For Mike Falcaro, The Hillside School has been part of his life for more than three decades. Mike first came to Hillside in the early 1990s during a difficult time in his academic journey. Traditional classrooms weren’t working for him, and he was struggling in school. He had been placed in a special education setting with students who had a wide range of disabilities and was beginning to feel discouraged about his future. At the time, he had recently been identified as having a learning disability, but no one had yet discovered how he learned best.
Everything changed when his mother learned about The Hillside School. In November of his sixth-grade year, Rosie Knapp — Hillside’s founder, teacher, and Head of School — made an exception and admitted him mid-year, giving him a chance that would ultimately change the course of his life.
At Hillside, Mike experienced learning in a completely different way. Through a differentiated curriculum and individualized instruction, he began to understand something powerful about himself: he was an auditory learner who needed to hear information explained in order to fully process it. For the first time, learning started to make sense.
Beyond academics, Hillside gave him something even more meaningful — a sense of belonging. One moment in particular still stands out to him: his first school assembly. Looking around the room, he realized that every student there shared similar challenges and experiences.
“For the first time,” Mike remembers, “I realized that everyone here was in the same boat as me. They were in my shoes. We were all wired differently, but we were all going through the same struggles together.” That realization helped build confidence and changed how he saw himself as a learner.
The impact of his Hillside experience continued long after he left campus. Mike went on to attend college and ultimately earned three degrees, something that once felt impossible when he was struggling earlier in school. He credits Hillside with helping him recognize his strengths, understand how he learns, and develop the confidence to keep moving forward.
Today, Mike’s connection to Hillside has come full circle. His two children, Abbie and Will, are now students at The Hillside School. Watching his children grow and learn at Hillside has been incredibly meaningful for Mike and his family.
Just as Hillside once helped him understand how he learns best, the school is now helping Abbie and Will build confidence, develop their strengths, and discover their own paths as learners.
Today, Mike shares a message for families who may be unsure about whether Hillside is the right place for their child:
“Don’t let learning differences define you; let them redefine you.”
For the Falcaro family, Hillside isn’t just a school. It’s a place that has changed their lives—once for Mike, and now again for his children.
