I'm currently a senior at CSW, and I have been here for all of my four years of high school. With…read morethat being said, I can confidently say that choosing CSW was the right choice for me. I am a first generation woman of color, and I grew up in a small town in Texas. Boarding at CSW was a very dramatic change for me, but it has also given me opportunities that I would have never imagined experiencing. I have had nothing but the most supportive and passionate teachers who are completely dedicated to my success. I have been given opportunities to travel and experience the world alongside my peers, and those memories are something that come once in a lifetime. I have made lifelong friends, and I watched our community grow alongside me. CSW has some of the most welcoming and passionate students, and that's because of the staff and faculty that mentor us.

I like it. The teachers and faculty are very kind and the majority have been very proficient in…read morewhat they teach and CSW is a school constantly trying to be better.

My child attended school here for their Transitional Kindergarten program (i.e. a third year of…read morepreschool if your child misses the cut-off date for that year) and it was a very good experience for my family. The "cooperative" part of the name indicates that each parent spends some time as a teaching assistant. I wasn't sure if I would like this, however the time commitment is minimal (3 hours a semester) and I learned a lot. The teachers and program are excellent and the school truly does foster a sense of community among its members. The T-K program is more structured than the preschool but it's supposed to be and I did not feel that the children were being pressured. It's a 'traditional' pre-school schedule in that it's about 4 hours a day but you can also do after-care for another couple of hours (or maybe more now). It's very flexible and as said everyone seems truly nice. If the location and schedule work for you, I would definitely advise exploring this program and recommend it highly.

My son went to the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program at Bowen. It really prepared him for…read moreKindergarten. TK is quite different than just another year of preschool. It has the structure and the start of a focus on academics found in Kindergarten but in a warm, nurturing environment with a student:teacher ratio of 7:1. The Bowen community was very welcoming as well.

We have been fortunate enough to have our son at Needham Montessori since he was 15 months old (he…read moreis now 2.4). He can't wait to get there each day and engage with his excellent teachers and friends. We have noticed a big difference since he started there with his independence and helpfulness around the house. He helps set/clean the table, feed the dog and empty the dishwasher, all without prompting! He also makes sure each plaything gets put away before he takes the next thing out. We feel he is so cared for and loved and he is thriving!

Needham Montessori has become a part of our family. We are so fortunate to have found a place with…read moreteachers that are so caring, loving and nurturing. Our son has absolute thrived here. He has blossomed over the past year into a bright, happy, social and confident kiddo. We are absolutely thrilled with his progress. The teachers foster his interests and encourage his independence. My husband and I also have a totally open line of communication with the directors and teachers. This is so important to us! The directors Christine and Allen are 2 of the nicest people you will ever meet. We love Needham Montessori!

My sister and I have both recently graduated college. We are quite similar but have had very…read moredifferent academic experiences in both high school and college. I went to public school and she went to Shady Hill, and I attribute much of her success to how Shady Hill prepared her. She digs deep into topics, connects the dots, thinks holistically, and has an appreciation for the interplay of culture, history, and geography. These are all things she tells me are at the core of a Shady Hill education. She also says the confidence she feels to voice her opinions and advocate for herself were nurtured at Shady Hill. I love my sister and want to thank Shady Hill for giving her the opportunity to fully realize the person she is.

We visited SH and loved the campus and the teachers we met. We liked everything about the program…read more(our kids were K and 1) until we heard that the school does not teach foreign languages until grade 7 or 8 (I don't remember which) because the person showing us around said 'we think kids can learn just as well later when they can read and write'. My specialty is bilingualism/multilingualism (20+ years research and teaching) and my jaw hit the ground. I thought I'd heard wrong but I hadn't. This is complete nonsense. Kids learn a second language much better when they are very young, and certainly none of us knew how to read and write when we learned our mother tongue. Years of research by myself and others backs up my assertion and it's just not true what SHS says about languages. Kids who "learn" later are unlikely to have a native accent and unlikely to be as fluent. They may still be very good but there is NO valid reason (if you want to teach a language) to miss out on the first important years when kids learn so well. I assume the parents aren't that interested in their kids learning foreign languages and that's why the school made this decision, but for us it was a deal breaker. I am still baffled by this, and having met some older SH grads (now in high school elsewhere) I can confirm they are nowhere near the language learning level of kids who start in K or grade 1. SH is a wonderful school but they are in just plain wrong about this particular thing.

We're so impressed and grateful for The Gardner School of Dedham! From the moment we enrolled our…read moretwo sons, we've been blown away by the warmth, professionalism, and genuine care from everyone there. The communication is excellent, the building is spotless and beautifully designed, and our sons truly love going every single day. Their teachers are incredible (shoutout to Mr. Levi, Ms. Jess and Ms. Bethany) so patient, nurturing, and clearly passionate about what they do. We couldn't be happier with our experience and feel so lucky to have found such an amazing school community.

Hills and Falls is such a wonderful community. The teachers are absolutely amazing -- they care so…read moredeeply about each child and go above and beyond to make sure every student feels supported, loved, and inspired. You can tell how much thought and heart they put into everything they do. Our daughter, who's now in elementary school, still loves visiting and picking up her younger brother because she's so excited to see her old teachers. That says it all! The lasting connections and joy that come from Hills and Falls are something truly special. We feel so lucky to be part of this incredible school family.

Hills and Falls is a hidden gem of a preschool with such a loving and wonderful staff and welcoming…read morecommunity

Both of my kiddos LOVE Kindercare! I have both of my children (7 months and 2.5 years) at…read moreKindercare, and we have loved our time here! The teachers and staff are kind, thoughtful and smart. They work with the families to create an inclusive, safe, and creative environment for children to learn at their own speed while discovering new and exciting things! My family has been very happy with the curriculum, potty training, as well as the arts and crafts. My son learned how to ride a bike at school!!! Shout out to all of the teachers that make my children's daily experience fun and loving!!!!

In the fall, we enrolled our son in KinderCare, and the experience has been wonderful, especially…read moreconsidering his special needs. The director and staff have been welcoming, accommodating, and caring, going above and beyond to ensure his seamless transition into the program. The teachers deliver the curriculum, organizing engaging crafts and activities and he comes home so excited to show me what he did at school. Our son has not only improved his language skills but has also become more adept at expressing his feelings. We are truly grateful for all the effort and dedication KinderCare put into making a positive impact on the children!

Our toddler started at SolBe on day one of the school opening. We had very high hopes after our…read moreinterview, despite the cost being much higher than the alternatives. For the added expense, we were promised minute by minute updates, a two-to-one ratio of teachers to students, and a focus on education that could be overlooked elsewhere. Unfortunately, despite an excellent experience with the Director and our son's first teacher, a significant change was made after a few months. The Director, along with many more staff members, were replaced, and the focus seemed to shift notably towards higher profits and cost cutting measures. Our son was moved into a much larger room where there were often two teachers for eight babies, even after they showed up late. The stress put on the staff still making an effort meant that the "minute-by-minute" updates through the app were ignored until the afternoon when they played catch up while all the kids were napping. Often, we wouldn't find out if our son had eaten or had a diaper change until hours after he'd been picked up. The high ratio also contributed to clothes being lost or ruined with art materials unsuitable for infants, diaper changes being skipped, brusies and scrapes, and a near weekly changeover of staff who were clearly frustrated with the experience as well. Our son's class shared a changing room with another, and it was very common to hear the teachers there, unaware they were being observed, repeatedly screaming at the toddlers "everyone come here" and "be quiet". Another thing for prospective families to consider is that SolBe considers themselves a school first and a daycare second. On the average month, SolBe closes around three working days for holidays, conferences, and "teacher enrichment", meaning that working parents will suddenly have a child to account for (not even to mention the frequency that they contact you and ask you to bring your child home early because they "seem like they're not feeling so well', with no other symptoms than a low fever and a lack of energy; a very common experience for young kids). Obviously, the monthly cost is the same regardless of how many days they actually care for your child. Ultimately, we found another center that is offering 5 nine-hour days a week for the same price that SolBe was charging for 3 seven-hour visits. The new school doesn't have a fancy app or gourmet lunches, but we feel our child is a lot more than just an income source in their eyes, and we're much happier. (FYI- This review refers to the new location on Sherman Road, which doesn't have its own listing as of this date.)

Our family is extremely fortunate and blessed that our son's first social experience was at Solbe…read more He started school when he was just one year old, and was greeted with unparalleled love every day by his class teacher, all the other teachers, the director, and the chef. Now, he runs out the door and into his classroom. This 2 years old ability to love others and accept himself is on full display not only at Solbe, but also at the park, the supermarket, and on trips, where he greets everyone with a smile and a "Hello!" As parents, I am most grateful for : Solbe's nutrition system, the best in the US. Three meals a day, chefs prepare fresh, nutritious, and varied menus, allowing our young children to experience a wide variety of foods and get the most nutrition. So I can forgive myself when I serve him just chicken nuggets at dinner :) Furthermore, from such a young age, the teachers provide new art experiences every day. My son loves drawing, talking, singing, dancing, and running around--all of these activities are spontaneous and active. Thanks to Solbe, his brain, mind, and motor skills have developed remarkably, and most importantly, he seems very happy. So I can forgive myself when I let him watch TV before dinner time :) I am grateful to the teachers and staff who provide the world's best early education, nutrition, with a big love spirit and we truly appreciate their professionalism.