Marblehead Neck

Both our kids currently attend Devereux School and I couldn't be happier! We absolutely love it here. My oldest started in 1st grade and my youngest is currently in Kindergarten at Devereux. The school is family to us. The grounds are open, natural and in keeping with the Montessori philosophy. The kids (K+) are outside everyday for at least an hour. They sit down with cloth napkins and placemats at lunch (which they help to fold, set and clean-up). The kids are expected from a very early age to do their part, be a helper, express compassion and model respect. Somehow while teaching young kids to be civil and kind citizens, they also have wonderfully high academic standards. They have a science fair, have memorized and learned about the period table of elements and learn French every day. When my older child started Devereux in 1st grade, I was a bit concerned that she might be behind her peers who had been there learning French in preschool and Kinder. I'm happy to report that by 2nd grade she had earned a medal placing in the top 85% of the Grand Concours (a national French test). The teaching staff cares for the children like nothing I've ever seen before - and we've paid our dues at other schools. In addition to daily French, they have art, chorus, nutrition and yoga classes weekly. The children are given the tools to self-regulate their emotions and the trust that they are capable and kind creatures. When things go wrong, the teachers address it immediately - with the children AND the parents. We have yet to be in a situation where I have been unsatisfied with the response of staff and administration. There is no perfect school, but Devereux is as close to perfect as it gets for us.