OUR DIFFERENCES MAKE US STRONGER.

Megan Ressel

Parent of twins in Kindergarten

Megan chose to send her twin boys - Leo and Otto - to Citizens of the World for kindergarten for the 2019-2020 academic year because of the way the school values inclusion. “A huge part of deciding where they would go was we wanted to find a school where they could be in the same program.” Leo has a genetic disorder that resulted in a cognitive disorder, and Megan wanted to be sure he was in a class with his peers, not in a separate classroom. She also wanted to be sure the school she chose would challenge Otto, who is very bright and tends to learn quickly. They were pleased to find both at Citizens.

What have your children enjoyed about going to school at Citizens?
Otto is getting challenged! He’s in a kindergarten reading group that he loves, and he talks about it a lot. 

The kids in Leo’s classroom love him, which is really sweet. Every time he’s been gone and he comes back, they all say they are so happy to see him. One of the other kids told me that Leo is his “favorite friend” in the class. One day that same child came up and handed Leo a paper violin. He said he made it for Leo because he’s really into music, and Leo carried that violin around for days! 

We love that Leo is making friends, and he’s being challenged too - in ways I didn’t think he would be. It’s been a really wonderful experience for both of our boys.

What would you want other parents to know about Citizens?
I think a lot of parents need to know that Citizens is a great school for special needs kids. When I was looking for a school for my boys that would provide the resources that special needs kids require, it was really a discouraging process. I think it’s wonderful that Citizens provides those resources. I think Citizens is a wonderful place that parents need to know is out there!
The fact that Citizens contracts with Ability KC for their therapists also stood out as we had heard a lot of good things about Ability KC. We knew Leo would get high quality therapy at school, and he is. 

Citizens of the World is committed to educating children in an equitable and inclusive learning environment where they grow to understand themselves both as individuals and members of a community. How have you seen this ring true?
I’ve loved how much Citizens focuses on emotions because in kindergarten many of the kids have a hard time with transition to school, and some of them may act out. Every time I’ve heard or seen an issue of a kid acting out, the way the teachers handle it has been incredible. They really focus on how the experiences make the children feel, and what they can do to be kind to each other. Having them focus on emotions like that is just really cool to see. And that ties into inclusion because they really focus on the kids who are having a harder time and they do what they can to make them feel a part of the classroom as well - part of that Citizens community.