719 Saddlebrook
Ada, MI 49301

My two older children attended NT and my youngest is currently in 6th grade there. One of my children is in the Cognitively Impaired program and, as has been our experience with CI classrooms and staff at Meadow Brook Elementary and Northern Hills MS as well, the environment has be wonderful. Excellent teacher and parapros as well as an inclusive and welcoming attitude among all staff and students. Frequent and proactive communication with parents from teacher and IEP team. Excellent IEP planning and evaluation with fair and open discussion among parents and staff.My youngest has a 504 plan to address ADHD and anxiety which is useful, but she gets a lot of unsolicited support from staff and is empowered to self-advocate in the classroom. My daughter has lots of medical and mental health appointments, and is often sick due to a condition that weakens her immune system. This lead to an issue with the ISD over attendance. All of this together was very stressful and the school was active and helpful through all of her complex issues. Teachers and administrative staff communicate in a timely manner, before small problems become big barriers to learning. On the flip-side, my oldest and youngest are both gifted and were provided opportunities to participate in programs that challenged and engaged them. All three of my children were excited to go to school here. The culture of the school is enhanced by the fact that it is a small school and their homework policy: no new work is assigned to be done at home, only work not completed in class comes home. Small student population allows each child to be recognized and supported. In my opinion, this has created a less stressful environment for learning and given teachers the opportunity to focus on getting to know their students as individuals and in-class curriculum.

My kids have been educated in 2 different states and 6 different schools (3 Forest Hills Northern schools), and I have been most pleased with Collins. The teachers are outstanding; they are truly engaged with the students' needs and make learning fun. The school is proactive in providing social-emotional support. They communicate well with parents. The principal LOVES the kids, is super engaged and attentive to parent concerns and feedback. The student body is quite diverse for (suburban) West Michigan. We love our school district and particularly proud of our Northern schools. Go Huskies!

Awesome experience for us; they did their best during the pandemic.

I have had two boys in this school and we have been very happy with their teachers and communication. The principal is excellent and pushes for outdoor time with a lunch "recess" and frequent physical team building activities during their CREW class. There is a wide variety of electives including coding, robotics, outdoor exploration and a good selection of languages. The sports options are plentiful and very inclusive allowing kids to explore and try new things.