An amazing school that graduates smart, confident, and well-balanced students. It's been an unexpected gift to be able to send our child to Chicago Friends School. Being from the east coast, I'm aware of the values of a Quaker education - observing my child's (and other students') growth only highlights its impact even more - I wish more people knew about it. The classroom environment and skilled, caring faculty provide individualized learning rather than the tug and scrum between discipline and attention we've experienced in other schools. If you are searching for the right school for your K-8th grade learner, give Chicago Friends a go. Now more than ever, our kids need this kind of education. It's a great place. read more

We are new to CFS this year. Our child is in the 6th grade. From day one, the whole community have been welcoming and the experience have so far been amazing for our child and our family. We were initially unsure about the pacing and whether the academic rigor will be there due to the smaller class sizes. But it hasn't been a problem. Our child comes back each day and tells us that he is being challenged in his classes and that he is enjoying the "difficulties" because it's "fun" which tells us the he is on track. He also tells us that the kids has been welcoming to him as "the new kid" and that he is free to be himself and make friends with kids both older and younger. We think CFS is perfect for anyone who is looking for a nurturing environment socially with a more individualized learning based of each child's needs. read more

We have two kids at CFS, one in Kindergarten and one in 3rd grade. I have so far been really impressed with the values-based education that is not religious, but emphasizes the Quaker tenants. This is a place where your kids can learn the value of being community members, what it means to have integrity, how to solve problems and how to help others. I love their mixed-age classrooms especially, which gives kids a chance to be "advanced" in some areas and less so in others. The kids spend an hour at recess every day, often outdoors and when the weather is nice, they go to the beach or the park for the whole lunch/recess period of 90 minutes! This school is tiny and new, so any parents who want to be involved in growing the community through volunteering are encouraged to do so. The staff is responsive and kind. I recommend CFS for anyone wanting a relatively affordable, unique, down-to-earth private education for their kids in the Chicago area. We drive all the way from Evanston to go here and we are not the only ones! read more

Best school ever. My kids are so happy to go here every day. They are challenged and engaged and welcomed. This school should have a wait list. read more

My child has attended the Chicago Friends School (CFS) for three years. As an educational professional, I looked for a school to provide a progressive values-based education focused on the whole child. I'm continually impressed with the faculty's ability to seamlessly differentiate content to individual learners' needs and interests. CFS provides an enriching academic environment without the pressure to perform. The school's family community is very special and encourages everybody to contribute to the children's learning and character-building. I'm grateful for CFS, it's a great fit for my family. read more

My son transferred this year to CFS as a fifth grader and the experience has been really positive. He's excited to go to school every day, loves the individual attention from having small class sizes, finds the academic work engaging, and has been welcomed with understanding and kindness by kids and teachers alike. I also find the community very welcoming, and really appreciate how Quaker values like integrity, peace and community service are woven throughout the educational approach. It's a great fit for our family and we are happy we made the decision to join! read more

As a parent who endeavors to be conscientious and involved in my child's education and social/emotional growth, I am pleased to endorse the Chicago Friends School for their focus, attention, and commitment to my child as well as all the children in class. My son has attended the school since their inception one and half years ago, and I am thrilled as I observe his development on all levels. Not only am I excited about the Friends School, but I can attest to feelings of profound peace amidst the panic and anxiety so many Chicagoland parents experience in the quest for the best fit for their child's strengths, weaknesses and temperament. Whether observing the teachers in their engagement with the children or just talking with the teachers myself re: any questions or concerns that may arise, I can only say positive things. The teachers are wholeheartedly committed to the development, education, wellness and enhancement of the children's lives. Moreover, they consistently present with a great sense of calm, kindness, enthusiasm, humor, and general groundedness. Their very presence in my son's life is a living, breathing example of Peace, Service, Simplicity, Community and Equality. Something I never expected to happen while my son was engaged in Kindergarten and 1st Grade was to be an active part of a community. However, the committee members and Board encourage active participation from all families. As such, we participate in a monthly Community Potluck wherein the families bring their favorite foods and recipes and simply chat about anything and everything. Whenever we have had a child who has a food allergy, I have observed families go over and beyond to accommodate dishes that everyone can enjoy without worrying that a little hand will grab a yummy that may have a negative side effect later. CFS truly is a community that creates a "village" for the well-being of all the children in its purview. read more

"Hidden gem" is an understatement for this school. We have been there since Kindergarten and have a graduating 8th grader this year who has had an amazing experience from day 1. If you're not a quaker- DO NOT let that scare you away! This school at its core is more about their students becoming good citizens and is not religious. The Quaker values of simplicity, integrity, stewardship, equality, and peace are all thoughtfully integrated to everything they do. The diversity and inclusion from the staff, the families and the kids themselves is incredible. The class sizes are small, the academics are rigorous and meet the kids where they are so they can learn what they need, when and how they need to be successful. The ability to have daily recess. a variety of special classes like Spanish and Art and still have affordable tuition options for all, helps the school be a well-rounded option that I encourage anyone to consider as they look for the school that is the best fit for their family. (Tip: Follow them on Facebook to get a glimpse into what they do each week first hand) read more

This school has been a great fit for our family and we are excited there is a Quaker school here in Chicago. The school does a remarkable job balancing academic rigor with the unique qualities of Quaker education. Our son is thriving academically, and loves going to school. The teachers are exceptional both as educational leaders and nurturing community builders. Quaker schools in the Northeast US are famous for their style of education. Here in the Midwest, people are less familiar with the tradition. Educationally the school focuses on "we", not just "me" and considers how responsibility to the community and the world enriches our lives and our education. Some well known Quaker schools include Germantown Friends, Sidwell, and some very interesting boarding schools, such as the Oakwood School. I went to Quaker school myself and did my college education at Guilford, a Quaker college. My observation is my peers who went to Quaker schools have a profound sense of satisfaction in their careers given the emphasis on the impact of our lives in the world. We began our time at CFS during the pandemic commuting from the South Loop to Edgewater, which was entirely doable (20 minutes). I think more families across the city could benefit from coming to Edgewater! read more

This place has been the remedy to my son's experiences of remote schooling during the quarantine. During quarantine, he had remote kindergarten through CPS and came out a nervous wreck who HATED school. He is now in 2nd grade at CFS, has some amazing friends, has gotten much better with his anxiety and is doing well in his school work. They are using (I believe it's called) Illustrative math program which teaches the students how to use the strategies that make the most sense to them as they problem solve with the help of hands on tools and visuals. For literacy they are using the Fundamentals curriculum, do independent reading, and seem to integrate literacy into their other subjects as well. He loves science, and they have a progressive and social justice focused social studies curriculum. They go outside for a long recess every day unless it's under 20 degrees or miserable because of rain or snow. You definitely don't need to be Quaker to attend. Organized religion, like I experienced in Catholic school, is not how this school is run. There are Quaker values, that are everyday values that I think most of the families would agree are worthwhile - such as gratefulness, individual uniqueness - that are topics that are investigated throughout different ways in schoolThe parents I've met have all been very welcoming and are definitely a part of a caring community. I'm sure there's more I could say, but overall I just want more people to know about it because it is such a hidden treasure in this city. read more

My son is in kindergarten at CFS this year and both he and I love it. After scoring in the 99th percentile on the Chicago Public School's selective enrollment tests and not getting into any, and an overcrowded neighborhood school option, I looked into home schooling and numerous private schools. CFS impressed me then and continues to impress on a daily basis. The teachers are nurturing and experienced and truly practice differentiation and integrated learning. The mixed age class is great, since children separate into their level for math and reading, not their age group. (My son was reading a chapter book at breakfast this morning!) Science and social studies units are integrated: for example, they just did a unit on penguins which incorporated science, math, art and literature. The arts are involved in everything they do and I am impressed with the weekly formal music class. There is an HOUR recess every day, so the kids definitely have time to get their ya yas out. Oh, and there is a community garden which the children love! We are not Quaker, but I feel their teachings of integrity, equality, community, peace, simplicity, and service are universal and the kids are learning how to be mensches and have good character, not just the three Rs. They use basically the same curriculum as the Friends schools on the East Coast but at a much more affordable price. The two 1 star reviews below must have been written, under pseudonyms, by the same family since only one child has withdrawn from the school this year. Although I am sad that they feel so caustic and scathing, I disagree with everything they write. Finally, completely contrary to the negative poster, the other parents are friendly and diverse and I am highly sensitive to cliqueishness. I am not on the board; the one time I had something to address with them they were highly responsive and worked with me kindly and quickly. read more

Chicago Friends School is a hidden gem in the Edgewater community! We knew right away upon visiting that this school that it was different, from the small individualized class room environment to the comprehensive whole child based education, it was everything that we could have wanted in a school. Just a few of the amazing acumen of the school are: an hour long recess, learning about the value of community and service by participating in numerous service and volunteer projects, utilizing the neighborhood as a learning environment and extended classroom, learning about and incorporating the ideas of peaceful and purposeful co-existence within the classroom, neighborhood and world. With their "Project Based Learning," curriculum is centered around a yearly theme which bridges the understanding and connections between all their subjects and studies. The children are encouraged to explore, discuss and question ideas and concepts and to work toward understanding more about themselves and the world around them. We absolutely love this school and feel that it is the right fit for our son and our family! read more

Our daughter started kindergarten last year at CFS and we are so pleased with the progress she has made so far. She loves going to school everyday to see her teachers, her friends and enjoys the loving and nurturing environment. Her love of learning has blossomed along with her reading skills. Everyday she brings home her school work in her folder and it is nice to see what she accomplished that day. Parents are very included and involved in children's life at school, they contribute by organizing art projects, music and even yoga class! Beside the academic learning, we are very happy that she is learning to respect others and be a good person. My husband and I are extremely pleased and thankful that CFS has become a part of our neighborhood. read more

We love CFS!! Nurturing and caring staff, small classrooms and tons activities and special classes. Among the amazing things they do, they also offer community meetings, community garden, service days, etc. We couldnt' have chosen a better school for our son. read more

Sadly, I have to agree with Rogers P. We pulled my kid from the school mid-year after encountering a whole host of problems. We had enrolled believing that we would be getting a progressive education for my kid. Instead, we saw a lot of worksheets, rote memorization and a head teacher who failed to understand the Socratic method. The board means well and most of the families are very nice, but to quote Rogers P., "the school makes a lot of promises that they can't keep". Beyond the educational failings of the school, there were some members of the school community who were extremely judgmental, criticizing my kid's clothes for being too fashionable, their lunch for not being "organic", criticizing us as parents for not catering to our child's tantrums over not getting enough junk food, etc. My kid is bright, but when a teacher can be manipulated by a little kid, there is clearly something wrong with the teacher. The most concerning of all, though, is how school staff would not abide by their own school handbook. My kid became sick at school on multiple occasions (she has some minor health problems). Instead of notifying her parents to come pick her up, they attempted to "treat" these issues without our knowledge or consent. Sometimes, I would not find out about the incidents until days later. My kid expressed how embarrassed she felt by what they did to her, in front of all her classmates too. On top of violating their school handbook by treating my child's illness without my knowledge or consent, failing to inform us as parents after the incident, and embarrassing my child in front of her classmates, someone from the school called DCFS to file a report against us for "neglecting our child" by not forcibly making our kid put on socks in the morning (which resulted in her developing a minor case of athlete's foot), despite having written communication from us as parents that our child's refusal to wear certain clothes was on on-going behavioral issue we were aware of and working to correct. I had to find it a little amusing that us "neglectful" parents were thanked upon our departure from the school, because, to quote directly from the School Clerk, "We have also enjoyed your engagement in the school. We appreciate having parents that are very committed to their children's education." Right, because apparently "committed" and "engaged" parents who take time out of their workdays to run science clubs for their kid's school are very neglectful. The individual filing the reports with DCFS clearly thinks so, as they are continuing to make new allegations even though my kid left the school 2 months ago. read more