Dear Esteemed Children’s Academy Community,

As we mark the 15th anniversary of our school’s commitment to educating students with language-based learning differences, we are thrilled to invite you to our annual gala and auction – our most important fundraising event of the year. This year holds special significance as the school celebrates several milestones and accomplishments. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of steadily increasing our enrollment, allowing us to expand our reach as we continue to serve students and families who require intensive educational and therapeutic intervention. Our students come to us with a range of diagnoses, including speech-language impairment, autism spectrum disorder, learning disability, global developmental delay, and more. We take pride in celebrating their abilities and nurturing their overall growth and development as we prepare them to be confident members of their communities.

Through continuous growth since inception, Children’s Academy has expanded from serving only two students to now operating as a K-12 school with a New York State Education Department (NYSED) absolute charter, which gives us the rights and legal establishment as an educational institution. Also, on July 18, 2023, the New York State Board of Regents acknowledged our Upper School program as having met the qualifications of a Registered High School. This status allows us the right to grant fully recognized New York Regents Diplomas and Commencement Credentials to eligible students beginning with our 2024 graduates – the school’s third graduating class.

Currently, our K-12 program enrollment is at full capacity, which brings bittersweet contentment – a sense of satisfaction and a lingering desire for more space to accommodate our current and growing needs. As such, funds raised during this year’s gala will be restricted to securing an additional facility to house our Middle/Upper School program. This expansion will afford us the space to address long-standing needs, such as a dedicated science lab and gymnasium. Furthermore, moving our older students to a new facility will enable our Lower School program to flourish within our current facility, with the addition of a true library, a music room, and an art room.

We are deeply excited about the future of our unique educational institution and are determined to solidify our position as the premier program for students with speech-language impairments and language-based learning differences in New York City. Our commitment to this charge is evidenced within the school’s newly developed Strategic Plan, which will serve as our roadmap for the next 5 years thanks to the brilliance and effort of our fantastic Board of Trustees. This guiding document will be brought to life through the collective efforts of our Board, staff, parents, and current and future community partners.

We invite you to join us for this celebratory fundraising event, and we ask that you partner with us going forward as we continue to fulfill our mission to educate children with speech and language challenges and learning differences in a supportive social environment, through collaborative evidence-based models recognizing the individuality of each child. We strive to develop a love of learning, friendships, expression, understanding and self-advocacy. Together, let us build a brighter future for the students whose lives we touch and continue making a meaningful impact!

All the best,

Cheval Bryant

Head of School