When I was searching for a school for my children, I didn't just consider the curriculum, the…read morecommute, or the demographics. I asked myself a bigger question: What kind of adults do I want my children to become? With that in mind, I chose a school that would teach them integrity, resilience, and the ability to accomplish and create in every stage of life. Ridgeview offers more than an education--it offers education for life. As they often say, "At Ridgeview, we do hard things." These challenges aren't for their own sake, but to help every child discover and develop their full potential.

I went here from 9th grade until I graduated high school. I made great friends and had a few truly…read moreexcellent, inspirational teachers, but I also had multiple teachers (particularly ones that taught history and government related classes) who were overwhelmingly biased and even frequently told blatant lies or made up stories to further their own narratives about our world. I would frequently come home after history class and feel a need to fact check my teachers; more often than not I would find that they were thoroughly wrong on the topics I had researched myself. Also at Ridgeview there is a culture of conformity. Self expression often seems discouraged and students can be severely punished for "disrespecting teachers" when in truth all that happened were mere disagreements. And, although respect towards teachers is a paramount rule within this school, teachers frequently disrespect and make fun of students; the principal himself has presented ad hominem attacks against students during debates about things like paternity leave, the black lives matter movement, or the wage gap. I have nothing against tongue and cheek banter, but what I'm talking about here is beyond that. Student council at this school is for all intents and purposes run by the administration. As such students have no real say in the frequent changes that come to the school. The current principal seems to want the school to be a place for deeply conservative minded young people to become even more staunch in their views, rather than a place for real discourse, debate, and discussion. Also this place abstains from teaching any kind of sex-ed, which I believe leads to a deeply misinformed student body when it comes to sex and sexual identity. The school claims to be a place for students who like a challenge or enjoy difficult and truly stimulating classes and conversation. If that describes your student however, the IB program at Poudre, or the AP programs at Fossil or Rocky would be better, in my opinion, and would probably set up your student to be more likely to get into top colleges with top scholarships. DISCLAIMER: I did not attend Ridgeview in middle school or in the lower grades. My review is based in my experiences predominantly in the high school. Please do not judge their middle school based on what I've said. Students typically seem pretty satisfied with their middle school experience here.

Our older son (now 14) graduated from BVWS last year, having been here since his early years…read more Looking back, we're amazed at how the school shaped him -- not just academically, but as a whole person. He left with a strong foundation in math, science, and writing, but also with creativity, confidence, and a deep sense of compassion. The combination of academics, arts, music, and hands-on learning really gave him a well-rounded education that will serve him for life. Our younger son is now in middle school at BVWS, and he is thriving. Middle school can be a tough transition, but the small class sizes and dedicated teachers make such a difference. He feels seen, supported, and challenged in ways that bring out his best. The curriculum balances academic rigor with opportunities for growth through orchestra, theater, outdoor education, and practical projects -- things that keep him engaged and excited about learning. What stands out most is the sense of community. BVWS feels like an extended family where teachers, parents, and students truly know and support one another. It's a nurturing, values-based environment that helps children grow into capable, compassionate young people. We're grateful to have found a school that educates the head, heart, and hands -- and we would highly recommend BVWS to any family looking for something more meaningful than a traditional school experience.

This is not a review disparaging BVWS. It is about the lack of transparency and consideration my…read morefamily and I were given through the application and enrollment process. My daughter is no stranger to BVWS: she attended in early childhood and has spent a couple of summers there and loved it. When I reached out to the admissions director, (s)he expressed that my daughter would be welcome back and that there was space for her, so I submitted an application and she did a 3-day shadowing. To my surprise, my daughter's application was rejected. I spent several months trying to get a clear answer as to why, unsuccessfully. The following is a summary of events post-shadowing. My husband and I met with the teacher who discussed my daughter's shadowing experience and stated multiple times that (s)he "saw no red flags". I then asked questions about the founder's philosophy including topics that touched upon racism and how they have evolved, as my husband and I come from diverse backgrounds. The teacher answered them with openness and transparency, which further solidified my decision to send my daughter there. A week later, I receive an email, "after careful consideration...we do not feel that (student) is a good fit for our program." I requested a meeting to better understand the decision and sent numerous follow-up emails over the next 2 months to which I received no response, or the admissions director was sick, out of town, or catching up on work. Upon finally setting a meeting, I mentioned that I had emailed the teacher to get more specific feedback regarding my daughter's experience and if (s)he could be encouraged to respond. The response from the admissions director: "to be clear, I will be talking you through the application process...but not discussing re-opening the process". I thanked them and wrote, to "make sure I'm understanding correctly - you will not ask (teacher) to give me information about my daughter, nor will you speak about her experience at BVWS," to which I received no reply. On the call, the admissions director explained that the enrollment process was a collaborative, complicated and nuanced process. It included not just the teacher's opinion, but also input from ALL the Grade teachers, consideration on the age and maturity of the class, and the fact that the teacher is new to Waldorf teaching. If that were the case, then the shadowing, which caused disruption for everyone involved, was pointless and in fact, no new student could join. My insistence on following up was to have an opportunity for an open and transparent discussion regarding my daughter's application. If the teacher had told me during our debrief that (s)he felt the class dynamic with my daughter was not right, I would have respected the opinion. Funny that while my daughter attended BVWS there had never been any concerns raised. I can only deduce from the lack of response and transparency that this decision had less to do with my daughter and more about the questions I raised during our meeting with the teacher. In my last email after our final call, I expressed my hope that this experience be shared with the faculty and board as a learning experience and that I would always be open to dialogue. Since I never received a reply, I assume this issue had been swept under the rug. Though I know no big change will come of this, this experience will serve as a lesson when my daughter is older so that she may learn to advocate for herself with awareness and discernment. BVWS states they support DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and boasts that it cultivates a welcoming, inclusive community. A few qualities of inclusive leadership include fairness and respect, collaboration, empowerment and growth, and emotional and cultural intelligence, none of which I received. It is a shame that fear and avoidance of tough questions will now directly impact a 7-year-old's education. DEI has become very trendy in the past few years but simply taking a training without putting the principles into practice is not enough. Let's do better for our children and set the examples we want to teach them, not just have empty words on a website. That is when you muster the courage to step forward, not back.

My son has always struggled with being away from me. He hated daycare, preschool, and kindergarten…read more At one point, I even chose to homeschool him because of how difficult school experiences had become for him emotionally, We also tried therapy and many different schools and programs, hoping to find the right fit for his needs. Then we found Axis International Academy! From the very beginning, the staff went above and beyond to support him. They worked closely with his 504 plan and even adjusted it as his needs changed when he began vision therapy on top of behavioral therapy. Every single person treated him with kindness, patience, and understanding like he was their own child, enough that his therapist felt like he was finally over that bump and no longer needed to continue our sessions (twice a week at that point) As a former teacher myself, I have high expectations when it comes to schools and educational environments. For us, it was never about whether he was capable of learning. It was about understanding why he hated school so much and helping him feel safe, supported, and understood. Axis did exactly that. Yes, there were challenges along the way, but the way each staff member handled those challenges made all the difference. For the first time in his life, my son genuinely loves going to school. These are the last days before summer break, and he is actually sad he won't get to see his teachers and staff every day.. on top of his new friends of course. I never thought I would hear those words from him! At this school he is spoken to in a way he can comprehend. He is celebrated, respected, encouraged, and loved. No other school we experienced compares to the level of care and commitment we found here. I also want to say this honestly.. schools cannot do it alone. A school is not there to raise a child. it is there to teach, guide, and support families. Axis has done a phenomenal job doing exactly that, not just for us, but for many other families I've had the pleasure of meeting there. In my opinion, a 2.3 star rating does not accurately reflect the heart, dedication, and support this school provides. Sincerely, A grateful parent

This school actively weeds out any children with special needs. I have a gifted child with autism…read moreand adhd. She spent months in therapy recovering from the way they treated her. We had to switch towards the end of kindergarten because they decided that instead of helping her, they would require her to watch her class on an iPad in the office with a parent. We had to take off weeks of work to just sit in an area away from the classroom waiting for them to not be able to handle an undersized five-year-old. This isn't actually legal. Legally, they were supposed to support her. Legally they were supposed to hire enough staff so that all children had equal access to their program. They didn't. They were saving up for a new building. By the time they agreed to even meet to discuss her diagnoses they'd already ruined the school for her. She still talks about how horrible it was.

I have seen Rivendell School almost every week when I drive by to deposit my recycling. They have a…read morebrightly colored playground and a huge peacock statue that was once was covered in CD's which was very very creative! It reminded me of a real peacock! It has since lost the CD's and is now dressed Hawaiian style. About a week ago I saw that Rivendell has signs up for a book sale. The prices looked very reasonable. About 50 cents to 2 dollars, depending upon what type of book. I went in and looked around the place. I was very impressed! The school is fairly small and the main room is covered in books. A very impressive library! I bought about four or five books all for a very good price and the ladies that were working there were all very nice and sweet. After going to the book sale I decided to investigate more about what Rivendell School was about. I saw that they have been around Fort Collins since 1976. They are a nonprofit, secular private school. They have a huge emphasis on respect. They teach children how to respect the teachers and each other no matter how different you may be. In other words they don't let the cliche's run wild like at regular public schools. Their curriculum is less 'goal oriented' meaning they don't primarily focus on test scores and make things so directional. If a child needs a little extra attention then they can get that extra attention because of the small class size. Wow! How I wish I could have gone to a school like Rivendell! I was not impressed or amused overall with my public school experience and think I would have done much better in a place like this. While I don't have children I would highly recommend this place to friends that have children that are about to start school. I think they could greatly benefit from it. I also will be keeping tabs on the school's events and would love to continue to support this place! There really, really needs to be more schools like this!

Both of my children attend or attend here. The teachers are wonderful, caring, and highly…read morequalified. The curriculum allows students to progress at their own pace. The low teacher/student ratio provides a wealth of time for individual instruction in literacy, math, foreign language, science, and social studies. The school has a tight-knit community that fosters a life-long love of learning,, a trait that is more than worth the cost of tuition.

So I accompanied my niece to the Innovation Center several times. I was so blown away I wouldn't…read moreeven know where to begin, so I'm going to add some info from the website. But before I do, I wanted to point out that I was surprised that the parking lights were on while it was still very light outside. I was struck by the irony of this. "Student learning at the Innovation Center transcends the traditional classroom and provides experiential opportunities that are developing today's students into tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and changemakers. In addition to rigorous extended learning and mentorship opportunities, students gain valuable experience through employment that focuses on designing and engineering technology solutions for industry and community partners. The Innovation Center is housed in a new, state-of-the-art 50,000 sq. ft. facility that includes a community makerspace, Apple Tech Lab, dedicated and flexible lab and collaboration spaces, Incubator and Enterprise Zone, Studio, Pitch Room, Drone and Aerospace Lab, Biomedical Science lab, Classrooms, Robotics Lab with Underwater Tank, Prototype spaces and more."

My 3 year old attended for two months before we pulled him out due to Gateway's incompetence. They…read morefrequently lost his lunch or extra clothing which was sent with him to school. Shall I tell you the story of how they sent a bag of feces home in his backpack? Worst of all, they allowed him to wander out the door with another family. If not for the attention and care of the other parents, he could have easily wandered from the parking lot into the street. Because it is mid-semester, our son must now wait several months on waiting lists of more reputable schools so hopefully he can attend in the fall. Terrible experience, and hard to explain to a toddler why he can't go back to play with his friends! If you value your child's safety and happiness, do not send them to Gateway Montessori!

We initially chose Gateway because of it's location a half a block from our house, but we are so…read morelucky we did. This school is amazing! Our daughter is learning to read. She's having a blast with her friends. She is learning about oceans. She's learning geography -- last week she came home with a hand-drawn map of Australia, with all the territories labelled. I can't stress to you how capable and loving the teachers are. Tuition's reasonable, too. Check it out!

If you have an opportunity to enroll your child in their summer swim classes, you definitely…read moreshould! Our son was enrolled in the Wave-riders 1&2 program with Miss Avery and it was one of his highlights of summer. He learned so much, and he always looked forward to the next time we would get to see her and learn more. Miss Avery is incredibly patient, kind, and encouraging to all of the kids in her class. We are so thankful to have had such a positive experience and an amazing teacher to learn from during our time at Mountain Kids.

I have a Granddaughter who is autistic. I want her to get…read moreas many opportunities has a neurotipical child experiences. Here she has been given the opportunity to be part of Mountain Kids. Their staff is excellent and experienced. Thank you Mountain Kids!

My husband and I had a tour scheduled for our daughter today. Waited 15 minutes before we decided…read moreto leave. No one ever greeted us. No was at the front office- talk about a security concern. Very unprofessional and showed a lack of organization. If I could give this place ZERO stars- I would. If you are a parent do not waste your time going to this place. Thank you for nothing.

Was so disappointed. I was told my son had a spot and was starting on Monday and then got a call…read moretoday. Let me know if they are too full to take on my child. Very disappointing, especially being told he could start on Monday, and they had room for him .