Parent / Student Spotlight

During a recent interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Allyson and Peter, a mother-and-son who joined the Options School family in 2021. After relocating from Colorado to Indiana, the family encountered difficulties in finding a school that could meet their needs. Fortunately, they discovered Options Noblesville, where Peter recently concluded his sophomore year, and Allyson joined the Options staff in August 2022. Read on to find out more about their story!

If you’re searching for a school that provides individualized education in the state of Indiana, explore Options Schools today!!

Hear About Peter’s Experience as a New Student at Options Schools

What were some differences when you started attending Options, versus your other school in terms of things you liked?

“My science class is actually good. I’ll compare it to here at Options, this school is kind of my first real experience doing any kind of long-term science class, and that was good.”

So what would you say have been some of your favorite parts about being here?

“The whole socializing with the teachers part. So I get to socialize with teachers a lot more frequently in class, and that makes it a lot better.”

During the 2022-23 school year, your writing teacher let you do some alternative assignments. What did you get to do?

“I got to do creative writing. That was really my first experience that way. He was just happy to notice that I was somebody that liked writing, and I’m excited to explore it more in the future.”

Hear About Allyson’s Experience as an Options Noblesville Team Member

How has your experience as a parent been, coming from Colorado and not knowing what options were available for high school, and seeing how your son has been doing in the last couple of years at Options?

“So he’s gone from I’m not made for college to open-minded about college. But landscape-wise, there are opportunities with the dual credit stuff, there are opportunities for him to be challenged because he can be. And the fact that he can do that here, only doing four classes at once means he can put energy into a dual credit class.”

Talk a little bit about coming in as a staff member. What’s it been like because of the unique role of being a parent of a student and a staff member?

“I’m a Special Ed teacher, and I’m a Special Ed parent. So I guess it’s not a bonus being in the building. The bonus is, logistically, it’s way easier to be in the same building. Coming in from the outside, I had heard that Options supports all of their students, but having come from a background where I had to fight for everything, there was a level of trust that needed to be built. 

However, being in the building and seeing firsthand how Options supports all students, regardless of their needs, has been reassuring. The school truly meets the students where they’re at and focuses on building relationships with them, which is something I value greatly. In my previous teaching experience, relationship building was also key, and I appreciate that Options prioritizes this as well.”

What would you say to another parent about what makes Options different and special overall from your perspective?

“We’ve got a smaller class size. We’ve got teachers who understand anxiety, depression, I mean, who understand kind of how to meet students there with anxiety or depression. Teachers that understand neurodiversity, we kind of have different teachers experienced in all those areas. So our collective hive mind, we can support each other with that.  

And I really think, I mean, we’re not perfect, we make mistakes, but the fact that we have people here that understand that is great. Really good at de-escalating stress. Having no prescribed homework can be a relief for parents dealing with challenges and battles at home. Even though students may still have work to bring home, not having assigned homework just for the sake of it can remove a potential source of stress for both the student and the parent.”

Options Schools Strives for Students to Succeed

Allyson and Peter’s stories highlight the importance of finding a school that meets the unique needs of each student. If you are a parent or student in Noblesville or Westfield, IN, we invite you to schedule a campus tour of Options Schools and discover how our individualized approach to education can help you succeed. Contact us today to take the first step toward a brighter future.