Stars School & Learning Center in Weymouth Sets Opening Date for September 2025
The first-of-its-kind school on Boston 's South Shore will serve students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences
WEYMOUTH, MA / ACCESS Newswire / May 21, 2025 /Stars School & Learning Center, a new specialized nonprofit day school serving cognitively skilled students in Grades 1-5 with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences, has officially announced its inaugural opening date: September 4, 2025. Developed and led by South Shore Stars CEO Jennifer Curtis-Whipple, Ed.D., a former Superintendent of Weymouth Public Schools, the school is a natural extension of Stars ' five-decade commitment to early education, academic enrichment, and family support.
Located at 163 Libbey Parkway in Weymouth, Stars School & Learning Center will be the first school of its kind on Boston 's South Shore, offering an innovative, evidence-based, multisensory curriculum grounded in the Science of Reading within a highly supportive learning environment. Enrollment is open year-round, and Stars is able to accommodate mid-year transfer students. As a nonprofit,Chapter 766-approved day school, Stars accepts both private-pay students and those placed by public school districts. Recently approved tuition rates by the Massachusetts Operational Services Division will allow public districts to access state and municipal funding for appropriate student placements.
The idea for the school was ignited three years ago when State Senator Patrick O 'Connor introduced Dr. Curtis-Whipple to a group of parents seeking a solution for the lack of resources on the South Shore. In February 2023, Stars committed to launching a new school to fill that void. With necessary approvals now in place, the board recently voted to allocate all necessary resources to guarantee opening for the 2025-2026 school year.
"This program is a major need on the South Shore, and similar programs throughout the eastern part of the state are full. Dyslexic students are all too frequently faced with instruction that is poorly executed and leaves the child unable to read at a useful level," says Nancy Duggan, founder of Decoding Dyslexia of MA and a Stars board member. "The entire board recognizes the pain that parents of dyslexic students experience when their children are unhappy and, often, depressed by the gap they can see between their abilities and their classmates."
Stars has begun hiring Orton-Gillingham trained and certified teachers, Speech and Language Pathologists, and additional elementary school staff and expects to be fully staffed by July 31st. The school recently completed a $1.4 million remodeling project to create classrooms and learning spaces tailored to the needs of students with dyslexia, language-based learning needs, ADHD, and additional features to support teaching and learning for this population of children. The upgraded space features a state-of-the-art gross motor and sensory space that allows children to engage with self-regulation tools and explore a multitude of resources and equipment. A scholarship fund is being established, and leadership is now refocusing its fundraising efforts toward ensuring future financial flexibility and a sustainable future for the school and the organization.
"The community needs this program, and we have worked hard to get to a point where we are able to begin providing these services. All children deserve high-quality education, and we are ready to offer this specialized instruction for children with dyslexia," said Dr. Curtis-Whipple. "We are grateful to Quincy Mutual, South Shore Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Senator Patrick O 'Connor, and countless others who have helped us realize this important step forward for education on the South Shore."
ABOUT SOUTH SHORE STARS
South Shore Stars is a nonprofit organization providing the highest quality early education and youth development programs for the communities south of Boston. Stars serves more than 1,300 children annually, providing programs to a diverse population, concentrating on school readiness and academic achievement, by promoting healthy development and strengthening families. From the organization 's inception in 1970, its programs have focused on quality early education, academic, enrichment, and family support, with two interconnected goals of enabling parents to work and supporting each of the children to thrive and reach their full potential.
STARS SCHOOL AND LEARNING CENTER
Stars School & Learning Center is a private nonprofit school for children grades 1 - 5 with language-based learning differences, like dyslexiaand co-occurring conditions, including ADHD.Located in Weymouth, Mass. and opening in September 2025 and a first-of-its-kind day school on Boston 's South Shore, Stars ' Orton-Gillingham-trained and certified teachers and staff will provide a unique experience for students with average to above-average intelligence, whose diverse learning styles may not be leveraged by a traditional academic setting.
Applications and additional information:
Visit: https://southshorestars.org/stars-school-learning-center/
Email: development@southshorestars.org
SOURCE: South Shore Stars
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