Chestnutwold El School

The culture of The Haverford School is toxic. The words on their walls, like friendship, justice, and character, are nothing more than comments on walls. Their stated virtues are absent from the culture and student experience. I can say with confidence, sourced from my personal experiences at Haverford, that the administration of the Haverford Middle School makes decisions that permit a culture of bullying and racism. I witnessed a dynamic of these two cultures working together where racism begets bullying, thereby creating more racism. Organizations deserve what they accept, and the Haverford School administration accepts bullying and racism based on their actions. I even received an email from the Head of the Middle School explaining how the bullying works at Haverford, thereby using the bullying dynamic to justify his decision. At one point, I asked multiple school administrators how many times can an 8th grader use a racial epithet before they are expelled. The administrators provide no answer. Based on their administrative decisions from the 2022-2023 school year, the answer to that question at the Haverford Middle School is more than once. There appears to be a history of tolerating this behavior, according to numerous others who have shared their story on this website.The Haverford Middle School demonstrates the leadership gap by saying one thing and doing another. The Head of the Middle School manipulates discussions to justify his desired outcomes. On one occasion, I asked the Head of the Middle School a question and allowed him to speak to my son about it. In that discussion with my son, he twisted the facts and renegotiated an outcome that contradicted my original request, then sent an email misrepresenting my son's opinion. I find this type of behavior grossly lacking in self-awareness and also very focused on doing what is in the best interest of the school, not the student. To say that the Head of the Middle School is asleep at the wheel is not an understatement, and that dynamic also played out in the athletic arena. When the Head of the Middle School asked me what I expected from their athletic program, my answer was simple. I expect the same experience in the field that I expect in the classroom. Challenge the kids and support their growth. My son was neither challenged nor supported to grow athletically.

Our experience with the nursery school at FSH has been excellent. The teachers have a clear pedagogical philosophy, they work very hard to make sure children learn to manage their emotions, and they integrate learning into everyday life. My children have flourished and their individual interests have been fostered by the school. Every teacher and staff member knows my children, and it feels like they are really part of a community. I am looking forward to see how they continue to thrive in preschool.

It has been one disappointment after another for us at this daycare. Not only is the place dirty through and through but the teachers simply do not care, have no empathy, warmth or compassion towards the kids. We experienced several issues of neglect and no real protocol to deal with concerns raised. It is shocking that they are able to charge the high rates they do with such a poor service, not to mention constant staff turnover. With so many other great options in the Main Line, we would recommend staying well away.