GISB is not only our three kids' school, but it is also our family's cultural home. All our…read morechildren started in GISB preschool, and by now, our oldest daughter is studying neuroscience at Boston University, our son is writing his "Abitur" right now and will decide if he wants to study in the US or in Europe, and our 8th grader can't stop talking about how excited she is to go for a school exchange with Oslo next school year. Over the 16 years at GISB, our kids have always been taken care of, both emotionally and academically. The teachers are young and committed, the principal is competent and visionary, the parent community is strong and supportive. The German International School Boston has that name for a reason. The curriculum is German based but also covers the American highschool curriculum, and our families are international. Last year we had 39 different nationalities at our school. The annual turnover is hard, many families come for a predefined amount of time to Boston and then leave (some also stay!). But that also means that you have friends all over the world since GISB by now has a worldwide network of families who help each other. Our graduates finish school with the International Abitur and the Massachusetts High School diploma, opening doors all over the US and Europe. If you want your child grow up in a warm, nurturing setting where he/she will be raised with excellent academics and a strong focus on character-building, then you should consider this truly wonderful school!

My children attended GISB for four years. Below is an honest review of our experience. I wish I…read morehad an honest review of the school before we had decided to enroll there. Hopefully this will help parents who are considering GISB make an informed decision. Location: The traffic in Allston is bad now and will only get worse as Harvard opens its new Engineering Campus in 2020. Facilities: Upper campus is an old Catholic school that is quite shabby in areas. There is no air conditioning in the summer. The heat fails in the winter. The paint is worn out in the stairwells. The parking lot has rusty twisted broken fences. Some specific spaces such as the library have been renovated recently and are OK. Lower Campus, where the pre-K and K grades are located, is a recently converted office building. The lower campus space turns out to be quite cramped when it is full of students. If you have a young active child that needs to move and get their wiggles out over the course of the day this will be a challenging environment for them. Tuition: The German International School of Boston (GISB) demands all the tuition upfront for the school year and there are no refunds for any reason. Buyers beware of any service that demands all the money up front and puts "no refunds for any reason" in the fine print. There are also a lot of various extra fees for the after school classes, ski week, vacation week camp, etc. School Calendar: The GISB academic calendar follows the German academic calendar rather than the American academic calendar. This means that there are two week breaks in February and April where parents must scramble for childcare. Teacher turn over: In the four years that my kids attended GISB they lost teachers every year (sometimes even mid-year) for a variety of reasons (disputes over pay with the administration, visa issues, pregnancy, health problems, etc.). There is no substitute teacher pool to draw on so when a teacher is sick it is a mad scramble to cover the classroom. Even when there is plenty of advance warning of a teacher's departure. (This teacher is pregnant. She will be going out on maternity leave in 4 months.) There was no planning on the part of the administration on how to cover the class room and it was an ad hoc assortment of people covering the class which was very detrimental to the students. Teacher's Credentials: Being a private school the teachers are not subject to the same credentialing criteria as public-school teachers. When I asked the administration if I could see the credentials of my kid's teachers, I was told no. What are they hiding? Why won't they share their teaching staff's credentials? Teaching style: Modern pedagogy acknowledges that students have a variety of learning styles and that teachers need to craft their lesson plans to cover different types of learners. GISB seems firmly stuck in the 19th century with one method of teaching and if your kid doesn't get it too bad. It obviously must be the kid's fault. My older child entered public school a full year behind in reading skills than his peers after we left GISB. Thankfully he was immediately identified as someone who needed some extra help with learning to read and after just one semester in public-school, he was up to grade level. Clearly there was no learning disability on my child's part. My child just hadn't been taught to read. I have talked to other parents who have left GISB for public-school and they have related similar experiences. If a school can't do something as basic as effectively teach kids to read... Social Environment: The small classes mean that the social environment is somewhat stifling. If you kid doesn't make a friend in the handful of other kids in their class, it will be a long lonely year. If your kid becomes the target of a bully, there is no avoiding the bully. The bully is right there all the time. The teachers seem at a complete loss of what to do when bullying is brought to their attention. The teachers and school administration at GISB clearly view the student's behavioral, emotional, and social development as not their responsibility. My experience so far in the public-school system is the complete opposite. The public-school system views its mandate as helping children grow as a whole person and this includes the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral development. Addressing of Concerns and Grievances: The GISB administration, parent council, and GISB board have no interest is addressing issues that are brought to their attention. There is a constant shirking of responsibility. The standard excuse they all give is "But you have to understand GISB is a young school." GISB has been around for 18 years and there are plenty of resources available on how to effectively run a school. The public-school principal of my children's current school has a clear "The buck stops here." attitude which is so refreshing after GISB.

We joined Wild Rose, a Wildflower offspring, at the early stage and grew together over the years…read more WR started with 9 kids and now has over 40, with about half in primary and the rest in elementary. The teachers are kind and experienced, helping kids learn more about social values instead of test taking. Kids are given autonomy and expected to contribute to the school system by shopping for food, cooking, cleaning up the classroom, setting up projects, etc. We experienced some growing pains but overall was well worth it. Parents are expected to be involved but this has been reduced to about once a month instead of per week. The low teacher to kid ratio ensures more attention and opportunity to aid the kids in their weaker areas. The school is looking to grow into middle school (grade 5+) and is actively looking for children aged 9-11 for the next academic year. It is well worth taking a tour to see if it is the right fit for your family!

My 5yo son attends Wild Rose. The things that I think make it special are:…read more - it's deliberately a small, one-classroom, shopfront school. So it's a very close-knit group and the teachers have a lot of autonomy and passion for making the best school they can. - it's true to the Montessori tradition without falling into dogma -- observation and experimentation are important elements. The school cooperates with researchers at the MIT Media Lab that are studying new methods and materials. - it's a mixed-age classroom. This creates so many wonderful opportunities for younger children to learn from older children and for older children to practice being leaders and teachers.

I've two kids - one Pre-K and the other being in 1st grade. The school builds on five principles:…read morecommunity, stewardship, integrity, simplicity, and equality - but it doesn't just talk about it. It _embraces_ them. It instills the value of community teaching the kids to be good people - to care about other folks, to think of other folk feelings. At the same time it balances the individual spark each kid has - recognizing our differences and building on the strengths. With the class sizes being on the small size it means that the kids who are excelling can get more individual attention to get more challenging problems (so that they don't get lazy), and for those who are having a harder time they can get the attention to improve. The older kids are buddies with the younger ones - sending inter-school mail, to foster reading and writing skills. Stewardship is manifested via its focus on the tangible things - recycling, carrying for the butterflies (yup, every day in the spring they learn about metamorphosis seeing caterpillars turning into butterflies), and taking care of the garden. Integrity - the kids learn to take ownership of their actions, of being truthful by setting plans out ahead and understanding ones strengths and weakness. This is a hard -try asking a kid "what were you thinking?" and the answer is never straightforward. But the teachers have a knack of asking and listening and getting to the bottom of the issue and un-jamming the emotions the little ones have. Simplicity and equality is embraced by their social justice program. The kids learn about very touchy subjects such as class injustice and racial injustice at Pre-K level! They did a play where each kid would take a different role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott - bus driver, Rosa, etc. And then swap to have other roles to try to understand each person viewpoint. Academically they are able to focus on high performers to challenge them and on the low-performers to help them. This is math, writing and reading, gym, etc. They also are able to deal with the more "energetic" kids by having ways in the class for those kids to get their energy out (swing, or climbing structures, chairs with balloon), and for the Pre-K kids having _two_ recess time. This was especially important for me as our kids are very high energy. We are very happy with our kids at CFS.

A sad excuse for a school. Back when I went here I was bullied and even spanked by teachers, in…read moreaddition I got locked in a closet for forgetting to put a block away. Not to mention the relentless bullying which included attempted strangling, isolation, physical assault, harassment, etc, and later led to death threats so bad that I had to switch towns and schools, and of course the teachers didn't do anything about it. The sheer lack of supervision also meant that kids (under the age of 10 even) would be making out in the bathrooms, in addition to vaping. And don't even get me started on the faculty, that's a whole other story. In short, I'm for the schools ultimate downfall.

Our daughter has been at La Petite since she was 2 (and is now almost 4) and our son started here…read moreas well at 4 months. We love this school. The teachers a warm, loving, and committed, the space is beautiful and well-equipped with age appropriate toys and games, and the Montessori approach has really helped our children grow and develop into kind, independent, and curious kids. We can't recommend this school enough for anyone looking for quality care (at a not unreasonable price) here in Somerville.

We are still so VERY happy with St Columbkille School. Our kids are thriving academically and…read moresocially and they are happy at school. We are so thankful for the amazing staff and the school leadership is exceptional.

I have mixed feelings about St. Columbkille Partnership School. On the surface, the school presents…read moreas warm, community-oriented, and supportive, and many of the teachers and families are wonderful. I personally gave a great deal of time and energy to the school community this year, volunteering more than 140 hours in various capacities. However, I was deeply disappointed by my experience with school leadership when an issue arose regarding a school trip. What concerned me most was not simply the financial issue itself, but the lack of transparency and flexibility in how it was handled. A significant cancellation policy affecting families financially was never disclosed in the enrollment materials we signed, and school leadership did not appear familiar with the applicable policy when questions first arose. Despite repeated requests, we were only provided with the policy after the trip had already concluded. At no point were families provided with clear information regarding illness-related cancellations, reimbursement timelines, or whether trip insurance was recommended or available. In hindsight, that information was critically important. In my experience, leadership was pleasant and collaborative when things were going smoothly, but far less flexible or solution-oriented when a genuine concern arose. Despite our family's significant involvement and goodwill toward the school, there was no willingness to consider even a partial compromise. Parents should make sure they carefully ask questions about financial policies, trip terms, cancellation rules, and how disputes are handled before committing to programs or payments.

We are so lucky to have found Cambridge Nursery School. We were nervous that our child wasn't quite…read moreyet ready for school and it has been absolutely beautiful watching him really thrive in this warm, loving, engaging environment. Where do I even begin? The teachers are absolutely amazing and he talks about them constantly at home. They all seem to have a sixth sense about what the kids need. For example: On mornings when our kid seems to be having a little bit more difficulty saying goodbye, one of them inevitably notices and comes over to us to help with the transition: Whether that's taking him to a window to wave bye, or reading a book with him, or whatever it is that he seems to need that morning. As another example: Our kid gets really nervous around other children, which is one reason we weren't sure if he was ready yet for preschool. The teachers have gently suggested activities for him with other kids, on days when it seems like he's in the mood for it, while leaving him to play on his own whenever that's what he needs. As a result - he has slowly started to warm up to some of the other kids, and has not been stressed at all about it. The curriculum is exactly what a preschool should be. The kids are free to play and explore and the teachers follow the kids' interests when designing class projects. As a result our kid absolutely loves school: It's stimulating and fun. But there's still just enough structure that I feel confident our kid will be ready for grade school when he gets there. But the thing that really makes CNS special is the parent co-op structure. We're a family of 2 working adults and I was worried it would be difficult for us to make this work. But it has been an absolute joy and blessing to be able to be a part of our kid's classroom, and I have treasured the extra time I get to spend with him. But it also helps us to see what his school days are like. For example, when he comes home saying he wants to "do the numbers" and then is upset because we don't have pipe cleaners, I know exactly what he's talking about. I've heard from the teachers that it helps them too - when they see how parents interact with their kids it gives another layer of insight into the kid. Overall the parent co-op structure helps teachers and parents work more smoothly in tandem to support each kid in exactly the way they need. I really can not recommend Cambridge Nursery School enough. It has been the perfect school for our kid and our family and I am so grateful that this institution exists. There really is nothing else like it.

We have had the best experience with Cambridge Nursery School…read more We have sent both of our children to CNS - my daughter and son each started at CNS when they were almost 3 (one two years before the other). Over the last 3+, we have had the best experience at CNS. The teachers are incredibly kind, the facility is adorable, and the community is warm and loving. I couldn't have imagined a better preschool experience for our family. Our kids are lovingly cared for, we have made incredible friends, and we are thrilled to be a part of this community. CNS is the best!

When we were considering Lesley Ellis for preschool, we asked around on the playground, and just…read moreabout every parent we talked to told us, "It's excellent! The only negative is the cost." That matched our experience perfectly. The tuition is steep - though financial aid is available! - but everything else was fantastic, and we were consistently impressed with the teachers, curriculum, field trips, awareness of kids as individuals, interaction with administration, and more. My mom worked for decades in early childhood education, and (as an interested and involved grandparent) was also very impressed. They welcomed/encouraged heavy parent involvement, from "come into the classroom to talk about something you're knowledgeable/passionate about" to occasional parent-meetups-over-coffee in the morning and more. But I was never, ever made to feel guilty about not being able to participate heavily, which was the norm once we had our second kid. (Who also went to LES for preschool, once old enough.) We can't speak to their K-8 experience, but for preschool/pre-K/TK they were fantastic.

Lesley Ellis is an independent school from pre-school to grade 6, but expanding soon to 8th. Our…read moredaughter is in her third year there and we have been delighted with the program. The teachers are an outstanding group and attuned to the needs of each individual student. The administration is truly exceptional as they create an environment where parents, children and the school come together to form a nurturing and vibrant community.

My daughter is new this year to South Boston Catholic Academy, and she absolutely loves it. The…read morecurriculum is the right speed for her and her classmates, the staff is just amazing, and the facilities provide structure, access to great amenities, and lots of opportunity for fun and learning. Without a doubt, we would recommend SBCA to any parents who want a collaborative, caring environment for their child.

SBCA has done a wonderful job over the past year! The teachers and staff have worked very hard to…read morekeep the kids in school safely. We're relatively new to the SBCA family, but my son's teacher, Ms. Kristen, is an awesome communicator and I've seen such growth in my son over the past year! I look forward to the years ahead at SBCA!