Waterfront

The students at this school are not excited about learning and are often discouraged from participating in the science fair if they are not part of a selective group (the principal’s favorite PTA group). The teachers at this school try their best to educate the children within the environment they are given. However, I have observed students taking benchmark assessments while other students were talking and running around the classroom.I have also personally observed—and have been told by students—that they are not allowed to play on the playground and are instead required to play near the dumpster due to the playground limitations (broken swings etc). When the garbage truck arrives, the children have to wait and lose their recess time. While this may not be true for all grade levels, it does happen if your child is placed in certain classrooms.It seems to me that the principal cares more about the school’s appearance—whether it looks stylish or not—than about what truly matters. When she climbs onto the roof of the school in an elf outfit is not only dangerous but also sets a poor example for students. The principal is a self proclaimed drama kid trying to always place the spotlight on herself (climbing on the roof in an elf outfit).We left the school and are very happy we did. Several of our friends made the same decision.

Both my sons have attended this school, and my youngest is set to graduate. We have had a wonderful experience in every facet at Shallowford Falls. The Special Ed dept is overseen and facilitated to meet students where they are. The team mentality on IEP teams is such a heartwarming feeling and reduces the stress of advocating. The volunteers who assist SF are amazing--from the PTA, Foundation, Super Dads, the library restockers, and everyone in between. Teachers are attune to students' social and emotional well-being and issues are dealt with fairly and compassionately. My sons are Black, and finding a school where they are accepted has been monumental. In regards to a previous review regarding the discrimination during AM carpool, we have never witnessed or experienced what the original poster claims. Each morning, what we do see, are teachers assisting to unload the cars of Special Need students. We are currently in our 8th year at this school, and in all those years, the only cars who we have witnessed where teachers open doors and help unload the kids are those cars with Special Needs students who pull all the way to the front. This is our 8th year, and each and every day, that is what we see. Teachers are trained to not open doors or assist any students except those who are disabled. I'm disheartened the previous poster finds this "comical" and it shows their own lack of inclusion and acceptance. If we could go back and time and do elementary school again, we would pick Shallowford Falls in a heartbeat. It has been instrumental in providing a safe and inclusive environment where our children have been able to grow into the humans they are now and ultimately ready for middle school. The passion of the teachers is untouchable and this example starts with the admin team. Shallowford Falls = 10 out of 10 stars.

Based on my family's experience at Timber Ridge, I feel it is not a great fit for students with learning differences. My first grader with inattentive-type ADHD and unspecified anxiety disorder really did not get the accomodations she needed. Due to her slower work speed, she was being forced to finish school work during recess even though I was informed later in the year that is against school policy and I had previously asked her teacher not to reduce recess time. I often observed teachers shouting at children to hurry in the carpool line or in the hallways in a way that was very stressful for my daughter. This is a high-pressure school and many of the parents have very high expectations for their children's futures. Now that we've spent my daughter's second grade year at another school, I realize it is possible for her to enjoy school and get the support she needs to feel good about herself and build her confidence. If your child is neurotypical and academically inclined, then they will probably do well at Timber Ridge. But if your child doesn't fit the traditional mold, there are likely better options.

We initially chose High Meadows amongst a list of the top private schools in the area based on the outdoor/activity component and the IB curriculum. Our child has been at HMS since Pre-K and stayed through 1st grade. There are many parts of the HMS experience we find so unique; we love the play based learning philosophy, the hour of play time at lunch, the beauty of the 42 acre campus with unique buildings, barnyard time with the animals, a "no phones" policy, the community gatherings, a strong music program - there are so many reasons it should be the best school experience money can buy. But, we found it's the most critical parts of a community that are completely missing for our child and our family. Despite being an extremely gregarious family who have lived in other countries/multiple US cities, we did not make any true friends at this school in our multiple years there. This is a very small school, so you may be lucky and get a great group of kids/families like our neighbors, but there is also the chance you may end up like us...it has been the most unfriendly group of kids/parents we've experienced absolutely anywhere. It's hard to get a take on that from trying out the 'Mornings on the Meadow' or even from feedback from other families as we've found connection with families many years above and below our grade but absolutely NONE within it. We have found most of the teachers seem great, but it doesn't make up for the kids your child will interact with and their parents. There was a 75% percentage of boys in our Kindergarten class and most of the boys are "red-shirted" in the Southern standard. Outdoor time in Kindergarten was experienced as "teachers are always screaming at the boys for bad behavior". While the head of school is inspiring, the elementary school principal did not present any leadership skills to handle problems amongst children. Be prepared to receive CONSTANT and overwhelming amounts of communication from the school about absolute nonsense and non-stop requests for donations, but when you have a true issue and need to reach out, there will be radio silence from everyone.

This school has exceeded all expectations since we enrolled our 3-year-old. It has a fantastic culture and we see how rapidly our son is advancing. Unprovoked, he's told us many times how much he loves his school, and thanked us for moving him the Wood Acres. What 3-year-old says that?