Capital Campaign Success Stories
Some students see the world not in straight lines but in shapes that bend, flow, and connect in unexpected ways. “Squares to Circles,” a poem written by a Janus student, captures that transformation—the shift from constraint to possibility, from struggle to growth. This campaign takes its name from that vision. On this page, you’ll find the poem that inspired it all and stories that bring its meaning to life.
Help turn a K-12 student’s journey from square to circle.
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BY A FORMER JANUS STUDENT
Confusion, misunderstanding, and frustration
Lack of communication, or some other unknown reason
For my attempts on getting homework done on time.
By and by,
Once in a while, I’d even cry.
I didn’t know, didn’t understand
They cared quite a bit,
But didn’t seem to know the answer
To my complications, to my problems
Why I was struggling was all they knew,
Learning disabilities, but just a few.
Five to be exact,
Yes, lucky five.
And lucky me,
To be the beehive of those honeybee-like disabilities
Stinging me, those honeybee disabilities,
Thwarting my understanding of my schoolwork.
I was a circle, one lonely circle,
In a school full of squares,
The school itself is a square too.
The squares were all normal, and the circles were not.
Then, a beekeeper came calling to me.
A beekeeper they call “The Janus School.”
Just what I need, a school for people like me,
For those others with learning disabilities,
And there I found friends, help in school, and understanding.
Finally, I was with my fellow circles.
Finally, It was just circles with circles.
No more not fitting, no more despair,
Despite all my troubles,
My comprehension was there.
Additional Success Stories from Our Circles
PARKER’S STORY
“Before I went to Janus, I was a shell. I was basically empty, not very talkative, and not passionate. I was devoid of character. But, while I was there, I created myself. I created a new me—the me that was always there but was denied its right to shine. Janus was a place of kindness; my teachers knew from day one that I was more than that shell and they wanted to see who I was.”
AJ’S JOURNEY
By 5th grade, AJ had become so stressed out about school that he developed several tics and started hiding in the classroom closet because he felt anxious and hopeless.
Then he visited Janus.
AJ’s mom recalls, “The most important thing I heard on the tour was, ‘We are going to teach your child HOW to be a student.’ The teachers at Janus encouraged him to take charge of his own learning and supported him through every challenge and triumph. Today, he is a different person—confident and happy. There are no words to express how life-changing this school really is for students and their families!”
MADISON’S STORY
“My former school was overwhelming. I never really spoke much. I felt behind most of the time. At Janus, I was able to connect with people like I hadn’t been able to before and get over my anxiety. I quickly found myself appreciating the school more and more. It’s much easier to join in here. The adaptability of the teachers is nice, and people have noticed over the years how I’ve grown.”
Your support will make student success possible in the future.
Please join us in helping The Janus School empower more children with learning differences to achieve their full potential.