neighborhood. She has expressed a desire to stay connected to all of you in any way possible. We would like to continue to be included in future functions and fundraising opportunities, whenever appropriate. You have given us so much and we hope to be able to help Kentwood in any way possible. We continue to tell others about what a remarkable school Kentwood is. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! David and Marlene |
| As I stated before, we credit you and everyone at Kentwood (including and especially Mrs. Fein, Ms. Bigos and Ms. Flores) with the fact that we are even able to consider this choice for her. We brought you a broken child and you not only put the pieces back together, you discovered gifts and talents that she might have never known existed. More importantly, you gave her an acceptance that she had never known before. You not only saved her, but also us, because I was out of ideas and desperate for help. I thank God for each one of you. I am sure you hear this kind of gratitude expressed over and over again but it is absolutely true in our case and cannot be overstated. |
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“I am very proud of this school & staff. I certainly see a positive change in my daughter since enrollment. I can talk to the staff about school issues and most importantly home/family issues. I am so very happy I found this school and would highly recommend it.” Diana Parent Conference Rating Sheet 3/25/10
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I just wanted to take a moment and let you know what was
going on. I spoke with Daniel’s doctor this week and
he agreed that the best time to completely take him off the
meds will be over the break.
I spoke with my son and let him know that he will be
completely off. He
was very excited about being off of meds completely. I
just wanted to thank you for all of your help with this long
process of taking him off meds. I know some days have
been more of a challenge than others, but I look back over
the last few years of when my son first started at Kentwood,
and what a difference. He has come such a long way
since he started. I am very proud. Yes I thought
many times “are we doing the right thing?” and now that I
see how well he is doing I truly believe that we did.
Thank you again for all of your help.
R |
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As I indicated in early November,
Stanley’s doctor was impressed with his progress. He said
“it’s like he’s a completely different child”. His doctor
was amazed that he was able to make so much progress without
taking medication. I on the other hand was relieved because
this is a child whose doctor and former therapist said he
would have difficulty functioning without medication. I’m
happy I disregarded their advice and decided to put my faith
in Kentwood Well, here we are 3 years later and my child is doing awesome. I cannot express how grateful I am to both you and your staff; especially his favorite teachers (Ms. J, Mrs. F, Mr. K, and Ms. U) for helping my child overcome his challenges. I’ve placed him at the Museum of Science and Discovery for the past 3 years (at summer camp) and we got a significant number of compliments on his behavior and academic performance. I wish you and your staff continued success. |
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Mr. K, the
RenWeb login is working now. Thanks for your help. What a
fantastic system -- thanks so much for giving us access
to this wealth of information! American Heritage also just
installed a similar (but less robust) system this year. It's
going to be great to be able to see grades, homework,
progress, etc. on a more frequent and direct basis.
Jill C. Pearson
Pearson Partners
International, Inc. |
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Hello Mr. Baier: David and I would like to thank you for the
great Open House. It was very informative, well
organized and enjoyable. We loved hearing about all
the wonderful things Jacob is learning and will be learning
in the future. The High School staff/teachers are
excellent! You can see their enthusiasm and love of
teaching. We feel so lucky to be part of such a first class
school. |
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Dear Mr.Baier and Ms.Buehler I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the Lecture series last night. Thank you Mrs. Buehler for all of your insight into the colleges. I agree that every student should go to college or at least have the opportunity to. It was exciting to hear all of what Kentwood has to offer for their students. I was truly amazed with your students courage and confidence to speak in front of all of us. It was very emotional for me. Mr. Baier, as High School Co-coordinator, I could see the pride you hold for your students and the accomplishments they've made. Thank you again for all that you do. Karen |
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Good Morning Mrs. Van Heyzen, I just wanted to send you a big thank you for your wonderful listening ear you lent to me yesterday afternoon. I appreciate all of the suggestions you made and I will utilize them on behalf of Adam and myself. Again, I want to sincerely thank you and from all the parents at Kentwood we are extremely lucky to have such a caring person with our children every day. Thank you for going the extra step to help Adam and myself. Laurie |
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Our family went by
the Holiday display at Davie Town Hall and were absolutely
delighted to see Kentwood's trees and menorah. They were
wonderfully done and a wonderful reflection on Kentwood.
Most of all we were so proud to be in a school that had the
wonderful vision to be the only one to include a Menorah.
It just reflects wonderfully on how all inclusive and
accepting the school is. We as a family are very proud to
have a student at Kentwood. Thank you to all the staff and
students who worked so hard on the decorations. |
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I just wanted to let you know how much Douglas enjoyed the event Friday night at school. He had a wonderful time and socialized with his friends from school. It seemed to be a wonderful event when I picked him up everyone was having a great time and didn't want to leave. I am so delighted that this event was put on as I have expressed my opinion many times that your students in my opinion are the cream of the crop and definitely I would rather have my son be around them then the general public. I always find them to be mannerly and polite as well as very kind and encouraging to each other I never see any peer pressure. I hope the school will be having many more of these events. |
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Dear Ms. Bigos: Just a quick note to
say thank you for meeting with me today. I enjoyed looking
at all Jacob's work and hearing about his great progress. He
is really enjoying your class; he is learning a lot
academically as well as socially. Being in your class and at
Kentwood in general has been such a positive experience for
him, there really are no words that can express our
gratitude. He is very lucky to have such wonderful teachers
as yourself and the rest of the teachers/staff helping him
on a daily basis to be successful. Thank you again Wendy |
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September 17, 2008 Good Morning! Just a quick to thank you for Open House! You all did a great job! I really enjoyed it and could tell you worked very hard. It was exciting to hear about all the new things the students will be learning and doing this year. We are very lucky to be a part of Kentwood and are grateful to have such wonderful, caring teachers working with Jacob. Again, thank you for last night! Wendy |
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May 28,
2008 |
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David and I want to say thank you so much for such a lovely evening! It was obvious all the hours of planning and hard work that went into preparing such a wonderful night for the children and the parents. All the Teachers and Staff are fantastic and we really feel so lucky to have them as part of Jacob's life. They are truly special people! Again, thank you for a wonderful night and for the chance to make special memories with Jacob that we would not have if he wasn't at Kentwood. David and Wendy |
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I just want to express my appreciation one more time. Thanks for inviting me to attend your "family" gathering last evening. I was duly impressed with your kids and your program. Jeff
Dr. Jeff M. Bauman |
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Read a letter from Mr. & Mrs. Walford ================================================================================ Hello Mrs. Fein, Kimberly ================================================================================
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