Billy Dalwin Preschool is a fabulous community-based school. Each of our three daughters went…read morethrough the school and formed lasting friendships. The leadership and staff are so caring. My wife and I always felt supported as parents, the director and teachers were great parenting resources for us--we actually learned a lot from them, and they were always kind and attentive. We made great friends with other parents and teachers (many of whom are alumni parents, and some of whom are alumni themselves!) and found really deep community connections. Many of the teachers have been at the school for 10 years or longer. The outdoor grounds are incredible, with a beautiful wooded play area and learning space. There is a spirit of fun and caring at the school. The kids are able to explore Jewish traditions and learn the values and holidays, with special weekly Shabbat celebrations. My girls love the wiggles and giggles gross motor activities, dance, story hour and other special activities.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Billy Dalwin Preschool. From the moment my daughter…read morestepped foot inside the toddler class, she was greeted with warmth and love from the incredible staff. Rain or shine, they prioritize outdoor play time, which I greatly appreciate. The teachers are not only highly skilled but genuinely caring individuals who create a nurturing environment for the children. I'm thrilled that my daughter gets to participate in yoga classes, Kiddo Kinetics, music classes, and Shabbat sings. These activities not only promote physical well-being but also cultural enrichment. Going outside every day and the emphasis on arts and crafts allows her creativity to flourish while fostering important motor skills. Moreover, Billy Dalwin is not just a school; it's a tight-knit community. The camaraderie among parents, teachers, and children is palpable, making it a joy to be part of. I wholeheartedly recommend Billy Dalwin to any parent looking for a toddler class/ preschool that prioritizes holistic development and a supportive community. I have seen my daughter's language skills, motor skills, and overall confidence skyrocket since she started Billy Dalwin preschool 3 months ago and I can't wait to see how much more she's going to learn.

Send ur kids to this school to prep them for college.read more

I went there from 1996-2000 The bad things about the school when I was going there: 1. The Science…read moreProgram 2. The policy for bullying not only in private but also in the open in front of teachers 3. Lack of awards to students (they need more awards to be given) 4. Lack of the arts, especially in TV/Film 5. Extra help/extra credit options in all classes 6. Selective theatre guild (same students get cast, harder for newbies to get cast) Improving these 5 areas can definitely increase students love for the school. 1. The Science Program did NOT challenge me. Freshman Bio was hard, and it was because I was stuck with the hardest teacher, Mr. Jowett. I won Science Fairs in middle school and even on my first day answered "What is biology?" when nobody would answer the question. Sad to say I failed the entire year. Mr. Jowett was scary, his class looked scary and dark, and he scared a lot of kids, also his tests would strictly be on the reading from the book and NOT from what we went over in class. I was openly made fun of in his class by jocks/sports players who would goof off, and he'd think of me as dumb and place me sitting last all year. Nice, huh? I went from a "B" student in science who won places in Science fairs to an "F" student. Mr. Jowett should only be required to teach HONORS classes only. My Sophomore teacher, Mr. Benedetto was awesome, he actually gave his students projects which is what Jowett NEVER did. Benedetto, however, favors the women and sportsplayers though he is totally awesome. I remember busting my butt off in easy quarters and always ending up with C's. He is very tough to get above C+ if you're not a girl or sportsplayer and just some average guy who'd go overboard on projects like I was. He does get hard in some quarters you take him (I even got a D in one quarter and failed him the next quarter when I was a senior for Marine Bio, then got C's in the end), but he's very easy to talk to and knows how to teach Science unlike Mr. Jowett. Benedetto should teach level 2 bio to all Freshmen, Jowett, honors. He has the most clout of all the teachers there to be Freshman Bio teacher and Freshmen would love this guy. He has a lot of energy and he's not scary. However, I noticed a trend with my other 2 Science teachers other than Jowett...if you were a girl or sports player you'd get an A/B even if you didn't do a lot of work. 2. Bullying went on in front of teachers. They heard it. Some teachers didn't like it, but I never really reported it as being threatening. Today, teacher's need to stop that. I got bullied all Sophomore year/Junior year by this one guy in public, teacher's saw it, and I almost got explelled because of him when he targeted me because of what happened in Columbine. In the end, teacher's knew I wasn't like the way he described me as and knew he was a menace to me and it was all resolved, but would have been resolved sooner had they stopped the guy from being a wise-guy. 3. The school is VERY tough. I never once made the honor roll. I look back and feel bad I couldn't get it once. I came close only one quarter, but with a 2.7, it hurt how that was my highest average I had in all 4 years in any quarter, my first of Sophomore year, all the others I had 2.1 or 2.0 because of my constant " C+or below" grades in Math or a mix of them in 4 out of 6 subjects each quarter. But a lot of students would complain when they would miss the honor roll. Central should change their policy on honors and make it ANY GRADES ONE GETS (like colleges do) but 3.0-3.2=Honors, 3.3-3.5 =High, 3.6-4.0=Distinguished. As long as they MEET the 3.0 or above they can place on it. Also, if a student gets 2.7-2.9 (thats a B- average in many colleges), they should be given "Honorable Mention Awards", this way, more students will be rewarded for above average quarterly averages, even if not on the honor roll. Plus, they should give special awards. For example, they should do science fairs. We never had ONE. They should give awards to students in subject areas who get A-/A grades all year, not just to the highest student. More students will be recognized this way. They should do some sort of "student of the month" in each homeroom class, where 1 student each month gets selected based on a lot of factors and NOT just grades. 4. They need to have classes that focus on Screenwriting, Film production, et. Afterschool clubs even. 5. All teachers meeting once a week for extra help for any students with below "C+" grades in their 6. Theatre guild organized fairly. No favoritism. Same students made the plays. Auditions in fall of 1996 were poorly done. Same students year after year. One girl, she was such a drama queen and thought she was a great actress when she was mediocre and low, being cast in everything. She even mouthed off to my drama teacher and didn't get dropped.

I graduated in the class of 2015 and this school had so much potential while I attended. Some of…read moretheir technical shops are in need of an overhaul from outdated equipment. This establishment is one of the first technical high schools in this region so as you can imagine it's getting up there in age. They did just completely restore the football and track fields, and security is now top notch updated for the 21st century. Academics are adequate, and staff are always willing to lend a helping hand.

My son goes to this school. Most of the teachers are friendly and the new principle is better then…read morethe one they had last year.

My sister and I have both recently graduated college. We are quite similar but have had very…read moredifferent academic experiences in both high school and college. I went to public school and she went to Shady Hill, and I attribute much of her success to how Shady Hill prepared her. She digs deep into topics, connects the dots, thinks holistically, and has an appreciation for the interplay of culture, history, and geography. These are all things she tells me are at the core of a Shady Hill education. She also says the confidence she feels to voice her opinions and advocate for herself were nurtured at Shady Hill. I love my sister and want to thank Shady Hill for giving her the opportunity to fully realize the person she is.

We visited SH and loved the campus and the teachers we met. We liked everything about the program…read more(our kids were K and 1) until we heard that the school does not teach foreign languages until grade 7 or 8 (I don't remember which) because the person showing us around said 'we think kids can learn just as well later when they can read and write'. My specialty is bilingualism/multilingualism (20+ years research and teaching) and my jaw hit the ground. I thought I'd heard wrong but I hadn't. This is complete nonsense. Kids learn a second language much better when they are very young, and certainly none of us knew how to read and write when we learned our mother tongue. Years of research by myself and others backs up my assertion and it's just not true what SHS says about languages. Kids who "learn" later are unlikely to have a native accent and unlikely to be as fluent. They may still be very good but there is NO valid reason (if you want to teach a language) to miss out on the first important years when kids learn so well. I assume the parents aren't that interested in their kids learning foreign languages and that's why the school made this decision, but for us it was a deal breaker. I am still baffled by this, and having met some older SH grads (now in high school elsewhere) I can confirm they are nowhere near the language learning level of kids who start in K or grade 1. SH is a wonderful school but they are in just plain wrong about this particular thing.

Excellent seminary, I couldn't be more grateful that thanks to God's grace my life's path has led…read moreme to be a graduate student here. This is my second semester, and I love everything about my school.

I love this school. I can say a lot about it. I doubt that if you're considering applying to this…read moreschool you would be asking yelp for help, but in the case you are...I want to say do it! Apply. The faculty is Christ-like, caring, personal and knowledgeable. The school is also located in one of the most beautiful places in the u.s. If you have kids, I also recommend studying here because there are awesome, kid friendly libraries and beaches. Also, there are a lot of kids that your kids can befriend. If you have any more questions please let me know! I could write quite a lot about this school. It has been an unforgettable blessing to me and continues to be so.

The teacher-leaders at Aster (the directors of the school as well as the classroom teachers) are…read morekind, well-trained, talented educators with whom I'm glad to entrust my son. Under their guidance, he has made huge gains in the past year. He is more confident in his thoughts, actions, and his ability to communicate. They encourage curiosity, exploration, and self-motivation, allowing an interest in a wide range of topics. They address his and each individual child's needs and value their different backgrounds. As a former teacher, I see the educational environment at Aster as one in which I'm happy my son participates and one that I feel all children deserve. The support, access, and awareness each child develops will give them an incredible start to accessing their full potential. Some of my favorite things about Aster include: -daily outdoor time at one of the parks or playgrounds nearby. -a beautifully designed space that includes photos of each family, lots of plants, and materials that are accessible and interesting to the children, but never feels cluttered or overwhelming. -the encouragement of strong friendships among children and families (further developed by opportunities to connect outside of school as well as during drop-off and pick-up each day). -a convenient location (we walked to school every day last year). -quick responses to emails, phone calls, and texts (outside of school hours, of course). -diverse teacher perspectives/race. -a strong scientific basis and the use of data and observation to assess needs and guide learning. And finally, I truly believe that not only is my son safe and growing and learning every day, his teachers love him and care about his future happiness and success. I cannot think of anything greater.

My wife and I have been sending our daughter to Aster since she was 3 years old, and we have been…read moreamazed at how well she has been thriving, developmentally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. She has grown to be more independent, confident and socially active. For someone who is the younger child at home, she now feels pride in helping her younger peers while continuing to have older peers as role models. One of the things that we love most about Aster is the sense of family that permeates through the school. Through weekly parent days at school and monthly parent education evenings, we feel that we get to spend time with our children, build a community with the other Aster families, and learn more about the Montessori method. Through these shared values and this shared time, Aster has come to feel like an extended family for us. This sense of family extends to the community as well -- whether the children are planting a garden in the park across the street or baking cookies for their neighbors or just greeting people on their daily walk to the park, they are becoming contributing members of their surrounding community. We feel great pride as parents to be associated with a school that not only cares for our child but also cares about making a difference in the world around them.

All three of my kids went to St Peter for 10 years, from pre k to grade 8. It was a great, safe…read moreplace for them. The school is small, one class per grade, but no one is lost in the shuffle. Because the classes take turns conducting the Thursday morning Mass, they get to practice public speaking from a young age. My kids are all confident speaking to large groups and look forward to the opportunity to do so. Can't say enough about what a positive thing St Peter has been for our family.