Bowling Heights

As the 2014 school year comes to a close, we are just as pleased with Brinson as we were when my oldest started there 6 years ago. We are a military family. We had a child or children (depending on the year) at Brinson, left for a year, and then returned to New Bern. My older two kids missed Brinson terribly the year they were gone. They were happier and overall got a better education than at their other school. Our youngest and middle child are currently there and continue to thrive. The teachers are very engaged. Sure, some are better than others, but I haven't had a bad teacher experience so far. The school does very well on standardized tests without obsessing over and stressing the kids about the tests (as compared with another high achieving local school where my friend's child developed test anxiety and spent most of third grade stressed out to the point of not wanting to go to school - and she was a good student). Brinson finds an excellent balance of urging the children to excel while not smothering them. My ONLY gripe is that I wish the curriculum spent more time on grammar. If you are moving to the area, rest assured that Brinson is a positive, safe place.

This review is specific to the middle school. I transferred my son to this school from another school in the area this year. He has grown and matured so much at NBCA. This school has been amazing. The first quarter was a bit rocky, while he tried to make new friends and find out how he fits in. However, he had amazing support from his teachers. Now, as we near the end of the year, he is actually willing to admit that he likes this school! What 13 year old admits that?! Whenever he experienced any difficulty, either academically or with friends, I email his teacher(s) and receive a response same day. They are always willing to step in and help. They really love their students, and that is displayed every day. The sports they offer are great, and he participated in some of them. He made several good friends this way. The other students and their families have been amazing!. Our family has become friends with a few other families, and feel like we fit in here. I did not feel that way at his previous school. This school may not be a perfect fit for everyone, but it is a perfect fit for my son and our family. I am grateful that I transferred him here, and I am looking forward to seeing him continue to grow with the assistance of NBCA.