First, a student is classified by district Child Study Team (CST). Next, the district and parents release reports to Holmstead. Then our director and clinical staff review the referral. If appropriate, an interview is arranged for parent(s)/guardian, student, and Child Study Team (CST) Case Manager (all parties attend the interview).
An average of 65 students attend Holmstead School. The student body population is evenly divided between boys & girls from 52 towns in 5 counties. Ages range from 11-18 years old, grades 6-12.
Emotional Regulation Impairment (ERI), Other Health Impaired (OHI), Multiply Handicapped (MD) and
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
The sending school district will provide transportation.
No, students must be placed through our process.
Yes, there is a summer program.
No. Students may participate in sports/clubs at the sending school district.
Yes, during recreational arts.
Yes! Some examples are Broadway plays, museums, historical sites, cultural, art and sporting events.
Yes! Holmstead has a full-time nurse.
Yes, our clinical staff provides individual and group counseling to students. Our Parent Support Group is a resource as well.
Upon graduation, students receive a Holmstead School certificate of completion and the actual diplomas are then issued by the sending district high school.
More than 80%.
New Jersey Colleges:
College of NJ (TCNJ)
College of St. Elizabeth
Drew University
Felicia College
Kean College
Montclair University
Ramapo College
Rutgers University
Seton Hall University Stockton College
William Paterson University
Out-of-State Colleges
Adelphi University, NY
Antioch College, OH
Boston University, MA
Carleton College, MN
Columbia University, NY
C.W. Post University, NY
Elon University, NC
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), NY
Five Towns College, NY
Greensboro College, NC
Harvard University, MA
Ithaca College, NY
Johns Hopkins University, MD
Johnson & Wales University, RI
Kutztown University, PA
Marist College, NY
Muhlenberg College, PA
Nazareth College, NY
New England College, MA
Nyack College, NY
Pace University, NY
St. John’s University, NY
St. Thomas Aquinas, NY
Stanford University, CA
State University of NY (SUNY): Albany, Binghamton, New Paltz
Wagner College, NY
Our students may have had a history of learning, psychological, social, and/or emotional issues that prevent them from realizing their academic potential.
In addition, we have a No Bullying Tolerance/Anti-bullying Policy (LINK TO section 6A)
Holmstead School prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. We believe that all students are entitled to work and study in a school-related environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
Our mission is based on a philosophy of deep respect for the inherent worth of each individual, regard for the environment, and belief in the capacity for personal change. We commit ourselves to forming relationships with people so that each person may experience a sense of belonging, dignity and hope. It is through relationships that students and staff grow in self- understanding and self-esteem. Each person has the right to self-determination.
Therefore, a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for our students to fulfill this mission and to learn and achieve high academic standards. Harassment, intimidation or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a student’s ability to learn and our ability to educate students in a safe environment, and therefore will not be tolerated.
College preparation skills, as well as career development experiences, are offered. Students are required to take six courses on a rotating schedule. This procedure minimizes anxiety about facing the same courses at the same time each day. Students are required to fulfill state-mandated course requirements but many electives are designed to provide a well-rounded curriculum.
Students are encouraged to take an active part in the planning of their schedules, by selecting courses from the forty-five offered at Holmstead. These course selections are compiled by the Supervisor of Education in an effort to predict improvement, promote success, and increase motivation.
Incorporated into the school day is a one-hour required class called recreational arts, in which students fulfill physical education mandates and participate in organized activities. These include physical education, yearbook, art, music instruction, and the school newspaper. Field trips, which vary from educational to recreational, are also offered regularly.
Holmstead School complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination by reason of race, color, creed, or national origin.
Therapeutic intervention on the part of highly skilled and certified therapists enables Holmstead students to participate in individual psychotherapy and group counseling. The staff includes male and female clinicians who afford students the opportunity to work with the professional with whom he/she/they relate to most comfortably and productively. Sessions uphold confidentiality in order to build trust.
A parent support group, facilitated by Holmstead therapists, addresses issues of concern regarding adolescent interaction with family, peers, school, and the community.
Course-related educational plans in the form of student contracts are evaluated weekly by the faculty. These contracts enable teachers to keep a daily accurate account of academic and behavioral performance of each student. Weekly summaries are shared with students and emailed to parents bi-weekly. Each student meets regularly with a teacher/advisor to promote consistent program progress.
Formal evaluative reports, which include grades in each class, an attendance record and anecdotal summaries from each teacher, are prepared quarterly and disseminated to the child study teams by the director.
State (NJSLA) testing, a requirement for graduation, is facilitated on site at Holmstead. PSAT, SAT, ACT testing, transition planning, and college counseling are also provided.
EDUCATIONAL
Challenging courses
Small group instruction
Supportive personalized setting
Sensitivity to adolescent issues
Online college courses
Virtual science labs
Guidance & transition services
Student/parent portal for real-time updates
Use of NAVIANCE and NJCAN in college preparation process
PSAT, SAT, ACT, and NJSLA testing on site
CLINICAL
Highly skilled clinicians
Individual & group therapy
Parent support group
Therapeutic intervention
Zero tolerance for bullying
Crisis management
Nurturing, safe environment
Daily communication with teachers
Consultation with psychiatrists & outside therapists
Full-time nurse health instructor
2 years