I went to this middle school growing up and I come here to vote. And I have to say this year was…read morethe fastest easiest time to vote. The process was quick and easy.

I can't say enough great things about Chapel Forge. My child has been attending the program for a…read moreyear now and it's been a positive experience . When I drop my child off, I'm greeted by every staff member and they know my child by name including the principal. The staff engages me in his educational goals regularly and keeps me up to date on all changes to help meet these goals . Lastly, I love that even if my child shows up with a scratch at school, they call me. It might sound like a lot for some parents, but this reassures me that he's an environment that prioritizes safety and attentiveness to each individual child.

Darrell K... you can't judge a book by its cover, my friend! The aging facade is the least…read moreimportant part of this school, and I appreciate that they've spent more money on the fantastic staff and programming than on beautification of the vintage exterior. Chapel Forge is a school that provides early intervention services for children from infancy through age 4. Some children have IEPs (Individualized Education Program) that address mental, physical, and emotional challenges that would otherwise inhibit their success in school and at home. Among the staff are physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and other professionals and paraprofessionals who are all trained and ready to help children work with and hopefully overcome a vast spectrum challenges. I am a huge fan of their inclusive classrooms, of which my son is a part. This is where there are some special ed kids mixed in with mainstream kids. In my mind, this will be good preparation for mainstream kindergarten. My child's time here has been marked by a whirlwind of activity. His class has 4 staff members and 17 students, which is an incredible ratio of 4.25 students to each adult. A special education teacher is in the classroom to focus on IEP goals with children who have IEPs. The only hitch is that since a bus does pick up and drop off I don't get to directly ask his teachers daily, "How was today?" though I can email or call them to check on that. The staff is amazing. AMAZING! Everyone from the principal to the maintenance workers greet the students by their names. They engage the children. They know what the kids are working on, and engage them in those ways. Our time with Chapel Forge has been brief thus far, but I'm absolutely impressed. We're getting better help through this public school than we were able to get through an expensive private preschool last year, whose staff was NOT trained to handle kids that don't fit the mainstream mold. Nothing against them, but it highlights the quality of the services at Chapel Forge especially as a public school. It is a little bit of a bear to get into with the application process, testing, and formation of an IEP, but you just have to know that it's a months-long process and keep at it. I'm so glad we did.

As a parent of both an elementary and a middle school student, choosing the right school has never…read morefelt like a small decision. For a long time, I carried a constant question: Are my kids in the right place? Mandala School has given me peace of mind I didn't realize how much I was missing. What stands out most is that the school's values are not aspirational language on a website. They are visible every day in how students are supported as whole people. I genuinely feel like a partner in my children's education. The hands-on, project-based learning approach allows kids to lean into their individual strengths while learning how to collaborate and contribute to a team. My children are developing communication, leadership, organization, and problem-solving skills through meaningful work. I don't pretend to know exactly what world I'm preparing them for, but I'm confident these skills will matter in life and work. Most telling of all, my kids love going to school. They don't want to miss days or arrive late for appointments, and the usual requests for mental health days or skip for mysterious stomachaches have disappeared. They've built real friendships, discovered new interests, grown in confidence, and learned how to advocate for their own needs. No school is perfect, and when issues have come up, I've felt truly listened to as a parent. Just as importantly, my children have felt respected and included in the resolution process. We see Mandala School as a long-term partner in our children's growth, and our commitment to this community is mutual.

My son has been at the school for 5 years and is thriving!! The school not only has a strong…read moreacademic program but also looks at a child as a whole person.Through the practice of yoga and mindfulness they help the children develop their social emotional skills as well.

We LOVE this school for our child who is in 2nd grade. She has absolutely blossomed at the school…read morethanks to the wonderful teachers, small class sizes, and tons of attention to each child as an individual. My daughter is KNOW at FCS and that's given her an outsized sense of confidence. The school has systems in place to help each child be their best selves. Structure like having lower school classes in 1/2 and 3/4 classrooms gives the children a chance to take on leadership roles early. They rotate for phonics and math, giving them exposure to other teachers. Art, Science, PE, music and in aftercare instrument lessons, are all wonderful. My child needs extra help in phonics. We work closely with the lower school learning specialist, our homeroom teacher, the phonics support teacher, and our outside-of-the-school tutor. My daughter's teachers proactively coordinate on my daughter's behalf to help her. I'll often see e-mails between our tutor and the phonics learning specialist that I didn't ask for! They just care about my daughter and talk to each other to help her! There are some negative reviews on here. To those I'd say that no school is perfect for all children or all families. I would also say that the school is not set up to cater to kids with sever special education needs, or kids who are performing many grade levels above their age-group. The school focuses on the whole child and we've seen the positive impacts of that socially, emotionally, and academically for our child.

I wholeheartedly endorse the education and experience students receive at Friends Community School!…read moreOur daughter attends FCS and is in First Grade. We are very pleased with the education she is receiving as well as the support she receives from an emotional perspective. Even her spiritual desires are supported and we feel that is incredible. FCS is a school that feels like home and the staff do indeed feel like family. My husband and I are glad to drop her off for school each day knowing that we will come back to pick up a very happy and well-adjusted little girl. Attend an Open House and see for yourself!!

school isn't good they'll charge you money saying you owe it after a long time they'll make you pay…read morethem if not no diploma

My family is deeply disappointed with this daycare, its owners and staff. My son joined in…read moreSeptember 2025 and clearly it was a bad choice because we have had no peace since he joined. My son was at a previous childcare facility and we had to move him to this one for logistics reasons. However, he seemed to have a hard time settling into this daycare and the "owner" made it her personal responsibility to call me every single day to tell me how badly my child was behaving. we agreed to meet once about three weeks after he joned the center and we discussed ideas on how to help my son settle into the transition, i did everything i had to do and the school never reported back on what they had to do. We had a meeting scheduled for the following wednesday to discuss progress/concerns but instead the owner thought it was best to send me an email on saturday instead to tell me how she has decided to immediately terminate my son's enrollment, two months into the program. I'm sure everyone has a different experience but here is mine and i wont recommend this center to another family looking for childcare in the area.

My son goes to the school and he loves it! The administrate staff is amazing and his teachers are…read morefantastic. I'd highly recommend this school to anyone looking for quality education in the Bowie area!