Newton South High School

This is our first year at Wellan, and first school experience, and it has been a great year so far. We chose Wellan because of our interest in the Montessori method of education, but also because it felt like more than daycare – it’s truly a school and one our 3-year-old can grow up in for many years. The classrooms are beautiful – clean and bright. Everything is tailored to the children and facilitating their independence (such as child height counters, tables, and shelves, eye level artwork, child size sinks and toilets). They establish great routines and consistent schedules which has even helped with creating routines as home. The communication between families and teachers is great. They are very responsive to e-mails and for the younger children, updates are sent on a daily basis. The curriculum is engaging, and they incorporate seasonal or other relevant topics throughout the year. Parents are even invited to come share on a topic once a week. The feedback from the teachers at parent-teacher check-ins is very thorough.Throughout the enrollment process the staff answered all of my questions and they even accommodated separate tours for my husband and I when our schedules didn’t coincide. I knew what to expect at each step and it was an overall smooth process. As a new parent I have felt very welcomed into the school community, with lots of opportunities to meet other families and the staff. I don’t feel judgement for not being “perfectly Montessori” and in fact they have an educational series just for families and caregivers who want to learn more about Montessori and incorporating it at home. Throughout the year the school and the Parent Association hold many events and activities where you can meet other families or parents. There are “fireside chats” with the head of school, student performances, community service events, and many others. Everyone at Wellan is warm, welcoming, and you can absolutely tell they have a passion for what they do.

look more for other schools in the area, not worth the tuition or your time; beyond somehow “enriched” curriculum compared with the public schools in the area your children will not learn much, nor will they or your family be really cared or loved;

We are rounding out our first year at the Chestnut Hill School and we are nothing but confident we made the right choice sending our child here. Highlights have included exposure to an array of quality “special subjects” starting with the youngest age group; an ideal blend of compassion and high expectations; Learning Partners (ask Admissions staff about this – it’s such a lovely feature!); and an emphasis on whole-child wellness and strength of identity. Selfishly, as parents, we have been so happy to meet many families who are interested in fostering friendships and are equally invested in the school. This makes showing up for events fun, and thanks to both the staff and to an awesome Family Association, there are an abundance of opportunities to connect throughout the year, which I’m not convinced we would be getting elsewhere. Five stars all around.

Love this school. My child went through the lower and middle school here. It is expensive but they support a lot of families with financial aid. There is an effort to cultivate a community of different experiences and backgrounds with similar values, especially in the lower school. On the whole, kids are kind but the experience can vary greatly depending on the class cohort. There is a lot of work, and quantity of work does not necessarily equate to rigor. That said, the community is unparalleled and in an age of dwindling social connectivity (and the consequences of this), I really appreciated the tremendous efforts by the school to build, maintain and cohere their community. I found the staff and administration very responsive and engaged. The arts and drama are superb. Sports in the upper school, while varied, seems to be focused on basketball. Within the school community I found the families, by and large, to be successful and accomplished, yet down to earth and unpretentious.