Rydal

Learning: What we learnt was pretty easy for all subjects from my experience.Teaching: It really depends on which teacher you have. They might be extremely strict or nice and fun.Mental health and well-being: This year they have anxiety and stress programs where it helps you, I think.Special education: There was ever only one kid with special needs in my grade, but he left. This one time, he was just crying, and the teacher didn't really do anything.Safety: The teachers will do things if you speak up about it, but no one ever really did anything to me.Family engagement: They have family bingo night, Teacher-parent conferences, and many other events.

St. Hilary’s is a place I am so grateful for. I learned how to teach myself the lessons learned in school because a select few of teachers could not do their jobs. I learned how to ignore comments made from the principal, who was and is still an ignorant, controlling, condescending, and overall incompetent person. The principal does not share any empathy, which is ironic because that is what she asks of students. She belittles students for absolutely no reason when all that was needed was simple discipline. She has been a principal for far too long, and she seems to be stuck in the past. I am grateful for the few good teachers, who showed me how to be a kind person, and who made me the person I am today. They don’t deserve so many of the things they deal with throughout the school year. I am grateful for the friendships I made. Because of them, I was able to come to school everyday, despite the negatives thoughts in my mind. They showed me how to laugh through the ridiculous events we had to deal with. When my mental health was at an all-time low, they made me smile. I am so grateful for the experiences I had at SHS, but I wish those experiences could have been better. Parents, please send your child somewhere else. Somewhere they are not judged for being a little bit different by someone they’re supposed to trust.

As a "Lifer" alum of Abington Friends, I'm proud to say that AFS is an exceptional school, both for the quality of education provided and the individual integrity the school fosters. AFS is Quaker. Every student is approached as a unique person bearing "that of God" in them. In my life, there has been nothing more formative, nothing more powerful than having been taught by teachers for whom that belief is foundational- that I bear God's image and should be accorded respect to provide answers, not just be given them. From my first day at AFS, learning and critical thinking were always present in instruction. Instruction was always presented in the most vibrant and engaging ways to elicit response. The campus itself was a giant place to safely explore and be. Is AFS perfect? No. But, I loved going there. I always felt loved and safe and engaged. Even as an adult when I go back, I still feel loved and safe and engaged. What I learned and experienced there is lasting me a lifetime. Bonus- my teachers and classmates stay connected via social media.