Map #1, Francestown, NH 03043

Great Brook provided the most amazing middle school experience for our son. As everyone knows, middle school can be a brutal time for kids, but the experience at Great Brook is different. We moved to the area when our son started 6th grade, and the students and staff at GBS were so welcoming, it really made the transition easy for him. He made friends on day one and the teachers and staff all remembered him from when he toured the school the previous spring. He is graduating 8th grade this year and has achieved more here than at his past schools. The curriculum is amazing, they really try and round out each child's education and have a variety of "specials" like home-ec, industrial arts, and more. The sports programs are inclusive and well-rounded, with a variety of sports offered all three seasons. Every single person working in this building is passionate about helping kids and it really shows. I cannot recommend this school enough!!

We have been so pleased with the quality of education at Francestown Elementary School. The teachers are creative, dedicated, and energetic -- and able to differentiate learning for students at different levels within the small classes. Parents are always welcome to visit or volunteer, and there is a very active PTO that sponsors activities such as yoga, card-making, fort building and animal tracking with the Harris Center, author visits, LEGO programs, and Wildlife Encounters. The staff is incredibly caring, and very involved in the lives of the students -- the janitor hands out Valentines and end-of-year treats, and the woman who works in the cafeteria crocheted hats for every student last year. Due to the very small class size, test scores can be inconsistent and difficult to generalize. They can appear low if there are a few students in a particular grade who struggle (for example, this year the fourth grade class has 10 students, so each one makes up 10% of the score). There are just as many high-achieving students, who are kept challenged through fluidity in which curriculum they complete, specialized projects, and enrichment programs during the day. I have been impressed with how cohesive and supportive the students are as a whole, and what wonderful friendships are formed within the school. I would recommend that prospective families obtain more updated/accurate testing data from the Department of Education, and schedule a visit to the school to get a feel for what it offers.