Greetings and a warm welcome to the website of the Hyde Park Day Schools.

As the Executive Director of the Hyde Park Day Schools (HPDS), the Chicago area's newest schools for students with learning disabilities, I am pleased to have the opportunity to communicate general information about our special schools and their mission through this website. While other schools in the Chicago area serve children with learning disabilities, only one school specializes in the needs of children of average-to-superior intelligence who have learning disabilities -- The Hyde Park Day Schools in two locations: The University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park and now in Northfield, Illinois.

Our schools are also excited about using this platform to establish a dialogue with parents and their children, educators, professionals in the field, and others as together, we build an educational environment that helps students with LD develop self-understanding, a positive attitude towards school and an enthusiasm for learning. We believe that we can make bright kids' futures brighter.

Many people with learning disabilities achieve great success in life. Often, this is because they have developed certain traits and coping skills. We help our students develop those traits and skills associated with success - goal-setting and perseverance, to name just two examples. In addition, we teach the importance of self-awareness, self-understanding and self-acceptance. It's important for our students to know that while they may have learning disabilities, they are not defined by them.

While success can improve self-esteem, we know that it is just as true that self-esteem is a prerequisite for achieving success. Our students thrive when they come to HPDS from their home schools, and one reason is that suddenly they are surrounded by other bright children who have learning disabilities just as they do. They know they are not alone. They are in a caring environment, one that allows them to feel safe and to feel good about who they are. In short, they are happy in school, some for the first time in their lives.

We believe that all children can learn and thrive in an environment of caring and respect. One way HPDS achieves this is by keeping the student/teacher ratio low, another is by devising an Individual Learning Plan for each student. Additionally, a dedicated Transition Specialist works to ensure that each student who comes to HPDS from a home school--and each student who returns to a home school, having learned strategies for coping with his or her learning disability--accomplishes this transition as smoothly as possible.

Although we only opened in January 2000, we have many accomplishments to share since our inception. Opening our doors with five students, we have grown each year and are thrilled to serve 90 students this fall. We are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education to offer services to children with learning disabilities, accredited by the North Central Association, and hold new member status with the Independent Schools of the Central States (ISACS). Since our mission is to transition students back to schools in their home community, we are pleased that, to date, 87 children have returned to mainstream schools.

On behalf of the faculty and staff and our Board of Directors, we are pleased to offer our educational option. We look forward to continuing to enrich the spectrum of educational opportunities for students with learning disabilities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

Yours truly,

Pamela B. Adelman, Ph.D.
Executive Director