The school was more concerned with their reputation on tests and online reviews than service,…read morecommunity/ kindness. We are glad to have left as we entered year two, on seeing just how gross staff became with the new leadership, and wish we had trusted ourselves to have done so sooner. There were students using the N* word, saying they were black inside (despite having blond hair and blue eyes... saying it was the same as being trans...) The founder had 5 meetings with this student's parents, due to parents complaining along lines of sexuality. The student was saying to girls, "I am going to stuff myself inside of you" or "You are too ugly to date me." He was saying he would kill himself if a girl didn't get back together with him. Teachers said he was just coming into his sexuality and weren't concerned. He was popular. He was saying the other boys watched porn (to upset the girls and move the focus from his watching porn... as he was getting in trouble for this.) He'd then say the other boys were gay and that is why they had a sleepover. He would use his sway with the girls and they would yell at the boys and try to force their coming out (as if it was an afterschool special and they, the girls, had the right answers for the boys who were being targeted in this way.) As another parent said, "It is the victims who end up leaving, not the ones causing the disrespect." Kids and families did leave due to this, as it showed disrespect and modeled this student could use his popularity as power, to get them in trouble and also to define their sexuality before they were ready to/ aware. The Learning Specialist would use these rumors and try to find out the truth, too, not allowing for respect for a process of kids coming into sexuality and gender in a light and respectful way. Just like students, who were using force & coercion, language / actions that were violations, the Learning Specialist would force kids to come out, when there wasn't trust or respect in the relationship to begin with. As always, there are exceptions of staff who are kind and credible, though they largely left or were powerless, if they did stay. The founder/ director of the school was counseling students out, with the Learning Specialist. She would test kids on entering/ being admitted and have a meeting 30 days in, saying the school didn't have resources to help with reading and math. Abilities don't come on board in math and reading until 9 or 10 years old, for many. Charter schools receive the same funds as public. We came in and didn't know how many parents had struggled with this previous to us, though other parents talked about the PE teacher calling the kids retards, and many staff being unprofessional, such as the guidance counselor, and Learning Specialist occupying a discipline role that kept them from listening or guiding kids, scholastically and emotionally. The district and former director had obstructed progress over a new 504 for us with scheduling filibusters. My child came in with a 504 and they said it wouldn't be followed. In it, it said not to test him with new proctors, at the start. They did anyway and wouldn't put a new 504 in place for his heart condition. I finally said we would give it up as it angered the teacher to make accommodations. He said my child needed to be toughened up and was a brat. The district said our existing 504 was non-existent. We found out many parents had filed complaints and lawsuits. (The founding director was asked to leave by her board finally, after our first year there. She told the school she was leaving due to a family death.) Our doctor wrote us a note to allow my child to try having a service pup that summer. He sometimes has stopped breathing and this was a new solution. I came a week early and talked to the teacher and new director. They didn't listen, didn't open the letter sent by his doctor. I dropped my child off for the first day and had a call in 10 minutes. The school counselor had grabbed my child by the collar of his jacket and forcefully removed him with other staff. The director yelled at me, saying I was manipulative. She thought that she could refuse the services by ignoring my meeting with her and the doctor's note. I asked her to read the email sent to her and the teacher and she refused, screaming on the first day of school in the entryway. The Dept. of Ed. called her and coached her through our rights, but it was a moment of embarrassment and shock and my child decided to forego any kinds of services, based on this experience and our experience the previous year with trying to honor or make a 504. It had been an endless filibuster and an experience of absence being more apparent than presence. The founding director had tried to ridicule me to dismiss me. I found out how many people she has done this to, how many families she has coached out... that the other families in our class remembered. I now don't take it personally and feel we learned What Not To Be.

My child started out at a traditional middle school and he floundered. We found out later that he…read morehas ADHD and it tends to come out in middle school. We switched schools and he was so much happier. The smaller class size suited him. All the teachers and staff know him and they go out of their way for our family and other families as well. The director is kind and very open. My son is now in eighth grade and I'm going to miss this school tremendously. Thanks to Bend International School, he has learned the tools to deal with his ADHD, become a kind person and is ready for high school.

What a wonderful educational opportunity in a community with a lot of excellent competition! Seven…read morePeaks is the only preschool-8th grade IB option in our region and the continuity of care, growth, and support provided there is incredible! The potential for academic growth, social-emotional support, and individual nurturing is incredible. There are so many things that make Seven Peaks special!

Our son loves Seven Peaks School and so do we. His teachers have taught him so much in a kind,…read moresafe, and nurturing environment. He really enjoys his "specials" classes like Spanish, art, running club, and music. The staff and faculty have worked hard to make Seven Peaks a family and we are very happy to be a part of it.

Ashley is exactly the kind of person you want your child's mind to be around. She gets it! I am so…read moreexcited that she is a resource available to us as my family is now living in Bend after a move from Portland! Her kids camp agenda is full of incredible and thoughtful planning and I truly believe she is going to change the world by cultivating a love of learning and self in minds of our future. From meditation and mindfulness tips and tricks, tutoring sessions from a teacher herself, and starting a love affair with food and nutrition... I kind of wish that I was a kid again so I could take part in this stuff. ;)

Ashley's cooking classes for kids are absolutely wonderful- not only do the kids learn delicious,…read morehealthy recipes, they learn so much about making healthy food choices and how to recognize strong vs weak foods in their everyday lives. I took my best friend's 8-year-old to class all summer and he loved learning kitchen techniques and sharing his creations and knowledge with us when he got home. Ashley is a wonderful, inspiring teacher dedicated to equipping kids with practical skills for making good choices- we need more people like her in this world! I would highly recommend these classes to anyone whose child is interested in food and cooking. You can be assured everything they make is healthy, easy to do at home and the classes are also accommodating to kids with allergies to gluten/dairy etc which is a huge plus.

We love this school! Not only does our child have a sweet, kind, and nurturing learning…read moreenvironment, but the parents are also a real community. We can make decisions together as a team about what is best for our children and what they are being taught in the classroom. You get a choice with waldorf and its 100% worth paying for.

As a student of Waldorf back in when I was in 3rd grade when we first moved to Bend Oregon, I an…read moreattest that this school significantly lowered mine and my sisters academic ability. So much so that when we moved back to public school (more specifically to Buckingham, a fantastic IB league school that actually teaches your children) they recommended that my sister and I repeat a year as we were so far behind. Do not send your children to this place. Childrens academics should not be geared towards how to be more at peace with themselves and nature, it should be the very groundwork's of math, science, English, you know... things that would positively impact their adult lives.

My daughter attended kindergarten and first grade here. Unfortunately, we had to move to Anchorage,…read moreAlaska for second grade. We are almost finished with the school year here, and I must say we talk about Trinity almost every day. In fact on the way to school this morning, my daughter talked the entire way about her kindergarten class and how much she loved it so! Mr. McKim is amazing with those little kids. He is fun and funny without compromising the learning environment. Somehow, he always maintains control over the class, while maintaining their respect. First grade was also an amazing year for my daughter. Mrs. Clift has such a beaming love for Christ that she radiates of joy. Just to be near her is a blessing. She loves on her class in such a way, that I truly believe directs any student in her class back to Christ. And her love for teaching is astounding! For the planetary science series, she came to class dressed up as an ALIEN from each planet! My daughter LOVED being in her class, and NEVER wanted to miss school for any reason. She would act as if I was punishing her when I had to keep her home from school when she was sick! Honestly - we knew Trinity was a good school. But we had no idea HOW BLESSED we were by the environment and teachers here. We miss it so much. And wish we could duplicate it wherever we go. Trinity, we miss you. And we wish we could come back! You instilled such a love for learning in my girl, that even though this year has been tough on her, she will always remember. Now we know what GOOD teaching REALLY is.

From the owner: Anchored in God's Word, Trinity Lutheran is a forward reaching school where academics are rigorous,…read morediscovery is encouraged, and students are prepared to exercise their gifts to impact the global community.

Red Wagon Preschool has been absolutely wonderful for our family. My son started here when he was…read morethree, and now he's five and heading off to kindergarten. The teachers have created such a kind, nurturing environment where he has truly thrived. He's loved going to preschool here. Over the last two years, I've watched him grow in confidence, make sweet friendships, and learn so much. We'll miss this place so much, but we're so grateful for the loving foundation they've given him. Thanks to their guidance and care, he's more than ready for kindergarten. We're so grateful for everything Red Wagon has done for him!

Red Wagon Preschool has been such a blessing for our family. For the past two years, Miss Kimmy and…read moreher incredible staff have poured so much love, care, and kindness into my daughter. Every single day, I knew she was not only learning and growing but also being truly seen, valued, and cherished. Miss Kimmy has a gift for creating a warm, safe, and joyful environment where children thrive. Her patience, creativity, and genuine passion for teaching are unmatched. The entire staff treats each child like their own, and it shows in the way my daughter has thrived at red wagon