Boulder Country Day

We've been part of the Heatherwood family since the beginning of the 23/24 school year. We are impressed with the opportunities available to the students - academically, socially, and from the strong parent community. Our youngest (now 4) is in his 2nd year in the PreK/Enrichment programs and is thriving. I'm impressed with how prepared he will be, socially and academically, when he starts kindergarten next year, compared to my oldest, who came from a traditional daycare setting. Our oldest (now 6) is also thriving in 1st grade. After a rough start, transitioning into public school, I was impressed by how the teachers worked with the different student backgrounds (previous schools) and prepared them for the jump to 1st grade. Now in 1st grade, the academic focus and development I see week after week is solid. Both kids were also flagged for support with speech and could get an IEP for additional support. I would recommend Heatherwood to any family interested in a caring and academic public school environment.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the way this school has been working out for my child. We initially had her being homeschooled. It was personally hard for our family to trust a school structure with our own personal bad experiences, and difficulties we’ve heard from friends that have kids in different situations. I personally was the most apprehensive and distrustful. Since my child has been attending this school I have seen her flourish into herself in a whole new and beautiful way. We struggled with teaching her foreign language and instruments, but she’s getting that here now. The real hidden gem is that she has the same classroom all the way through 8th grade. She has a teacher who knows her well, and watches her grow, and whose opinion and perspective we can trust. Seeing her work with her classmates in conflict resolution and forming community and long term bonds has been another hidden blessing. I personally have aversions to structured school systems, but this one has flipped my beliefs upside down and I am left with highly recommending Boulder Valley Waldorf School to anyone I can. I also struggled with the idea of paying for school, but I see now how every penny is worth it for her well being, community structure, foreign language, musical learning, artistic creativity, and every normal school subject being arranged in a better format for learning that helps my child to keep her youth and joy without sacrificing it in the name of education and conforming to societal structures that most standard schools prepare you for. Whenever we arrive or leave my child is waving to kids in every class and calling out to them by name, and also to the teachers. Seeing her connected to such a large, welcoming, and caring group of people truly fills my heart to its limits.

Our daughter attended Mountain Shadows International School from YCC level to the Upper Elementary. The AMI Montessori certified teachers here and the school's leadership are incredible. It is a true global learning school that teaches respect, cultural awareness, and formative life skills from the very start. In terms of academics, they allow deep learning & exploration for all core subjects. Their project based approach to learning helps students truly grasp concepts and see how the live in the real world. For example math isn't worksheets - it's an understanding of the material and strategies then applied to real world examples. Also, in the Upper Elementary they put a special focus on "going-outs" which is navigating the world with confidence and independence taking field trips via public transport to Denver Museums, local libraries and events. Also service work within the community. Would highly recommend this school for a modern, forward thinking and thoughtful student education.