Sparkle

This is our third year at The Seven Hills School, and we are grateful to be part of the community. The school has not only helped our children flourish academically and socially, but it has also helped us -- as parents -- strengthen our connection with them and better understand how they learn and grow. We’ve experienced firsthand the impact of the school’s thoughtful social-emotional program, which we now know builds a critical foundation for meaningful learning. Our children are encouraged to think deeply, stay curious, and take responsibility --- both in their schoolwork and in their relationships with peers. We also love the hands-on, project-based learning experiences that help make real-world connections (and the incredible Middle School program that includes travel Japan and Europe to augment learning in the classroom). There is a lot of thought and intention that goes behind the entire program, and teachers and administrators genuinely care about the students. We hope this exposes our children to a love of life-long learning...and icing on the cake is the beautiful campus! : )

We had two children attend St. Francis and desperately wanted it to work because there are many positives. Some teachers truly care, and our boys made wonderful friends.However, our overall experience was disappointing because of repeated failures in communication and leadership.Our oldest endured years of bullying that, despite numerous meetings, was never effectively addressed. Our younger struggled academically without proactive communication from teachers. Emails often went unanswered, and concerns were frequently redirected to an online app that wasn’t updated consistently enough to be useful.Over the years, we watched several families leave our grade because of similar frustrations. Every family’s experience is different, but ours was enough that we cannot recommend the school. If we had to make the decision again, we would choose another school.

I am sharing our recent experience to help other families who value clear communication, accurate enrollment information, and active safety protocols:First, student safety is completely minimized. My child is being repeatedly bullied by the same boy, pushed from behind and had tan bark thrown at them. When I brought this to the director, she completely dismissed it, claiming the boy just "doesn't know how to express himself," and offered absolutely no solution to keep my child safe.Second, the management is incredibly dishonest and unorganized. They cut the fall schedule from 5 classes to 4 because a teacher is pregnant. They knew this when we enrolled in February, yet the director hid it from us and just copy pasted her weekly emails without mentioning the cut. We only found out two months later because we asked. When we brought up our concerns, the director simply offered to refund our last couple of weeks and send us on our way, showing they do not care about a child's stability.Furthermore, they gave us contradictory stories about enrollment, telling me in person that we were first on the waitlist, but telling my husband we were fifth.Every family deserves to feel completely safe, informed, and supported in their preschool community. I hope sharing these facts helps you find the right, transparent fit for your little one.