About 8 years ago I wrote a one star * negative review about Cushing. Two other alumni with bad…read moreexperiences Yelped me behind the scenes thanking me for my review. Today, all these years later I am reversing my review to a full ***** five star positive review. The reason for this is twofold. 1) With greater age, wisdom & grey hair starting to grow, I realized that these criticisms that I had, while valid, are also very common problems. Common coin of many educational, professional & family environments. Therefore to blame Cushing alone for them, when they are common problems, was overzealous; yet in a sense also valid; with belief & hope that Cushing can do better than the average; in fact exceptional on these issues, if it wished to in the future; among the best of schools. 2) That leads to my second reason for reversing the review from one star to five stars is my belief that the new Headmaster, Randy R. Bertin, Ed.D. has the capacity to lead Cushing in the right direction, to a better future, in these, as-well-as, all sorts of other ways. I have returned to Cushing about ten times or more since graduation in 1981; including four class reunions and to speak & work with several of my professors, for years after graduation. I strongly support the concept of "community building." Over the years, along with face-to-face, as well as email communications, multiple generations of Cushing Headmasters, along with other leaders, have gradually, step-by-step, showed me how they were making Cushing Academy a better & better place. My intention is not to degrade or discredit the negative reviews of other alumni or students. No institution or for that matter person is perfect, and given the #s of students that go through such a revolving door, there are almost guaranteed to be at least a few bad experiences for one reason or another. The "big question" for every school, institution & person, including myself, is how are we going to honestly, directly & clearly look at these problems & mistakes, that one or another of us may likely make at some point, or have already made, and both make remedy, as well as do everything reasonably possible to prevent it from happening again. As well as all the fun, creative, educational, & enjoyable stuff we ask our educational leaders to create or make possible as well...In these ways, Cushing history is not perfect, but it is based on my experience, continuing to improve over the years, getting better & better with time! Lets keep on complaining & also keep on improving! Not afraid to look at the negative problems, but recognize them, resolve them, prevent them from happening again, improve beyond them! My Cushing experience was amazing because I met and was assisted my multiple teachers in and out of the classroom that were among the best I had in life and beyond my public school. Met great life-long friends, & had all the typical sports, games, getaways to Boston, each other's houses, & much more. It was over all a great, fun, amazing time!!! Thank you, Cushing! A very cultural experience that a local, yokel, from a small hick town, in Vermont, could get a worldwide view of experience, connecting with students, & people from all over the USA & the world...That to me was amazing!!! Like my backwoods' bad grammar; Cushing "ain't" perfect; but unlike my grammar; it is an awesome & amazing place not to miss!!

Decades later, I can only remember the rampant drinking, drug use, hook-ups and bullying. How sad…read moreis that? The marketing propaganda makes it looks like it evolved into a first-rate institution, but there is a deep social aspect to boarding schools - especially a co-ed. And young kids living away from home need supervision and structure. Parents, proceed with caution.

Our daughter is currently enrolled in the toddler program at 2nd Nature Academy, and has been since…read moreshe was eight weeks old. I truly believe there is no other place I would have felt comfortable dropping off my daughter! The staff are professional, kind, and clearly love what they do. The physical campus is also incredible, and I cannot believe the spaces she is able to explore. She never stops talking about the farm animals! She is so delighted to go in each morning, and we could not be happier that we found such a wonderful place for her to learn and grow.

My child is so very happy at second nature. I am thrilled we found the perfect school. Public…read moreschool was just not right for my son. He is learning Mandarin and conversational Spanish along with his core subjects- all of which he is able to move along at a pace that works for him. I particularly like the way they handle typical "elementary" conflict. They hold a meeting, everyone can speak their mind and then they all decide how they can work through it.. a real life skill! In my child's old school an argument at recess meant children "sitting out" not able to play simply because they had a conflict about something. This fostered ill feelings amoung the children rather than empowering them to work out issues and move on together.. a very adult way to handle things. It's the small details like this that make all the difference in the world for ensuring children become productive members of society. After visiting many private schools we are so glad we decided on Second Nature Academy!

Never send your child to their preschool programs. If your child does not fit into their box, they…read morewill not be accepted. My children were treated unfairly and the staff was unwilling to support the child. Rather, it was easier for them to discard them. The director and staff lack sincere compassion for what is best for ALL children. Thinking about enrolling here? I would seriously reconsider. There are more loving and caring schools in the area.

Wonderful school. Great sense of community every teacher knows your child. Not only do they teach…read moreacademics but they teach community service and how to be a respectful citizen.

When we chose Bement, we were looking for a school that would challenge our child academically but…read morealso help her grow as a person. What we found was even more than that--a community where teachers truly know and care about each student and where kids feel comfortable pushing themselves in new directions. Since joining Bement, my daughter has taken up basketball--something she would never have tried before. The team trains every day, and they take their games seriously, but what stands out the most is the way she's grown through it. She's learning to work hard, handle wins and losses with confidence, and, most importantly, enjoy the process. It's been amazing to see her build resilience and discover the joy of competing as part of a team. What we love most is that every day at Bement is filled with art, music, sports, diverse cultures, and a deep sense of care for one another. We are grateful to be part of the Bement family and encourage other families to discover the opportunities this special school offers. --- Patricia Kung

Bement is a school where the kids LOVE to learn. They also learn to socialize, play sports, eat…read moremeals together, have art and PE on a daily basis, learn new languages, and learn about different cultures. The Bement teachers truly care for each student and raise the bar so that each child stretches and reaches their potential!!!! Bement is simply amazing!!!! In every aspect!

Fay School is an internationally-respected private school in Southborough, Massachusetts for boys…read moreand girls in grades pre-school through 9, with an optional boarding program for students in middle school. A campus with extraordinary resources, teachers who actively mentor, a forward-thinking curriculum, and a diverse and inclusive community all inspire Fay students to excellence in academics, the arts, and athletics, and to productive and fulfilling lives.

Great school culture and rich tradition with a goal of educating students to be a better person…read more Fay students are constantly evaluated along the line of Fay education missions. Their core values are truly reflected on their day to day campus activities emphasizing both adacemic excellency and character development, in addition to efforts, services and wellness. The way they do it is very age-appropriate therefore rather effective. A well-deserved best junior school in the US.

Great private Christian school, with great teachers and faculty. The teachers and faculty are…read morereally involved and have a passion for what they do! Great Christ - centered school! Would definitely recommend!

One if not the Best Christian/Private schools around. Great teachers, fantastic curriculum and…read morecaring environment! This is our first year and our children have learned so much!! Kudos to the wonderful staff and leadership!

We have had an absolutely amazing experience at the Fenn so far. Our son, who just joined the 5th…read moregrade, is about three months in so far and is having the time of his life. Coming from a public school, the environment couldn't be more different; he is constantly challenged, both in terms of the freedom given to him to organize his own day and show up to places on time and also academically, where (for someone who always excelled in his public schools) he is being challenged for the first time. Our entire experience - from the first contact with the admissions team to our last event at the school - has been more than we could have hoped, and we're so excited about the future at Fenn!

Fenn has been an absolutely terrific experience to date. The communication and caliber of the…read moreteachers is fantastic. We have been impressed by the coordination and dedication of the faculty and current headmaster. I would highly reco

The Putney School is a great place to experience high school! The students are from all over the…read moreworld, which adds so much to life and just to the way one learns about everything. From working in the barns and the dining room, and living in the dorms one learns about oneself AND about others. I love the mentoring experience, and that dozens of kids are from international backgrounds which lets me learn in new ways from both the faculty AND the students. A terrific place!

hello i had dinner at the KDU last night. Terrible service. Danny O'Brian was our waiter, he LIED…read moreto us about the origin of all the food. He told one of our dinner mates that the chicken was full of gluten and she could not eat the chicken. But later he revealed that it was in fact not glutenous. disappointed to say the least.

We have had all six of our children attend this school when it used to be called Wayland Academy…read more You cannot beat a school with small classroom size, curricula adapted to the individual student and loving care from faculty. With classes from pre-k - grade 6, it's the best possible start for any child's educational journey.

Both our kids did their elementary schooling there, from Pre-K and K to 5th grade. At one point the…read moreschool changed name from Wayland Academy, when the faculty took over and became co-administrators. To summarize: in 6 to 7 years, our kids never said they did not want to go to school. The teachers are superb, it is a very multi-cultural community, the class sizes are small, allowing students to work at their own pace. Either they are super bright in math or need a little more time on reading, there is plenty of resources there to make learning a great experience. They do plenty of field trips and activities, get a great foundation in being good citizens. My kids now in middle school are kind leaders who can build efficient teams and rally good people around. Not only they learnt their curriculum at an advance level, but they mostly learnt to read people and make informative decisions about whom they want to be friends with and whom they do not. If you ask me, it is the most valuable skill ever. Thumbs up for the Brighton School in Framingham!