April 25, 2008

My son is a student at Rancho Valmora and it has been an incredibly wonderful experience for him. The PPC model was exactly what he needed - having not been successful at another therapeutic boarding school. Though I cannot speak to what the future will bring, a year ago we worried he would never finish high school, and today I am happy to say he is scheduled to graduate, academically, from Valmora High School this June. How long he will stay upon graduation is up to the group. He has been accepted to several colleges and it is our hope he will begin college in September.

Our son's Group Leader shows "care and concern" as all of the students are encouraged to do. We speak weekly, at the least, and her advice on how we should handle phone calls and visits has been invaluable. It does not happen overnight, but as parents we can see the changes over time in how our son relates to his peers as well as how he relates to us. The academic program is run as a true high school and in every way the staff has been involved in the progress of our child. The principal returns every phone call personally, and quickly. He has been remarkably accessible.

In my last conversation with my child he said, "Time goes by fast here." During our last visit he said he recognized Rancho has been an opportunity for him. From a parent who has seen many difficult moments I can say Rancho Valmora and the PPC model have been a gift - an expensive gift - but worth every penny.

Lisa Rosenberg
lsr53@ptd.net