Community Country Day School Motto: “Love Can Change the World”
March 04, 2016
Life storms and rough roads are routine for many young students at Community Country Day School. “Sometimes you can see pain in their eyes, but our school is their escape from tough lives,” said Executive Director Angela Collins. “We invest in a child’s soul because many of our students are diamonds in the rough.”
Community Country Day School educates the whole child: academically, physically, emotionally and socially. “No other school in the Erie area, public or private, offers the same advantages in the field of mental health,” Collins added. “We provide state-licensed educational and mental health programs as an effective alternative to costly in-patient psychiatric care for children and adolescents.”
Founded in 1969 by Reverend Charles and Dr. Marybeth Kennedy, Community Country Day School is a school where students learn and thrive. Dr. Kennedy developed a unique training method, Love Therapy, a discipline that encourages children to make correct choices instead of teachers relying on reprimands.
“Love Therapy changes even the hardest of hearts,” said Collins. “Recently, a difficult student came to the office cursing, throwing things and refusing to return to class. Through Love Therapy, I told the student we could restrain her or she could decide to calm down and walk herself back to class. After five minutes, she was calm and returned to class.”
Collins and her team of 17 teachers and counselors find their work with students to be challenging but most rewarding. Because of the school’s positive impact, a waiting list of students continues to grow. In 2014, the Foundation awarded a facility upgrade grant. “We thank our donors and the Foundation because funding allows us to help kids who need our services,” said Collins. “Love really can change the world one child at a time.”