Student Spotlight: Josh “T. Rex” of Sierra School of Gateway

Josh, a 12-year-old who proudly goes by the nickname “Josh T. Rex” thanks to his love of dinosaurs, recently completed sixth grade at Sierra School of Gateway.

This is Josh’s second year at the school. His parents enrolled him at Sierra School of Gateway. after feeling he was being overlooked at his previous school. “They didn’t seem to care about him,” said his father, Jonathan Gordan. “It felt like he was just falling behind and no one was doing anything about it.” According to Gordon, the change has been great for Josh.

“Sierra School of Gateway. has been amazing,” Gordan said. “The staff works so well with Josh, especially in helping him manage his anger, regulate his emotions and feel accepted.”

One of the most meaningful signs of support, Gordon said, is that the staff embraces Josh’s nickname. “That may seem small, but it’s huge,” Gordan said. “At his old school, they refused to use his nickname, even though it made him feel seen.”

Josh is making strong academic progress, particularly in math and reading, and continues to work on his writing. But for Gordan, the most noticeable growth has been in life skills.

“Before, we had to do everything for him,” he said. “Now, he gets up on his own, gets dressed, packs his lunch, grabs snacks and even throws away his trash. It’s a big deal.”

Gordan credits much of Josh’s progress to the compassion and skill of the Sierra School of Gateway. staff. He especially praised staff members Miss Marnie and Miss Jessica for supporting Josh through a difficult time.