Ardenwald Elementary School

This school is lovely if your child fits the mold. I definitely think we joined due to fears vs really understanding the Waldorf way. If your child colors outside the lines, they probably aren’t a good fit. A lovely program for little but behind kindergarten the school can’t handle the aging child well, and it causes harm to families and children.

We love Whole Child Montessori. We have been lucky enough to send all three of our children there—one recent graduate and two who are currently attending—and it has been an exceptional experience for our entire family.Whole Child is truly dedicated to serving children at this age. The teachers deeply know and love the kids, follow their innate interests in learning, and create an environment where curiosity and independence are nurtured every day. They also support parents by sharing practical Montessori insights we can use at home, which has helped us uplevel our own parenting skills.One of the most special aspects of the school is the beautiful garden, decades in the making. The children help care for it by sweeping and raking, and it provides a rare natural space within the city where they can learn about nature with a dedicated outdoor teacher.The three-year classroom cycle is another huge strength. Having the same teacher for three years gives shy children the time and consistency they need to feel secure, and staying in the same environment as they grow from ages 3 to 4 to 5 allows them to evolve from learners into leaders and teachers themselves.Whole Child Montessori has been an incredible foundation for our children, and we couldn’t recommend it more highly.

I would not recommend this school to anyone I cared about. There are so many better and amazing options nearby such as St. Agatha, Holy Family and St. John the Apostle. This school has weak leadership and very inexperienced teachers. It is not the same school it was 7 years ago- in fact, there has been a complete turn-over of all staff except one, during this time frame. The turn over of principals over the last 10+ years is probably record breaking (6). The academics do not prepare students for high school and the faculty do the bare minimum for their students with huge disparities and blatant favoritism. It’s very obvious with the many families moving on and enrollment drastically dropping nearly in half.

No hate like Christian love. The bigotry runs deep with this school’s administration.