Last night I attended a community workshop with the Chippewa Valley School district. The workshop,…read moreDesserts 101, was a really fun time. A low cost fee of $34 dollars for the one day workshop (which was 2 1/2 hours) I had a positive experience! We learned how to make all sorts of things, Biscotti, Tarts, working with puff pastry & fillo dough, and of course truffles. All the materials were included with the one time fee as well. You had a chance to bake things yourself and learn while others were baking with other things. My friend and I were the only people under 40, but it was still a great time. The instructor seemed to have lots of experience and was friendly. I plan on taking another workshop soon, called Tour of Europe which will specialize in all different types of food from Europe. :) Good times! Not to mention, I have a killer recipe now for a Bavarian Creme Apple Cream Cheese Torte. (And of course you get to take the baked goods home) Kudos to the community for offering things like this.

Love watching my grandsons play flag football here on Sundays. The flag football program here is…read morevery well run. The facility is top notch. Very clean and well maintained. There have been many recent upgrades to all the athletic fields at this location.

Worst experience fir my children, the administration is very threatening and purports to be the…read morebest but this does not show in their people skills. My children felt judged, afraid, threatened and hated their 2 yr experience at Seaholm. Never again

Given my beau's family are graduates of Berkley School District, going in with my little one,…read moreexpectations were high. I heard a great deal about the exemplary elementary school experience they had at Burton in Huntington Woods, the strong programs at Norrup, and the fantastic music program at Berkley High School. Considering the lowest degree in the family is a Bachelors and everyone ended up as active citizens gainfully employed in professions they enjoy or love, I'd say the school district met the mark. A generation later, my child has been enrolled in the Berkley School District's "Building Blocks" program since he was twelve weeks old, giving me an excellent view of school system as he advances towards elementary years. Currently we have made it so far as pre-K in the year-round program. The pre-K programs cost about $900 a month for full-time, year-round care, allowing me to avoid worrying about daycare alternatives in the summer, which are few and far between with two working parents and nearly every other relative employed too. Half-day and full-day options are available from 6 weeks to 6 years, and the slate ranges from one day to five a week. Tuition assistance for needy families is readily available and advertised, and I'm fairly sure that kindergarten and pre-K (4-5 year olds) are also free for families under a certain income range. Is it worth it? Every. Damn. Penny. The Building Blocks program at Tyndall uses the HighScope curriculum, a nationally recognized program with measurable benchmarks for all levels, and that combines intellectual and social development with physical activity and age-appropriate goals. All lead teachers must be certified, and they create outstanding lessons that give children lots of time running about outside, playing together, reading, and enjoying group activities or crafts. There's no way I could recreate this on my own without taking an early childhood education program, let's face it. (Never mind I'd go insane with only a 3-year-old for company all day). Their pre-K classrooms are clean, bright, and happy places full of toys and reading centres, science tables, play stations, and more. My little one basically abandons me at the door, says 'Toodleloo,' and off we go. He's got friends made in the infant rooms who remain highly involved in his day to day activities, and new ones integrating happily. Berkley preschools always have events going on -- meet animals, play on drums, have a dance party, learn about dinosaurs. You can tell the caregivers and teachers truly love their kids, and it's not simply a job to them. These are caring, loving people who still keep after their former charges. Success speaks for itself. My child is happy, well-adjusted, and blows his ASC (a standardized measure for how well a child holds up against pediatrically/child educator-approved measures for their age group) scores out of the water. He's never had an issue we, as parents, couldn't work through with a discussion with a teacher on the best supportive strategy to gently encourage good behaviour or pick up another skill with a little practice. My only caveat with the school district is its communication of closed days: you /really/ need to get on the newsletter distribution and read it. I've shown up more than once to find the school inexplicably shut for a professional development day or such, and there was not good signage/reminders. This has improved with time, but I appreciate a handout sent home or whatnot. Pretty small beans compared to the warm, nurturing environment I've had the joy of sharing with my kid, though!

I am a product of this system, namely the high school at this address…read more The most notable thing about the curriculum was a strong emphasis on writing. I remember how easy my classmates found it to excel in college writing classes, while other students struggled, big time. So, if you are looking for a school system to nourish independent thinking, and writing skills (invaluable), you ought to consider Berkley.

It has its downsides but overall is a great place to be and helps create memories, and connections…read morethat will last a lifetime.

Love the school. Great staff but the parent pick up and drop off is terrible. No organization at…read moreall. Sit and wait in a long line and people pull in at 2:15 and pull right in front while guards stand there and allow this to happen. Oh and today parking lot a mess with the snow and no one has plowed yet!

Teachers fun great funny sweet, perfect singing, lovely happy sweet, kind perfect andread more

The head of school is very kind and welcoming, staff is very polite as well. I love this school and…read moreyou will too!

My son left a public school during the pandemic to go to Parkway. Over the past year he went from a…read moreC student to A- and we were notified he is on the honor roll this year. He has made a lot of new great friends and participates in baseball basketball and football. There are so many great activities for all the kids. He has developed an amazing relationship with the Pastor. He is actually a happy kid now.

School should not be labeled as a Christian school. They do NOT promote acceptance and are a…read morehorrible role model for any neuro-diverse kid. They make these kiddos feel like they're scum if they do not "fit the mold" save your $750 registration fee and tuition and go to a charter school.

the school is very good but they need to improve their maintenance department, they lack the…read moreunderstanding on how to clear snow off the sidewalks and how to use salt. I understand it is a large complex but they are not on top of it as it takes entirely too long to see results.

My daughter got a great education (MBA) and a fantastic school in a safe location. I Highly…read morerecommend this university.

We chose Oakdale after visiting several other schools in the area - such as Bloomfield Christian,…read moreOakland Christian. Those were good schools, too, but Oakdale was different. We chose it for the emphasis on classical education and specifically the small class size, which for many parents, is a win. While class sizes shrink as the kids go up in grade (larger classes in Kindergarten, smaller classes in 12th grade), curriculum is challenging for the upper school, so I would think the small class size would be a benefit to the student - especially if academics are important to your family. As mentioned, Oakdale provides a classical education. This was not something we were initially seeking out, but I did want a school that taught math as I learned it, and I wanted a school to focus on mastery of the basics: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Oakdale has 100% literacy rate. Is there a public school with the same? They also teach all students Latin, so they have a much better grasp of vocabulary for English speaking, romance languages, and scientific terms--most of which are in Latin. The previous headmaster left for a dream job at Hillsdale, and the well-qualified Head of the Grammar school became his understudy before he left. There was no lack of communication between his transition to hers. Since Mrs. Bredow has taken on the role fully, we have enjoyed more transparency, care, and community. She has done an excellent job, is level-headed, focused on the mission, and committed to doing her best work each day. Most of the teachers we have had over the years have remained. We have had some retire, another left for the opportunity to lead at a school out of state, and some were unable to stay when enrollment dipped during a year of transition in leadership. I think some of those families who left because of change were shortsighted. Any issues with the statement of faith have been resolved, too. For us personally, we like that the school is small, clean, and safe - and not overly focused on tech or being "state of the art." They are really focused on building a solid foundation, and encourage thought and debate so that your child will thrive no matter what road they choose after school. Families vary in size, age and profession and yet for the most part, it feels like a family. No school can possibly meet every one of our individual wishes and whims, but we're very pleased overall and it's obvious that the staff care deeply about the students and are committed. As for the one-star review from AL: I was at Oakdale during the time they referenced, and can say the school definitely had a JK/K teacher - those classes are the largest - so I'm not sure what they are talking about. We have two teachers for JK and K in fact. There was an issue with a book the 4th grade read that had harsh language based on the protagonist's life experience, but I, along with other parents, sat down and talked to the administration. They pulled the book and that teacher left. It was her first year teaching at Oakdale, and must not have worked out for whatever reason. That can happen anywhere. I hope that AL, since their profile indicates they live in California now, finds a better school for their family there. Last time I checked though, we are still in Michigan.

Oakdale Academy is one of the best things that's ever happened to our family…read more We have three kids three very different ages. They were able to spend every single day in the same building. Passing in the halls and having lunch together. Our kids would barely know each other if it weren't for this small close knit community. That's just one of the many blessings we received from From having our kids at Oakdale Academy.