This week we’d love to introduce you to Kensley, a Brookstone Student who just completed Kindergarten.
Kensley has demonstrated resilience since the beginning of her life. She spent her first months in ICU, and nearly didn’t make it. We praise God for her healing!
She started kindergarten in 2020. Her incredibly supportive parents already had her engaged in occupational and speech therapy. Kindergarten during the pandemic, when we all were wearing masks, was an added challenge. She was pretty shy and occasionally cried at the start of the day. At the end of the year, Kensley’s Dibels (Reading test) score was below benchmark at 89. Her teachers and parents decided she would benefit from another year of kindergarten.
A team of people have worked together to make sure Kensley is successful. Kensley started the year with our Intervention Team. She also was approved for services for our Speech and OT team during and outside of school. On her end-of-year Dibels test, Kensley scored 180, which is both above average and a huge improvement from the previous year!
This year, Kensley has so many friends. She smiles a lot more. She tells her teacher, Shannon Montgomery, stories, showing she is no longer feeling shy in class. Kensley has come so far since her first day of kindergarten. Despite all odds against her, she is again persevering.
Stories like Kensley’s are not rare, but with support, neither are the outcomes.
As Brookstone grows, we have been able to expand programs to help students make strides toward their academic goals. For a student like Kensley, identifying opportunities to help her succeed can change the trajectory of her life.