This Group of People
When Travis started at the Joshua School (TJS) he was their ninth student. But word got out and they started to outgrow their space. Initially they were sharing space with other businesses. But it became clear that they were going to need a space of their own.
Not long after Travis started to attend TJS I heard that Oprah was bringing her “Dreams Come True” segment to the Denver area. She was asking for requests. So I wrote her the following letter.
Dear Oprah and Team:
I am writing this letter to you in response to your request for needs in the Denver area for your “Dreams Come True” segment. I would like to tell you about a group of people who started a school for children with autism and special needs. I know that children and schooling is something that you hold dear to your heart, so I thought that this story may be of some interest to you.
The school is called The Joshua School. It was started by a group of educators that worked in the Denver Public School District. They worked directly with children with autism and special needs within the district. They became frustrated because they knew that these children required a specific routine that was impossible to maintain within a large school district.
This group of educators cashed in their retirements and formed a nonprofit organization because they felt so strongly that there was a better way to serve the needs of this student population. They gave up the security of a district job and retirement plan so that they could make a bigger difference in the lives of children.
I am so glad that they did. This school has made an undeniable difference in the life of our son, Travis, and given our family hope when we so desperately needed it.
The Joshua School is named after a student that this group of educators worked with in the Denver Public School system. In the words of the staff that worked with Joshua, “Joshua was a beloved student who came into our lives in 1999. For three years we grew to know and love Joshua and his family, and gained much appreciation for the beauty and complexity of who he was. His laughter filled your heart and his smile lit any room.
In March of 2002, Joshua died suddenly in his home. Joshua’s death reminds us that every year counts. Because of him, The Joshua School is inspired to provide the best education and services to Colorado children and their families.”
The staff at The Joshua School feel this way about all of their students, and give a great deal of support to the families as well. Understanding that every year counts, we felt that we found this school just in time. Our local district was not capable of meeting the needs of our son. Having Travis attend a school that understands his challenges and recognizes his strengths has been life changing for our family.
The staff of the Joshua School worked together for over nine years in special education, learning from children, parents and each other. Over the years a shared vision grew of what quality education could and should look like for children with autism and special needs. The Joshua School is that vision. The school is currently housed in a small rented portion of a large house that is shared with other tenants.
They could really use a larger space, maybe even custom built that better serves the needs of the children. In their current space they are only able to serve twelve students. The expense to serve each child is very high.
They could also use a cash donation. This would allow them to offer scholarships to families that cannot afford the tuition. It would also be great if the school had the means to offer an after school program. Families could benefit from this type of program but cannot afford the additional expense. It is a hardship for parents to pick up their children in the afternoon after school when they are working full-time just to pay the tuition. And most parents are traveling quite a distance to get their child back and forth to school.
We knew that our child could be reached under the right circumstances. The Joshua School has done a great job of reaching Travis. He has made great gains in the classroom. The student to staff ratio is very low which helps to meet the high needs of this student population. Travis is also learning life skills so that he may one day be independent.
When meeting with staff they always have positive things to say about our boy. The staff has also visited our home more than an hour away to brainstorm with us about meeting his needs at home. This group of people have been an answer to our prayers.
Now that you know what this school means to us, I wanted to take a moment to share some comments from Travis. I asked Travis what he liked about The Joshua School. He responded that his teachers were all good looking! I asked him if there was anything else he liked about his teachers or The Joshua School and this is what he had to say:
This is in his words.
My teachers are nice. They went to a special school to learn about special kids to help us no matter what the trouble is. (I liked how he used the word special to describe the kids at The Joshua School and the school the teachers attended. This tells me that he is getting some positive reinforcement from the staff at TJS.)
I can tell them embarrassing things and they don’t tell anyone else.
They love me just the way I am, even when I cuss.
They believe me when I apologize.
They understand me and it makes me feel better about me.
I am reading better and typing better.
When I asked Travis what he liked about TJS all of his answers revolved around the staff and how they make him feel. He never said school would be better if it had a newer, bigger building.
This school is a success because of this group of educators. This group of people. If they did have a newer and bigger building they could make a difference in the lives of more students and more families.
I sent this letter to Oprah’s team and I also shared it with the staff of TJS. Unfortunately Oprah did not pick The Joshua School for her “Dreams Come True” segment.
The Joshua School asked me to speak at a fundraiser. As part of my talk I read this letter to those that attended. And I thanked them for being there. I shared that I was grateful to each and every one of them because everyone in attendance helped in some way. They bought tickets to attend. They may have helped plan the event or obtained donations. They may be bidding on auction items. They may be offering support to a friend or family member that has a child attending TJS. It truly does take a village to raise a child.
Did the Joshua School get a newer, bigger building? I guess you’re going to have to keep reading to find out!
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in. the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a CHILD.” - Author Unknown