My son has been attending Desert Marigold School for the last 3 years. I cannot be happier. My son…read moreloves going to school each day and being on the gorgeous campus with loving and kind teachers, gardening, campus animals, woodworking, knitting and much more. He has been thriving! The community here is like no where else with community events, festivals, handwork for parents and many areas to volunteer and be part of the school. We love it!

We went to Desert Marigold school and was impressed by the school and the activities they had at…read morethe Spring Faire. It was such a fun time for all ages. The school had a wonderful setup and maps to help. Everyone was kind and respectful.

DGM is an absolutely amazing school. I will be honest…read moreenrollment felt challenging I think our application got lost in the sauce BUT once we were in, I couldn't be more grateful for the experience we have had. Every parent wants that school that feels like home, like their child is valued and seen, and where they are respected as parents - that's this school. My son (now 5) has a lot of energy, and a speech delay. The prior Montessori school he was at labeled him as "too much" and told me he needed to be in a "dedicated special education program". We got to DGM with Ms. Tessa (Primary), and wow she's an absolute unicorn of a teacher! She teaches emotional regulation in her classroom, her room full of 26 kids listen to her with ease. My son is so loved in her class and he has grown so much (in just 1 school year)! She's not a special education teacher she just knows how to teach with mindfulness, care, and the utmost attention. I wish all families could experience a school like DGM and a teacher like Ms.Tessa. Even the teaching assistants & school staff are so loving & kind. If your family is interested I 20/10 recommend. If money is holding you back, speak to the school about scholarships and aid, the school Director is amazing, she will make time to talk to your family personally. Coming to DGM was a life changing move for our family. I'm forever grateful! Excited for many more years at DGM!

Under no circumstance take your children to this school. I repeat-- DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO…read moreTHIS SCHOOL. My daughter was physically abused by her assistant teacher in this private school "Desert Garden Montessori." It was during lunch time that my daughter was feeding water to her best friend. Mrs. Kristen, the assistant teacher, sees her goes over to her, pulls her hard by her arm and places her close to her face and says "Stop doing that she's not a baby." Leaving her finger marks under my daughter's arm from how hard she had pulled her. The school told me two different stories and none of them matched. The director and owner Shetal did absolutely nothing to protect other children and their safety as Kristen was never suspended or under any formal investigation. SHE IS STILL WORKING THERE. The director didn't even bother to look at the pictures during the first meeting with her and when she finally saw them by email she responded to me that they looked faded. Two weeks after they finally looked at the outside cameras because I asked for that, and found nothing other than Amy daughter just playing. Also, two weeks after other employees such as the social worker and HR were aware of what had happened. TWO WEEKS AFTER. And that was because I spoked to them. The pictures speak for themselves and my daughter's story does too. My daughter was so afraid and so blocked from what had happened as at home we don't do any physical damage. When I asked her why she didn't tell me some details sooner she responded: "Mom I didn't want Mrs. Kristen to be mad again." This is insane. This lady was cleaning tables when she saw my daughter giving water to her friend she proceeded to remove one of her gloves and pulled and grabbed my daughter so hard that she left her fingers marked on her skin. "It hurt mom. It hurt a lot and all I wanted was mom and dad." I'm disgusted by this situation and as a mother, this was definitely one of the hardest things I had ever gone through. The least thing a school should provide is safety and this school cannot even give you that. The Chief Investigator of the State Board of education was disgusted by this situation and in disbelief at the way this was handled by the director Shetal. I quote "These marks are severe and that woman who did them knew exactly what she was doing. Someone with this temperament cannot and should not be around children" Please keep your children safe and do not send them to this school who will never care for you as a parent or even as a human being.

This is the best school I have ever been to,all the teachers are really nice and friendly, but I…read moregot to say my favorite teacher was Mr.Smith, I mean he was really funny and he was a fun teacher to have.i really recommend this school to everyone.

Even though we live just barely in Mesa we drive our children to school because we are so impressed…read morewith the school. The school has uniforms which we absolutely love as well as a high dress standard which I think helps the kids many of which come from rough backgrounds feel good about themselves. The pace program which is set up for kids that are exceptional learners is another reason why this school is the place for our children to attend. We have gotten to know the teachers and principal personally and we feel lucky that we have such gifted professional teachers working with our children. The atmosphere and ideals that are being taught along with the push for students to be responsible for their own progression as well as beginning from Kindergarten through 5 grade to encourage the kids to get ready and excited about going to college is a unique concept.

This school is good and all but I am a student from this school and I got two referrals for what so…read morereason saying that I was the one that that was wrestling with my friend but this is what actually happen I was going to talk with my friend and someone bumped into me and I bumped into my friend and we both fell down and the teacher blame me for accidentally bumping into my friend and she don't even know what happen and she told us to go in the hallway me and my friend and when it was the end of the day I got a referral for something I didn't mean to and the kids who saw it could agree and after all that we were about to leave when I ask Ms.dellbridge she said I was the one that did all of that stuff then she gave me another referral because she thinks I am lying when I am not. This school sucks even the school policy's are soo bad. R

Paideia academy sucks because they yell at kids and they are mean and the food sucks there was mold…read morein the lasagna and my kid came home crying because I 5th grade teacher yelled at him for know reason and he said that the teachers name was Mr chambers.And because the school lunch isn't even safe to eat some kid had to go to the hospital because of the food

As a parent of a current student, I wanted to share our honest experience because school choice is…read moresuch a deeply personal decision. Before enrolling at this school, our son attended a public charter school where he experienced severe bullying and struggled daily in overcrowded classrooms. He would come home emotionally defeated and anxious. Making the decision to switch to this private school was truly life-changing for our child. The difference has been night and day. Our son is now happy, confident, and feels safe at school again. His mental health, emotional well-being, and overall outlook have improved in ways we honestly hoped for but weren't sure were possible. I also want to note that we drive 30 minutes each way because of the positive environment and support our son receives here. In our experience, the school has been welcoming, attentive, and focused on the students' well-being. The administration and staff have been supportive, communicative, and genuinely invested in creating a safe and nurturing learning environment. For our family, choosing this school has been one of the best decisions we have made for our child's safety, confidence, and overall happiness.

We currently have kids at Summit in both the elementary and middle school, and I can honestly say…read moreit's been one of the best decisions we've made for our family. When we were school hunting, one of our biggest non-negotiables were class size and teacher engagement and Summit delivers on both. The classrooms are thoughtfully set up for different learning styles, and the teachers truly know how to meet kids where they are. If a student isn't fully understanding an assignment the teachers work hard to offer solutions. There's individual support, check-ins, and a lot of patience. At the same time, if a child is ready for more of a challenge, the teachers are quick to extend their learning. For example, my child is currently receiving accelerated math assignments to keep her moving forward. One of the things that impressed me most is how many staff members actually know my kids (and me!) personally. Not just their core teachers, but many adults on campus know them by name, stop to talk to them, and seem invested in who they are. The culture at Summit feels collaborative instead of competitive. Kindness is modeled (PEAK to Achieve), different cultures are celebrated, and you can really tell the kids are genuinely happy to be there. It's the kind of environment where kids can grow socially and academically without feeling like they have to "fit in." Both of my children were anxious about starting at a new school, and they were welcomed with open arms. Academically, I appreciate Summit's philosophy...it's not just what they teach, it's how they teach. Critical thinking is encouraged, homework is intentional (not pages of busywork), and there are plenty of enrichment opportunities for kids to explore beyond the standard curriculum. Honestly, all you have to do is take a tour with Kyle to see the joy and magic that's happening on campus on any given day. Social-emotional learning is also a real priority. Like any school, kids will have conflicts sometimes, but what I've seen at Summit is that teachers step in and help facilitate productive, positive resolutions. They're teaching skills that will be useful far beyond elementary and middle school. We recently had a situation like this, and my daughter's teacher worked with the children directly and then followed up with an email to explain what happened and how it was addressed. That level of communication and care means a lot. And the extracurriculars? There are so many options. From no-cut sports to an award winning robotics club, kids have plenty of opportunities to try new things after school and maybe even find their passion. My daughters are both involved in sports and have had the best time. It's not only about winning championships (though Summit does that well too) but it's also about learning teamwork, leadership, and how to show up for others. I also wanted to extend a special thank you to the Head of School, Mr. Wald. My kids absolutely adore him. He's kind, engaging, and makes school fun and welcoming in a way that really matters. If you peek into his office, you'll likely see kids hanging out with him! He's also brought exciting programs to the school, and a few favorites have been Walks With Wald and the Teacher Internship Program. His level of dedication to the school is admirable. One last big thing to note: we commute 30 minutes each way to Summit. While I do sometimes wish we lived closer, I'd drive an hour each way if I had to. My kids don't ever want to miss school and that says everything.

Both of my children attended school at Awakening Seed School. Though they are now older and have…read moremoved on in their lives, it is readily apparent that what they learned at the school has stayed with them. The Seed helped them learn how to engage with others from a variety of backgrounds, believe in themselves, and be actively involved in our community. Both my husband and I feel very fortunate to have found Awakening Seed for our kids. It is truly a special place.

The Awakening Seed is an outstanding school with an experience unlike any other school out there…read more This school allows the children to experience things that have gone away at other schools. Show and tell with real animals, the ability to plan and get dirty at playground time and so many other experiences that are unheard of now. The teachers really care about the students and it's more of a huge learning family than a school.

This school enables bully's, I've had my children in this school from kindergarten to 6th grade…read more Only teacher I have loved is Mrs. Coble in 1st grade (you can see through her teaching and her actions that she loves her job and takes pride in it). Other wise, the teachers don't support your children in there specific needs, they definitely play favorites in treating some children better than others. My 4th grader (female) was threatened with sexu@l @ssault by another 4th grade (male) and he was with-held some recess but never switched out of my child's class or held accountable otherwise!.. My neighbor that just moved in had her daughter in the school for 3 days and from the 1st day there was a group of girls bullying her, nothing was done. So she switched her back to her prior school! Keep your children out if this school.

We have 2 boys currently in Entz Elementary and we love it here! It's been rated as "A" by Arizona…read moreas well. By boys made amazing progress here. A precious review said it's set up as a prison but I don't find that to be true at all. It's built with multiple building and fencing around the perimeter to keep the kids safe...and this day in age that's a big plus!! Dr Reid is the school principal and my boys love him. He takes the drop off and pick up zone pretty serious- so follow the rules and directions for that area or you'll find him tapping your window glass ha ha! Mr. Trout and Mr. Todd are awesome and my kids really look forward to fist bumping or high "fiveing" them every chance they get. We had a great experience with Mrs Woods, Mrs McDonald and Mrs Cirqua. Mrs Greer is new so I think I would cut her some slack but I feel like she shouldn't be teaching kindergarten-she doesn't have the patience or endurance for that age and needs an older classroom level. We're looking forward to many more years at Entz!

I have had 6 kids there over the years and the school has really gone downhill recently…read more Leadership cannot keep things straight, then invent new policies and apply them here and there but no constancy and a huge lack of communication. The students are the ones losing out due to them shifting to be a very punitive type of campus. They have taken retaliatory actions against my children for me pointing out their hypocrisy and sadly the kids are only there because they want to be there whereases before I loved and supported the school and wanted them there, now i dont but they want to be there, so im trying to put up with it but many parents i talk to are disappointed with them as well, and new parents should be warned. They cut dozens of good teachers due to loss of students, but they seem to want to push more out!!!

The bullying was out of hand here. If you are not a large contributor to the school, your child is…read moretreated poorly. We witnessed this with several kiddos.