If I could give this school a lower rating, I would. What I experienced here as a child stayed with…read moreme long after middle school ended, and not in a way that builds resilience or confidence. As a student on the autism spectrum, I came into this school already vulnerable, already trying to navigate a world that felt overwhelming and confusing. Instead of finding support, I was met with cruelty. I was routinely singled out and bullied by staff members, the very adults who were supposed to protect me and help me succeed. Being different made me a target, and it became clear very early on that there was no safe place to turn. One incident in particular still stands out because it showed just how completely I had been abandoned. During lunch one day, I was trapped by four students who cornered me and attacked me using a makeshift weapon. They took a long sock, filled it with a hard bar of soap, and used it to beat me, the way you might see in a badly made prison movie. I remember feeling terrified and powerless, realizing that I could not escape and that no one was coming to help. What makes this even harder to process is that there were staff members supervising lunch that day. They looked over, clearly saw what was happening, and then turned their backs. No intervention. No help. I was left with bruises and the lasting understanding that my safety simply did not matter. When I reached out afterward to both the school resource officer and the principal, I hoped that at least then someone would take it seriously. Instead, the response was painfully inadequate. The parents of the students involved reportedly threatened to pull their children out of baseball, and that was treated as leverage. Nothing meaningful ever came of it. The students faced no real consequences, and I was left to carry the aftermath alone. What happened to my sister at this school was even more frightening. When she came out as a teenager, the harassment she endured from other students escalated to the point where her physical safety was genuinely at risk. Watching someone you love go through that, while the adults responsible for protecting children fail to act, is something that stays with you forever. We were not just worried about her emotional well being. We were afraid for her life. A school should be a place where children are protected, where differences are respected, and where students are allowed to learn and grow without fear. For my family, this school was the opposite. It was an environment where bullying was ignored, where staff abuse was normalized, and where serious harm was allowed to happen through neglect and indifference. I would never recommend this school to anyone. Especially not to parents of neurodivergent children or LGBTQ youth. Every child deserves safety, dignity, and compassion. This school failed to provide those basic things, and the impact of that failure is something my family will carry for the rest of our lives.

Average middle school experience, some teachers are way to strict, others way to lenient, good…read morestructure, as someone who went to the school last year, I don't hate it, if you want to send your kid here it is a WAY better option then Helena Middle School.

If I could give this school a lower rating, I would. Attending this school was one of the most…read morefrightening periods of my life. I was not simply bullied here. I was threatened daily, beaten on a regular basis, and forced to live in constant fear for my safety. Every day I walked onto campus knowing there was a real possibility I would be hurt, and every day that fear proved justified. The violence was not isolated or hidden. Students openly used drugs in and around the school, including in the forested area nearby, which became a place of genuine danger. I was once nearly impaled there during an attack, and I am still shaken when I think about how close I came to being seriously injured or killed. There was no meaningful supervision and no sense that anyone was truly watching out for students who were vulnerable. The only reason I survived that year is because one teacher saw what was happening and chose to protect me. The shop teacher offered me a place to hide during lunch so I could avoid being attacked. I should never have needed a hiding place at school. The fact that a single teacher's quiet act of kindness was the only barrier between me and serious harm says everything about how unsafe this environment was. The abuse escalated to the point where I was hospitalized. During one assault, I was kicked so hard in the ribs that my torso was badly bruised and I could not breathe properly. I spent time in the hospital on oxygen because my breathing was impaired, and my recovery took most of a month. I was in pain, frightened, and struggling to heal while still expected to navigate a school environment that had already proven it could not keep me safe. I still carry physical scars from what happened, reminders of how real and lasting the damage was. I left this school as soon as I could because I genuinely feared for my life. No student should ever feel that attending class puts them in danger of serious injury or death. A school should be a place of learning, structure, and protection. This school failed at the most basic level to provide safety, and that failure had life altering consequences for me. I would never recommend this school to anyone. Especially not to parents of children who are vulnerable, different, or simply trying to get through adolescence without being harmed. What happened here was not just bullying. It was sustained violence, neglect, and a complete breakdown of responsibility, and it is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

I feel safe in this environment, some of the teachers are horribly biased, but you will get there…read morewhatever school you attend, I am proud to have been a bruin.

This is the only public school in Helena that I was able to enjoy somewhat, and receive a good…read moreeducation. When I attended Hawthorne School in the 1970's, they had the best teachers, by far. Not sure why this is not listed as the school that it is. It is called Hawthorne Elementary School, and it should be listed as such, here on Yelp. I went to first grade in the little one or two room schoolhouse, to the side of the main elementary school. My teacher was Ms. Wilma Miller, and I shall never forget her. She was such an asset to Hawthorne School and had been there for ages already it seemed, when I attended. One of the kindest and most helpful teachers, that I have ever experienced. Ms. Miller taught us so much and her class was the best, in my opinion. She also was the first person to realize, that I was already being pegged as an outcast and seen as weird. This would be because I was born LGBTQ, and she knew it somehow. I knew perfectly well what I was and who I was, even in first grade!!! It is amazing to me, that Heterosexual people still like to believe it is a 'choice'. It should be pretty obvious that it is not, by my story. We cannot help that we were born this way. Have a little compassion, please? It is just something we have to deal with. I know many will choose not to believe me, but it is the honest truth. I knew who and what I was, even as a baby! Some humans are just born way ahead of their time and peers. I am one of them. I was also born with a eidetic/photographic memory, so I am not able to forget anything. This is why I can remember being a baby, and recall perfectly, my time at Hawthorne School, when I got a bit older. Some humans still do not believe that some of us are born with special abilities, but I assure you, it is so. Anyway, the remainder of my time at Hawthorne School was pretty great, except that I was bullied quite a lot for being different. So many cool teachers back then, and I learned more there, than at any other school. So, that is saying something, I believe! My second grade teacher was not all that great unfortunately, and I wish I had been in the other second grade class with Mrs. Cameron as teacher. Instead, I ended up with Mrs. Smith, who was not all that great, and was not such a great teacher either. She was rather mean and dismissive. Third grade with Mrs. Nyland was great, as was fourth grade with Mrs. Heen. Fifth grade was extremely memorable. I had Mr. Reuben Tucker for a teacher, and he was also someone who was way ahead of their time. He taught us Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes, which has come in more than handy in my life. He would also have The Beatles playing when we came to class in the morning. So cool!! He also taught us about archaeology and ancient civilizations, which is why I became an archaeologist when I grew up. I learned more from that man, than I can ever express, and would love to find him and thank him, even now. Sixth grade, my final class at Hawthorne School, was Mrs. Michelle Abney. She was also excellent, and also prepared us for Junior High, which I appreciate. Our principal, was Mr. Wenger, and he was such a nice guy too. We had it really good at Hawthorne, and I hope it is just as excellent as it was when I attended in the 1970's. It should be pretty obvious now, that I indeed do have a photographic memory. Thank you, Hawthorne School. I miss you. Btw, I am now 59 years old.

This place was truly amazing for our child. He is starting kindergarten this fall, and I feel…read moreconfident he is ready. The teachers truly care about their students and families. It is also wonderful to hear my son talk about Jesus and Bible stories every day. These teachers instill a love for Christ in each child. The kids leave becoming more respectful, caring, and ready for elementary school. The play area is also wonderful. Truly the best for preschool!