Central Wisconsin Center

My son is currently finishing up his kindergarten year at Arboretum. We just moved to Waunakee last summer from hours away so we knew no one when he started out the school year. He raves about all of his wonderful teachers and has made tons of good friends. The school is very clean, the staff is friendly, and I love that they are always willing to take volunteers in the classroom or let parents eat lunch with the kids. At the beginning of the year, he could read two words (literally, his name and mine) and now he is reading with little to no help. Bonus, starting Spanish in Kindergarten has been a really exciting experience for him and he loves to utilize what he has learned when he's outside of school. We could not be more pleased. Sheila Wiehart is a very active face in the school's events. It gives a wonderful feeling to see the principal of the school first thing in the morning holding the for open for the kids. She does an incredible job at creating relationships with everyone.

This school is full of great teachers and staff who care about their students and want to help them succeed!

Gompers is not just a school but a true community where scholars and their families are encouraged to participate and always feel welcome.

My kids has been at this school since kindergarten (Now Sophomore) and the school had been a decent fit for them. Most of the kids are nice along with the teachers. The school is very academic based, leading to good education and learning but also very stressful times. My main issue with the school is the Leadership and Heads. There is no punishment it discipline in this school. Ever since kindergarten, bullying, rumors, lies, and harassment have been tolerated and never properly dealt with. Kids never get anything more than a slap on the wrist. My kid had told me about kids making school sh**ting jokes, sexist comments, and physical harassment. But nothing happens to the perpetrates of these actions and instead it’s a class punishment or lecture. According to my kid one student was complained about so much that admin just stoped listening.Again this is a problem that had been going on for about ten years, and it’s never been fixed.Finally my other problem with the school is the lack of sources and opportunities for artistic kids. There is only really art, design and theater for MS kids to take. In HS kids have to pick weather or not they take Theater, Art or Music Theory. If you want to follow an artistic career path there is not much and often you are put in lower level classes or left to struggle. The academic environment is very brutal.

My child has attended IMA for 8 years now and will finish his high school education there. The instructors are dedicated and focused, and really take the time to get to know each learner’s strengths and challenges. We went through the IEP process there and it has been collaborative and very supportive. The school has given my child real world skills, confidence in himself, and has reinforced values that are important to our family, including curiosity about others’ experiences, community care and engagement, and collaboration.

Our child was drifting through the cracks at his large middle school: not thriving, but also not causing trouble, so the teachers weren't lending much support. After changing to Isthmus Montessori Academy, we saw our kid blossom both socially and academically. In the social realm, it's an environment where learners respect each other even if they are different from one another. Academically, learners think deeply, research and write papers at a high level, and engage authentically from a place of intrinsic motivation. Meanwhile, there is explicit instruction on how to keep organized and plan long-term projects. Our learner will stay at the school through high school. We are confident that our child is developing the skills needed for college and for adult life.