Dingman-Delaware Primary School

Dingman Delaware Elementary School has been critically important to my daughter's health, and after an army of medical and academic professionals didn't understand what was happening. She has been diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety, Level 1 Autism, aka Asperger's syndrome, and ODD –Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Life has been hard for years. The Urbana School District in Maryland didn’t work. We tried private schools, and she spent a couple of weeks working with the Montessori school in Milford, among others, which I thought would be the best option, but my daughter wasn’t sold. We attempted homeschooling for over a year. Nothing worked. So, I thought we should try Dingman Delaware Elementary School. It’s a winner! The staff totally “get” her. She loves the school. Everyone really GETS kids. And worried parents. Students are allowed to sit in desks, sit on the carpet, or stand in the back of the room. Teachers are not horribly and destructively rigid. The team is enthusiastic and positive, which really helps alleviate the anxiety. She has been super worried about physical education, and her PE teacher is always positive and encouraging. The staff that handles the departure chaos is amazing. 500+ kids pour out of the school onto big buses, car riders, and smaller buses for kids going to afterschool programs, with two police officers directing the traffic. Some of the traffic also goes from the elementary school to the middle school to pick up another child. It’s a 5-way intersection, and after those key 15 minutes of frantic motion, you could hear a cricket chirp. It’s incredible to watch. It's also possible that the Pike County environment has been a significant factor in the various diagnoses. There’s Dingman Falls, Shohola Falls, and Bushkill Falls. We often go hiking after school, and she participates in nature walks during PE sometimes. Be sure to spray for ticks before sending the kiddos to school when the snow is gone. My 4th-grade daughter says this school is the best.