Bayside Middle School

Our child recently "graduated" from Indian Hill and is now attending Maple Dale. Our time at Indian Hill was near-perfect, and I personally feel that switching to a new school for 4th grade is a wonderful time to transition. Our child started at Indian Hill in K4, then we had the pandemic years, which they did their best with: iPads were sent home for synchronous and async instruction. That was a trying time and we are still working through the catchup period, but I think the school really rose to the occasion to handle it. There is a lot of enriching activities as others have pointed out, and there was a decent amount of homework for our child in grades 2-3 which didn't always get done because remembering and responsibility at such a young age is hard. The teachers are almost all veterans having taught for many years, so they were really wonderful at being able to spot where our child struggled a bit and give targeted homework, which we did. I appreciated having that support and guidance. The school was recently renovated and updated and it's a beautiful building and facility. The playground equipment is brand new and there's a nature area in the back with walking paths that is quite a gem. The library is beautiful and there's so much natural light throughout the school.My only area of opportunity would be the social aspect. I do think the school does a good job of curbing bullying and allowing kids to work through that process, including providing a survey at the end of each year to talk through any concerns about what kind of teacher you think would be best suited to your child, and any twin siblings/friends you'd like to see them with or not in class with. I do not think the guidance counselor is very helpful or effective and in talking with other parents, we realized we were not alone in thinking that. Many things that should be addressed were not, things that parents reach out for help and resources for are not taken seriously or brushed off. We enjoyed our time at Indian Hill and if you're moving to the area, it's an incredibly wonderful place for your children to learn, grow and thrive!

We began at Stormonth with a 1st grader in the fall of 2016. He has ADHD and could be difficult to manage in a classroom setting. The teachers, for the most part, were fantastic, and the school counselor really connects with kids who need more help. The instruction is top notch, with experienced teachers who have been there for, in some cases, decades. They tailor their instruction to different learning styles and engage is so much hands-on learning. There is a maker space and an amazing playground with tons of green space, plus an ice rink in the winter. The music, art, and gym programs are fully funded. In fact this year the school purchased a kiln for the art program. Each year there is a spring musical, a folk festival, a huge halloween event, a safety week in conjunction with the local police department, a 5K color run, and so many more fun community activities. The parent community is also amazing.

I love this school. They teachers are wonderful and my child is very happy!!!

Our girls have attended St. Eugene since 3K and 4K and are now in 5K and 4th grade. Throughout our time at the school, the teachers, staff, and broader community have consistently provided an outstanding environment that supports both academic growth and the development of compassion and character. We have seen our girls thrive as learners and as friends. We strongly encourage families to tour St. Eugene and experience firsthand the welcoming and supportive community it offers.

Amazing environment. We switched our 3 children over during COVID. What a blessing this school has been! My children have continued to thrive each year. They are well cared for and every teacher knows them and us! A small school so grade to grade interaction is present and so amazing to see. The older children guiding the younger. My children are well cared for and learning well beyond their grade. Bonus is it is diverse!!! What a joy to see a small private school in the North Shore that is diverse - very unique and truly has been an amazing and nurturing space for my children.

I am writing this as a former student who attended from roughly 2017-2019Although USM has several cons, it does have its own pros. For one, I enjoyed their theatre program. However, as an eastern asian, I was racially bullied and made fun of for my voice while the teacher was present, yet nothing ever happened to those who made fun of me. Another con is that the majority of students attending USM can be very stuck up about their wealth, rubbing it in everyone's face. There is little to no punishment for any form of bullying, immaturity, and/or disrepect to either other students or teachers. The education is very similar to other public middle/high schools but there is a stronger bond between teachers and students at USM than every other school I've attended. I strongly enjoyed World History in 6th grade (Mr. Matera). Another good thing about the school is their care about healthy nutrition for students. Lunch is almost always healthy and fresh, unlike most others schools who offer packaged and artificial food. The school overall follows a very specific image of what a USM student "should be." If you don't fit their profile of a student, you may have a rough social situation while attending. The most common profile of a student is a skinny/athletic white kid who has a high family income and is not handicapped physically or mentally.Homework is appropriately assigned for each class and the MyUsm website is an excellent way to contact your teachers and manage your assignments outside of school. The academic program has a great system both inside and outside of school.Right around the time I transferred out of USM, the head of school did change, which brought many negative outcomes that I'm sure an abundance of students have many complaints about. This also relates to concerns with the new middle school theatre director.Overall, USM is a good school to send your child to if you're not a person of color and have a wealthy income. If you don't fit that cookie-cutter standard, except bullying and some bad days of school for your child. While I did make many friends at USM, I didn't always feel comfortable around most of the students.