Forman School facts for kids

The Forman School is a special school in Litchfield, Connecticut, USA. It's a place where students can live at the school (a boarding school) or come for the day (a day school). Forman helps students in grades 9 to 12 get ready for college. It also has a special year after high school called a postgraduate program (PG).

What makes Forman unique is that it's just for students with learning differences. These can include things like ADD/ADHD (which makes it hard to focus) and dyslexia (which makes reading tricky). The school also offers a fun 4-week summer program in July for students who learn differently.

The School's Story

Forman School started way back in 1930. It was founded by John and Julie Ripley Forman. They began with just three students who had struggled in regular schools. Over the years, Forman grew into a special high school. It helps students who learn in different ways. Today, all students who graduate from Forman get accepted into college!

The Formans really wanted to find the best ways to help their students. They worked with Samuel Orton, who was a leader in teaching reading. The school even created a special department for English. They used the Orton-Gillingham method to teach reading sounds. They also received money from the Rockefeller Foundation to study how to teach reading better.

John Forman went to Princeton University. He knew Professor Albert Einstein, who also had some learning differences. Because of this, Einstein actually joined Forman School's group of academic advisors early on! After John Forman passed away, Julie asked her brother, Dillon Ripley, to join the school's board. Ripley later became the head of the Smithsonian Institution for 20 years.

In the 1980s, Time magazine wrote about Forman School. They highlighted how successful the school was in helping people with dyslexia. The New York Times also featured Forman. They wrote about its unique lessons in the 1980s and its rainforest project in Costa Rica in the 1990s.

Sports and Activities

Sports are a big part of life at Forman School. All students can choose to play on a competitive team or join a fun, recreational sport. Forman teams play against other schools in the Housatonic Valley Athletic League and the Hudson Valley Athletic League.

At Forman, teachers often coach sports teams. This means your classroom teacher might also be your coach! This helps teachers understand and support students even more. It helps students feel more confident in both school and sports. All Forman coaches are trained to be positive and supportive.

Some of the many sports offered include:

• Alpine ski team
• Baseball
• Softball
• Basketball
• Crew (rowing)
• Cross-country running
• Dance
• Equestrian (horse riding)
• Football
• Golf
• Sailing
• Ice hockey
• Kayaking
• Lacrosse
• Recreational skiing
• Rock climbing
• Snowboarding
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Ultimate frisbee
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

Famous Folks from Forman

Alumni

• Mitchell Block: A producer who won an Academy Award (a big movie award) for Big Mama. He was also nominated for another Academy Award for Poster Girl.
• David Rublin: The bass player for the band American Authors.
• John Seward Johnson II: A famous artist who makes bronze sculptures.
• Blake Miller: A professional lacrosse player for the Long Island Lizards.

Former Faculty

• Joe Bouchard: One of the original members of the rock band Blue Öyster Cult.