Dunnabeck at Kildonan

Language Training Program
Amenia, New York


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Director of Admissions
Dunnabeck at Kildonan
425 Morse Hill Road
Amenia, New York 12501
845-373-8111
Fax: 845-373-2004
http://www.Dunnabeck.org

Type of Program: Residential program focusing on language training for students with dyslexia or language-based learning difficulties
Participants: Coeducational, ages 8–16
Enrollment: 75
Program Dates: End of June through middle of August
Heads of Program: Ronald A. Wilson, Headmaster; Ben Powers, Camp Director

Location

Located on a hillside of woodlands, fields, and a pond, the 325-acre campus of The Kildonan School, which includes school facilities and athletic fields, is in a spacious rural setting 90 miles north of New York City.

Background and Philosophy

Dunnabeck at Kildonan was established in 1955 by Diana Hanbury King to meet the needs of normal, intelligent boys and girls who are failing or underachieving in their academic work because of specific difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is used throughout the program. Standardized diagnostic tests are given at the beginning of the season to plan the student’s program and at the end to assess progress. Word processing forms an integral part of the program. The recreational program is designed to supplement rather than compete with the academic program.

Program Offerings

During the six-week summer program, all tutoring is done on an individual basis. Each student receives a 1-hour lesson daily. In addition, students are taught to study independently and to make the best possible use of group study periods. From the tutor, the student learns to set high standards, to work confidently, and to take pride in achievement. Considerable emphasis is placed on the student’s writing. Stimulating and interesting material is provided for leisure reading. Math tutoring is available on a limited basis for an additional cost. Word processing classes are taught using an alphabetical keyboarding approach. The Kildonan School and Dunnabeck at Kildonan are accredited by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE). Kildonan is also a certified/accredited teacher training site by the AOGPE.

Enrollment

Dunnabeck can accommodate 75 boys and girls ranging in age from 8 to 16. Students are admitted to the program without regard to race, creed, or color. Enrollment is for the full six weeks.

Daily Schedule

A typical day of activities may include:

7:20
7:40
7:50–8:20
8:30
8:30–9:30
9:35–10:35
10:40–11:40
11:45–12:45
12:45
1:00–1:30
1:40–2:40
2:45–3:45
3:45–5:15
5:15
6:15–6:45
6:45–8:00
8:00–9:00

Wake up
Room inspection
Breakfast
Classes begin. All Day students arrive
Period One
Period Two
Period Three
Period Four
Half-day students depart
Lunch
Period Five
Study hall
Afternoon activities
Day student dismissal; Boarders to dormitories
Dinner
Evening activities
Quiet time/bedtime

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Archery, camping, canoeing, ceramics, crafts, hiking, horseback riding, multimedia, painting, photography, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, tubing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, woodworking, and yoga are all offered.

Facilities

Kildonan’s campus features a schoolhouse with a computer center and gymnasium, the Francis St. John Library, Simon Art Studios, two stables, a woodworking facility, and an elementary building with a computer center. There are also three dormitories.

Staff

Ronald A. Wilson, Headmaster, was educated in New York and Connecticut. He holds a B.S. in psychology from SUNY at Brockport and an M.S. in counselor education from Western Connecticut State University.
    Assistant Head of School, Ben Powers, is the Dunnabeck Director. He is currently completing his Master of Arts degree in language education at Indiana University. He holds a B.A. in Russian/French from LaSalle University and has a Certificate from the University of Paris Sorbonne IV in French studies. He is an Associate Member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. He is a language training tutor and Head of the History Department at Kildonan.
    Diana Hanbury King, Founder and Director Emeritus, was educated in England and Canada. She holds a B.A.Hons. degree from the University of London and an M.A. from George Washington University. Mrs. King was the 1990 recipient of the Samuel T. Orton Award, the highest honor bestowed by the International Dyslexia Association, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
    The Academic Dean is Dr. Robert A. Lane. Dr. Lane received his doctorate in learning disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University. As an instructor in Columbia’s Department of Curriculum and Teaching, he taught graduate-level courses in the Learning dis/Abilities Program, coordinated the student-teaching program, and was Clinical Supervisor at the Center for Educational and Psychological Services. His career in education began at Kildonan, where he taught literature and language training and supervised from 1992 to 1995. Before returning to Kildonan, Dr. Lane was also a diagnostic clinician at a private clinic in Connecticut.
    Theresa L. Collins, Director of Language Training at the Kildonan School, completed a B.A. in psychology at Colgate University and holds an M.S. in educational psychology from SUNY at Albany. She has been involved with Dunnabeck since 1986 and with The Kildonan School since 1987. A Fellow of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, she plays a major role in training and supervising teachers at both Dunnabeck and Kildonan.
    Dunnabeck Director of Language Training Christine Thompson is a certified/AOGPE Fellow-in-Training, holds a B.S. degree from SUNY at Plattsburgh and New York State Permanent Certification in Elementary Education (N–6 English). She has worked at The Kildonan School since 1987.
    All tutors are trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach by Fellows of the Orton-Gillingham Academy. Many of the Dunnabeck tutors come from the Kildonan Language Training Department and, therefore, have extensive experience in this specialized tutoring.
    Since the success of the program is dependent on its staff, great care is taken in selecting mature and imaginative men and women who enjoy working with young people. Most of the counselors come from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and England through the Camp America and CCUSA programs.
    The Dunnabeck staff-camper ratio is 1:2.

Medical Care

There is a fully equipped infirmary on campus with full-time nursing coverage, and local physicians serve as the school doctors. Sharon (Connecticut) Hospital is approximately 5 miles away.

Costs

Tuition for the 2008 session was $9100 for residential students, $6900 for day students, and $4600 for half-day students. Additional expenses include fees for transportation and laundry. Financial aid is available. Students should contact Admissions for the appropriate form.

Transportation

Arrangements can be made for students to be transported from and to LaGuardia and Kennedy International Airports in New York or Bradley Airport in Hartford, Connecticut. Harlem Valley Line train service is available between Grand Central Station in New York City and Wassaic, New York.

Application Timetable

Applications should be received by June 1. A $30 fee should accompany the initial application. A $2000 deposit is due upon acceptance.