Sounds like that lady that gave BC 1 star doesn't even have kids that go there. Bitter because Bear…read moreCreek doesn't accept open enrollment. Sounds like that person is the only one working off their entitlement. I'm a single mom with 5 kids and rent in the neighborhood. The staff at this school is phenomenal. The support that my kids (and I) have received the past 6 school years has been amazing. I am sad to be leaving next year. The principal, Kent Cruger, knows every kid by name. The things the other reviewer had to say were flat out lies. He absolutely puts every child in that school first. BOULDER is not diverse... that is not his fault. I'm not white, and neither are my kids. I am not rich. We are treated the same as any other family. Mr. Soole (PE) is loved by all the kids, because he is a big kid! Mrs. James (Music) keeps the kids engaged with productions that are also meaningful. Every teacher we have had has been compassionate and kind, teaching to the needs of the individual child. I am a HUGE proponent of neighborhood schools, and quite frankly, dislike the open enrollment concept. It overcrowds some schools and leaves gaps in others. People should focus on putting energy and time into their neighborhood schools, where their children can have friends they can walk/bike to. I have lived in several states, and have passed through 8 elementary schools over the past 20 years of being a parent. Bear Creek will always hold a very special place in my heart, and those of my children who were lucky enough to attend.

I attended Shining Mountain Waldorf School from K-9 and cherish the magical experiences. I fondly…read morerecall the excitement of seeing new chalkboard drawings and hearing captivating stories in the cozy classrooms. Now, my son attends Kindergarten there and formed an instant bond with his teacher (not something that came naturally for him in preschool). Mrs. Cherie exceeds expectations by attending to each child's unique needs. All teachers offer individual care through home visits, parent nights, and meetings. Beyond being a great school, the parent community is enriching, and we're forming lifelong friendships. Some worry Waldorf's academic approach might not prepare students well, but my brothers, also Waldorf graduates, are now a urologist and a researcher at the Max Planck Institute. I'm a life coach with my own business. Success stems from joy in learning, which Waldorf fosters. I urge you to schedule a tour or email me for more insights at wovenwords [at] gmail [dot] com.

Being a part of Shining Mountain Waldorf School's Early Childhood program has been an exceptional…read moreexperience for my daughter and our entire family. My daughter has blossomed into a confident, playful, curious, and adventurous 5-year-old in the loving care of her teachers. The beautiful campus, nestled in the foothills, offers ample opportunity for free play in nature and daily walks to visit the school chickens, gardens, and a nearby lake. Inside the classrooms, natural materials of wood and silk create a beautiful and comforting space to learn and play. Kindergarten classes provide nourishing, organic food to the children daily. Overall, the school has a rich tradition of meaningful festivals that build a thriving school community. We couldn't be happier at Shining Mountain and look forward to continuing through middle school and high school.

We left traditional education in 4th grade and haven't looked back. We joined Friends Middle…read moreSchool in 6th grade, and our son has blossomed into a confident thinker with a positive attitude on learning. The smaller environment has enabled our 'different' thinker to adapt and produce work he is proud of. He's with a great group of kids and enjoys the schools flexible use of 'know yourself', wonderfully creative with learning ideas and encouragement for kids with dyslexia, ADD, etc...has made a world of difference. Only one more year before high school, but we see his connections with teachers and peers and are pleased to watch his progress.

We love Friends! We have a Kindergartener and Preschooler and this is our fourth year at the…read moreschool. The dedication and effort staff and teachers put in each day is amazing. The kids spend a good amount of time outside, small class sizes, and an amazing social and emotional emphasis in all grades. I have some background in Early Childhood Education and my husband use to be a high school teacher and we just couldn't be happier.

Mountain Shadows International Montessori School is a phenomenal place for children to learn and…read moregrow. Head of School Lauren F, Assistant Head of School Jeff, and the entire teaching team are exceptional--caring, professional, and deeply committed to the Montessori philosophy. My son is in his fourth year at MSIMS and my daughter in her second, and both absolutely thrive here. It is also the only fully accredited AMI Montessori school in Colorado, offering a level of quality education you won't find anywhere else. I cannot recommend this school enough.

My daughter attended the school in 2020-2022 and our experience was far from positive. When we…read moretoured and applied in 2020, the school sounded fantastic. Unfortunately between the time we applied and the time we started, the seemingly wonderful head of school left and the board selected someone with no educational experience to replace them. A year later the other, fantastic, member of the original 2-person admin team left. My daughter started in YCC at 18mo. Several times my daughter came home with injuries (head injuries, bite marks) and no incident report or communication from the school. In 2022 we moved into one of the primary classrooms. My daughter initially had an ok experience in primary. But again we found out about several incidents from her that should have warranted an incident report, but never did. This culminated in her telling us that one child had hit and shoved her 3-4 times inn the course of a week. We of course brought this up and the teacher kept trying to tell us this was "normal behavior". We disagreed, and attempted to raise this with the head of school, who ignored us for weeks. In this time we had interactions with several other parents, where upon telling them of the issue we'd get responses like "oh, was it [kid]? My kiddo was getting hit by them too." One other parent told us their kid shook with anxiety about going to school and had to be kept home for a month as a result of bullying by this same kid. It became clear that the kid in question had bullied almost every other kid in the classroom, and the school had done nothing about it. Finally, we got a meeting with the head of school. He started by gaslighting us, telling us we were "complainers" and that he felt "nothing he could do would ever make us happy" - as if enforcing the school's own policies on bullying were too much to ask. We quickly ended the meeting after agreeing that the school would refund us the tuition we had paid for the two-month summer session we wouldn't be attending. The school refused to issue a refund until after the summer session, and then sent us ~$200. Half-day tuition at the school is ~$2,000/month. The refund is laughable and, in my opinion, an intentional fraud. In summary our experience was of an incompetent administration, classrooms that could not provide a safe learning environment for our child, a sudden termination of services and a wholly inadequate refund from a disingenuous head of school.

Our older kiddo has been attending Bixby since preschool and he is now in 2nd grade. It was a very…read moredifficult choice for us to choose a private school over our local public school as the local school is very much a neighborhood school. However, we were seeking a hand-on education where our kid would develop a love of learning and prioritize asking questions rather than memorizing answers for a test. We were also looking for an education where the whole child would be developed and there was an emphasis put on EQ as well as IQ. We can't sing Bixby's praises enough and can't wait until our 1 yr old is old enough to attend!

Awesome all-around preschool-5th grade for learning, family support with before/aftercare, student…read moreand parent/guardian community, and approachable staff and faculty who really go out of their way to know your child and family situation.

Of 5 preschools that my kids have been through, this is definitely the worst. There appears to be…read moreno modern early childhood education in action, no conflict resolution taught, preschoolers are sent home or isolated within the school for saying unkind words and pushing verbal boundaries... I won't go into specifics to protect my and other kids' privacy, but message me if this is raising red flags for you... I would never let my kid set foot there again. Very rigid. Should have looked more into the approach of the director (who we never even met until there was a "problem"). Note that most of the positive reviews are quite old when it was under different leadership. Two stars just for the beautiful setting and farm animals, which really drew us in (but turned out to be superficial and far less important than how children are treated - obviously).

We have felt moved to share our experience at BWK because it has truly changed our life. Our son…read morehas attended since he was 2.5yrs old (he is 6 years old now) and our youngest has just started at 2 Years old. We feel very grateful to have been introduced to waldorf by chance. We live just down the road and discovered it by driving past the quaint adobe school building and huge , peaceful, tree covered play yard with goats and chickens roaming about. From an outside perspective , it looked like an extension of home; and it has proven to be just that. The teachers are people of integrity, authentic, kind, and nurturing . They hold the kids so beautifully and create days full of wonder and beauty. It becomes obviously quickly that the priority at BWK is To nurture the children from a young age to be confident, curious, gentle, and intentional beings. There is a huge emphasis on social emotional learning and development and the entire faculty support the children and families to create a joyous environment where all are treated with respect and kindness. Now that we have been a part of the school for four years, with kids in two different classrooms , we can attest that it truly feels like the "village" that we have lost in this society. Recommend sending your child at any age if you are seeking a welcoming and safe school, with a strong and connected community of parents and faculty

i cannot say enough great things about Sacred Heart of Jesus. The principle and teachers are great…read more It is not the old school Catholic education that you might think of. The teachers are truly dedicated to the children. It is a great value compared to other private schools in Boulder County.

I think the parents were out of line, trying to enroll their kids in a religious school with…read moreobviously different beliefs from their own. As much as I personally tend to try to be flexible, I applaud the church for at least staying true to it's conservative values. Too many religions bend and flex to whatever is "convenient".

Not only is Ziji a fantastic school but they emphasize outdoor play based learning. I was impressed…read moreby the reading skills of the 2nd graders. The projects about planets posted on the walls were so creative and showed that the students really understood what they were learning about. The two very experienced teachers have embraced a way of teaching that blows public education away. Small, personal and impressive school. Call them and take a tour to see for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Ziji Early Elementary is a hidden gem in Boulder County. I have been so grateful to have my girl…read morehappily learning in a nurturing environment with two lead teachers who are very mindful in their presentation of the material, very loving with their care of the children, and keenly aware of the children's progress and challenges. The schoolhouse was once a home and the warmth Norah and Marti have created in it speaks worlds to the benefits of "home" schooling. Sending my daughter there, I feel confident that she is in the best of hands and is getting exactly what she needs in the early primary years of her education. She and I both have made friendships that will endure and I firmly believe she has been well served for future learning.