Ah, west tisbury elementary. My old school. (Class of '95 wooooo!). It has expanded greatly since I…read moreleft, but much of its charm remains the same. I believe Mrs. Schofield finally retired? Good for her. A lot of the teachers I had back in the day still teach here. Lots of space to run around. Pretty good facilities. Apparently the music room is all high tech now! Sweet!

My kids are developing into the kind of little people I had always worked and hoped they would…read morebecome. SMCDS is a major reason. The top flight staff, location and community are evident the moment you land on campus. As for a high level academic oriented-challenging environment, SMCDS is all that. As a major part of our lives for many years, starting in Pre-K, I am proud to be a part of the SMCDS community and grateful for each member of the team at SMCDS that have helped develop each of my children into competent, curios and independent thinkers. Recommended without reservation.

We started our child at St. Michael's for 5th grade. Wish we would have made the move sooner. After…read moretouring the school by myself, I left knowing this was going to be a great fit for our child. Their two day visit was their favorite of all of the schools they checked out because 'They actually teach you things and the kids want to learn.' The campus is beautiful, but beyond that, a few things stood out. 1. The head of middle school was great. She was engaging and immediately handed me two business cards. She asked me to please pass one on to my child and let them know that they could contact her with any questions they may have. My child felt like the head of middle school genuinely cared about them and proceeded to send an email asking a few questions/concerns they had. This was huge for my child. 2. All of the students played together. We watched a huge divide occur in 2nd grade at our previous school. Boys played football and soccer, and girls stood around. At St. Michael's the main playground equipment is built to accommodate all ages. Kids all played together and had fun. There was no division between boys and girls. I really liked how the middle schoolers came together so much. 3. The depth of learning going on, the number of options for a smaller school, and the responsibility placed, taught and expected from the middle school students was something that I knew my child would appreciate and could learn from. My child loves learning and wants to be challenged. I knew they would be challenged on many different levels. Things that we have loved since attending: * I love the Harry Potter'esque' houses that each student gets placed in at the beginning of their school year. This is a good way to bring together the 3 year olds up to 8th graders to cheer on their houses at different events. * I love the fact that field trips still happen through 8th grade. * I love the after school sports programs and how students are introduced to different sports even if they aren't overly sporty. * I love the fact that my child can stay after school for extra homework help and I can pick them up at the end of my work day. * I love how the school is a STEAM based school with amazing opportunities to explore including using the maker space to create solutions to problems and as a creative outlet to design things. * I love how there is lots of project based learning allowing students to have a deeper understanding of what they are learning about. The choices of how they will present and share their learning have been equally impressive and have forced my child to try new skills like sewing, stop motion and green screen technology. * I love the diversity of students that comes from the numerous military families attending from all over the globe. My child has learned about different cultures and languages because of this. * I love how the Choose Love program isn't just a bunch of sayings slapped on a wall as it sometimes is in other schools. The curriculum is used along with mindfulness, meditation, and self reflection and the students really practice what they learn. * I love how mistakes are encouraged as part of the process of learning and improving. * I love how the school has great community activities such as back to school picnics, ice skating days, parent get togethers, and opportunities to help support the community at large through volunteer projects. The parent's association is active and inclusive. * I love that foreign language is 4 hours a week starting in 5th grade with exposure in elementary school. * I love the science lab, PE and Heath classes and the focus on arts. So many schools are cutting arts and music programs. At St. Michael's you are exposed to chorus, band, studio arts, stage craft, cos-play and actor's studio. * I love how the teachers are engaging and so wonderful in their enthusiasm. They have a great pulse on their students and are really working hard to make students become better students and better contributors to society. * I love the administrative team and how they communicate with families and really get to know the students. * I love how encouraging the student body as a whole is. They genuinely care about other students. This was the best jump we ever made and so grateful to have found such a wonderful place to land, grow and learn.

FA SUMMER! is the best. We love their programs! My son has been a camper for years and they sparked…read morehis interest in engineering.

If you spent some time in the 1960s receiving a public school education in a small New England…read moretown, it is possible that you have a story like mine, and I hope that the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated is as memorable for you as it is for me. I am quite sure that in April of 1968 there were no African-American children in my school. I had just turned 10 when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, but I do not remember hearing his name before that day in April when our principal, Everett J. Hopkins, called the entire school on to the front lawn to explain the significance of who this man was, and the tragedy that had transpired. Somewhat numbed by the killing of JFK, and after much chest beating and hair pulling from our senior family members and friends over that event, with the Vietnam War beating a steady drumbeat in the background, it seemed a nice spring day to be outside of the tar-dripping asbestos tiled ceilings of Hamilton Elementary School, and really: what choice did we have? Mr. Hopkins, a direct descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a watercress farmer, baker and educator, so much wanted us to know, boys and girls on the lawn, what we had lost. He wanted us to know, so much, that he broke down in tears, and could not finish what he wanted to say. So we were left with this: we still did not know what a black person was, what freedom they might have been denied: but it was enough. Whoever MLK Jr. was, and whoever took his life, whatever impact it might have had on the world.....his brutal passing had made our kind and gentle leader cry. He tried so hard, Everett J. Hopkins, to explain to us. He stood handsome and proud, and he probably felt he was not really up to the task as he dissolved into tears. But I know that I am not the only child from that horrible spring day on the lawn of Hamilton Elementary School who remembers, and so: a big thank you to the global thinking members of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, to Everett J. Hopkins and to Hamilton Elementary School, for teaching us about the world beyond.

My kids love Bay Farm. The staff is wonderful and helpful. They are so supportive and really care…read moreabout the kids.

Bay Farm Montessori Academy served my children well for the 8 years they attended (before the…read moreMiddle School was added on). The teachers at all levels are nurturing while allowing each child to individually (at their own pace) reach and/or exceed their potential. Especially notable is the arts program and the extended theater program which allows children to perform in plays providing them the confidence to speak in public. The enrichment classes allow preschoolers to practice being on stage, elementary students to join various sports activities, and kindergartners through middle schoolers to join larger productions (such as Annie and Seussical). My children have graduated college, but still fondly remember their Bay Farm experiences.

Moses Brown is a beautiful school with so many opportunities. I would definitely recommend it to…read moreany parents that can afford it!

We have 4 daughters and have attended 7 independent schools all over the country. Moses Brown is an…read moreexcellent school for all our girls. It is large enough that each daughter is able to find her place academically, socially, spiritually, athletically and is able to develop a healthy sense of self. MB is unique in that the Quaker values provide a calming, quiet powerful start to their day and help to build a partnership with their teachers. Our world is changing fast and we feel that Moses Brown is focused on the world that our girls will thrive in bc of their experiences and problem solving skills. No school is perfect but from our experience we feel that MB partners with us as parents to help mentor our kids to be the best they can be, to help make the world around them a better place and to feel Confident in their abilities. It is a challenging school but large enough to accommodate different learning styles. When there are tough issues that arise the faculty addresses them immediately. Our family is active at the school because we believe in the MB mission and feel blessed to be a part of the welcoming community.

I can not say enough about Cadence Academy. We are so grateful that we found such a loving group of…read moreteachers to care for and teach our children. We started our daughter at Cadence during the pandemic. Cadence was so welcoming and facilitated me being able to meet my daughter's teachers via Zoom before we started. Although we were not able to enter the building to send our daughter off, they made it feel as though we could with their awesome report app that they use to send you updates and pictures of your child throughout the day. Through the last few years we have grown to know and love the teachers at Cadence. When we had our second child, we started him in daycare even sooner than we did our first because we had that trust in Cadence. We are so happy with our Cadence family, and would strongly recommend them to anyone searching for care and education for their children.

My 2 toddlers have been enrolled in cadence since 2017, and in that time I have never worried once…read moreabout their health or wellness. All of the teachers there are very warm, loving, and nurturing. The environment is safe, clean, and spacious. There were some staffing retainment issues at one point, but there has recently been a drastic shift in management which has been received favorably by all parents and staff. The food included in the tuition is thoughtfully prepared, selected, and of very good quality. The playground areas are segregated by age and are very spacious. The daily note system they use gives parents a huge piece of mind of their children's daily activities. They also do progress reports on the children which are not at all generic. They are very personable and well critiqued. The additional activities offered through Cadence are cohesive and engaging. Events like parents nights, pajama parties, and arts and crafts parties offer even more opportunities for both education and social interaction. The teachers there love and accept all children with graceful patience like they are their own. They are very creative with their daily activities and classroom routines. Cadence, for my family, has allowed my wife and I to focus on our jobs while at work knowing that our children are nurtured and loved during the day.

GYMNASIUM REVIEW ONLY:…read more My Daughter is currently enrolled in a fall mini-club via Blast Volleyball that is out of Gordon School. Kudos to Gordon for seeing an a opportunity to support kids athletics and make a little money! The school is nestled off a major road, in a suburban neighborhood. Not a large parking lot, but enough spots that we require. Cute little playground. The facility is very clean with ample bathrooms (they have baby wipes and offer free lady products in the bathrooms!) The gymnasium is in great condition with bleachers. Great space for your kids to practice.

Our 4th grade son has been at Gordon since 1st grade. We have loved all of his teachers, the…read morefacilities at Gordon, and the community that we share with the Gordon family. He is challenged academically and also grows emotionally and socially. Love this school, its mission, and leadership!