This review is for the preschool. If you are expecting an outdoor / nature school it is not nature - centered under age 5. They include some things like a barn tour, and they ride a pony at the end of the year for the 4 year old class, but they aren't outside playing or incorporating outside learning. They are largely inside with ditto sheets, and doing typical preschool curriculum (ABCs, 123s), circle time, coloring on a coloring sheet, music, art and PE. That was a little disappointing and maybe I should have done more research on it. There also aren't stations in the class. They get moved to various locations like the music room, PE, library and that was not a fit for my kid. She was afraid of having to leave the classroom as a child getting used to going to school for the first time. The farm felt big for her They are also not very supportive if you have a child who regresses with the potty. They need to be 100% potty trained and must stay home if they have 2 accidents in a week. If you need an accommodation, like using a different potty in the building, that's not accommodated. Their stance on child psychology and education principles are largely old - school and not at all geared towards the child. It's more one size fits all. There is also limited time to volunteer in the class if you want, or even interact with the teachers. You drop off at the door, pick up later, and need to call the front office to schedule anything further. You don't get many updates on your child, just a "they did good or they had a hard day " if your child is out sick or for another issue, they do not check in after an extended period of time. I found that to be strange. Communication lacks as there is no email or way to communicate with parents outside a red folder with some assignments and a calendar. There is an app they use for (I think weather alerts?) but they never once updated it with any information. If you have a concern you have to call the office. They could benefit from an upgrade into the year 2024 on how to communicate with parents and use technology. For a parent with a 3 year old or 4 trying school for the first time, I can imagine communication feels very important to feel your kid is ok. I'm writing this as neutral as possible for parents to make up their own mind on if this could be a fit for their child. A huge positive is the option for half day Kindergarten when that time comes. The class sizes are also fairly small. read more

While I have not had a chance to visit the farm or take classes, I wanted to give them credit for their excellent customer service. I contacted three stables in the area and all but Hazelwild gave me the runaround; requesting call backs and emails only to be told in the end that they were available for the service I was requesting. My time and effort were wasted and I ended up having no time to develop an alternate plan. However the Hazelwild staff were responsive and let me know the first time what they offered and that they were unavailable for me. I can't say how much I appreciated that. read more

As I walk my daughter to class at Hazelwild, I am filled with a calm and peacefullness of knowing that she's going to have a WONDERFUL school day. At some point during the day my daughter may gaze at the horses, or be obliged to allow the ducks to pass. There's a goat there that thinks that he's a part of the staff and almost seems to keep watch over the children. I love Hazelwild Farm and my daughter will surely miss it when she starts Elementary school. My son still misses it, still. Picking a a child who attends Hazelwild is a treat. Kids there learn something everyday. If they're not learning Spanish, they're prepping for 'Show & Share' on Friday. read more

Phenomenal preschool and amazing summer camp. The staff are all amazing people who really love and are passionate about what they do- and it shows! My daughter adored the staff and will continue to attend the camp now that she's too old for pre-k. read more

I can't say enough good stuff about this school. My 4-year-old daughter was scared going into school but she had an amazing teacher who really helped her to come out of her shell and helped prepare her well for Kindergarten. She raved about the Spanish teacher and music class, and we all enjoyed the parent-friendly activities held throughout the year. Thrilled to be sending my son her next year. read more

This one star review is focused on the administration of the Hazelwild Country Day School. We have had no complaints about the teachers, some of whom likely share our concerns about the administration. The most serious gripe we have is the complete and utter lack of communication between administration and parents. This past school year some extremely serious allegations were leveled by a student against a teaching assistant. The school made no effort whatsoever to communicate about the case with parents, who instead heard about the allegations through the grapevine. The administration was content to let information be passed between concerned parents instead of taking charge and providing assurance that the situation was being handled properly. Parents who simply want to know if their child's school is a safe place should not be forced to wade through information and figure out what is true and what is rumor. When I asked the director of the school what was going on, she confirmed that the allegations had been made and assured me that once the investigation was complete she would communicate with parents about the disposition of the case. She estimated it would be about a week. Three weeks later there has not been any communication. In another recent instance, an overnight accident at the school's entrance caused a power outage. The equine center on the property announced its closing just before 3am, however no effort was made to alert preschool parents. The school administration felt that it was fine to let parents drive to the school to find out it was closed. It is understandable that with no power the school could not open, but it is unacceptable that zero effort was made to tell parents about the closing. Sadly, the hard work and dedication shown by the teachers (one of whom quit because of the way the abuse allegations were handled) is overshadowed by an uncaring, uncommunicative administration who are prone to bouts of unprofessional nastiness and greed (we had a disagreement about their unreasonable assessment of a late fee when the first day of class one month fell one day after the due date. I was told with a sneer that I should have mailed my payment). I decided to write this review upon finding out that other families shared our concerns and had had similar experiences when dealing with the administration. If I had it to do over again, knowing what I now know about Hazelwild, there is no way I would send my child there. UPDATE: Since I originally posted this review, the school year has come to an end and still no word from the Director. The only change I am aware of that has been made is that staff has been let go, seemingly for speaking up. If letting staff go for being conscientious is the school's HR policy, it would seem that their desire to make money trumps their desire to safely educate the preschoolers who attend the school. read more

While I liked the teachers my child had at Hazelwild I was disappointed in the curriculum. Multiple worksheets every day may in fact prepare a child for the paperwork they experience in kindergarten but I feel there are better ways to learn. I also found that the staff did a poor job of supervising the children on the playground. Several times I arrived early and observed 4 or more teachers clumped and chatting on the playground oblivious to a child calling for help in dealing with a bully. In one instance the teacher only noticed something was going on when the child ran out of the graveled area and onto the grass to try and escape another student. I stepped in when the teachers began to chastise the child who was just trying to get to the supposed safety of the the teachers. My only other complaint is as follows. If your child is in one of the classes in the small building you will have the opportunity to meet other parents and your child's classmates. If you child is in the main building however this is next to impossible. Also you need to arrive early to pick your child up or you will be stuck in a long line of vehicles. My younger child is attending a different preschool. read more