We found the right fit for our son at Rowe Elementary

My name is Aracely Madrigal and my son Jorgie is in 1st grade at Rowe Elementary.  My husband and I grew up here in Chicago where we attended public school.  Although we are both products of Chicago Public Schools, we knew that we needed something more for Jorgie.  We found out early on that my son has speech problems and the public school in our neighborhood wouldn’t cut it. We needed a change of pace and the chance to give Jorgie a shot in school, so we moved to Portland, Oregon.

Once we realized how much we missed the culture and environment where we were born and raised, we moved back to Chicago.  We were determined to find the right school for Jorgie.  It turns out the solution to our problems were right around the corner at Rowe Elementary.  We applied, stayed on the waitlist for months, and then finally found out that Jorgie was accepted to attend last fall.  We were beyond ecstatic.

The personal support we have received from the teachers and staff at Rowe have been remarkable, and I can’t imagine sending Jorgie anywhere else. Since we recently found out that Jorgie has an IEP, and the staff at Rowe has been helpful and attentive from day one. Now, he no longer needs to be pulled for these services since he has improved so much in the past year!  Despite his speech problem, he has been given the opportunity to speak in front of the class and thrive.

Last Labor Day, students in his class ran for “president”, and I saw Jorgie give a speech in front of his classmates.  I could barely recognize him!  He was confident, articulate and proud to speak.  Before Rowe, there is no way he would feel comfortable enough to speak in front of our family, let alone in front of a crowd of his peers.  I am so proud of the progress Jorgie has made and the community that we’ve been able to be a part of at Rowe Elementary.

 


Aracely Madrigal was born and raised in Chicago and attended Chicago Public Schools. She attended college in Lake Forest, IL, and now works with families throughout the city.