To all the kids who feel different. To the outcasts. To the kids who hate school and would rather…read morebe doing literally anything else: this review is for you. I was an elite member of CH-CH's boarding program a zillion years ago, so I feel qualified to tell all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Academics: Honestly? Pretty easy. Show up to class, remain conscious, do your homework, hand it in on time, and congratulations--you're probably getting an A. They did give students opportunities to explore their strengths, though, and I remember the teachers being pretty socially aware, which was genuinely cool. Extracurriculars: Drama counted as a team sport, which was fantastic for those of us who had absolutely no intention of becoming varsity athletes. You were required to either play a sport or do drama, so if you hated both...good luck! It looks like they offer more options now, which is probably for the best. Boarding: Not bad! The metal bunk beds were approximately as comfortable as sleeping in a shopping cart, and there is something inherently weird about your teachers seeing you in pajamas. But if home isn't your favorite place to be, boarding gives you somewhere else to exist for a while. Upperclassmen could do study hall in their rooms, and the weekend trips were worth taking advantage of. Social life: When I was there, the student body was basically extremely talented artists who smoked weed. The vibe was very chill. It seems like the culture has changed since then, but it's still high school, so obviously there are cliques and drama. And this school is SMALL. If you drop a pencil at 2:00, the entire student body will have developed a working theory about it by 2:15. So why two stars? Unfortunately, CH-CH was also the kind of place where you needed to be very careful about who you trusted. The culture blurred the line between teachers and students being friendly and teachers and students being friends, and those are not the same thing. Boundaries matter, especially when adults are working with teenagers. And please don't arrive expecting mental health treatment. Teachers are teachers, not therapists. Yet somehow, that did not always prevent people from offering opinions about students' mental health as though they were handing out extra-credit assignments. Also: staff gossip. My God. Sometimes I think the adults had more tea than the students did. And finally, the cafeteria. Avoid. There are enough challenges in adolescence without voluntarily adding that food to the list. Do I recommend CH-CH? Yes and no. For a kid who has always felt like the weird one, finding a school full of other weird, creative kids can do wonders for your self-esteem. There were parts of being there that I genuinely valued. Just remember: you're allowed to like your teachers without making them your friends.

This is an amazing and unique school. The school is very inclusive, my son has been incredibly…read moresupported, and he has transformed from an academically disengaged student to one who is happy, interested, and successful. The faculty and administration are caring and genuine. The student body are positive and create a warm, tightly knit community. I was on the fence about public vs private school and have two older kids who did well in our public system. For my youngest, this school has been a game changer and was one of my best parenting decisions.

I attended Fessenden class of '98. It was a different place then and my hope is that the rampant…read morephysical and sexual abuse that I encountered has come to an end. After 19 years of silence I finally reported the abuse to authorities. Based on my forensic interview the DA determined my statements were "highly credible." Unfortunately the case didn't go to trial. The school offered me 100k to shut up. Fessenden then released statements to the Boston Globe in favor of the sitting administrator having been "cleared" of my allegations. How can an administrator be cleared and reinstated following a SETTLEMENT?

i am a graduate of fessenden.the school wasgreat.the teachers were proffesional.i enjoyed the…read moreclasses and sports.was a very great time in my chjldhood.i wpuld recomend the school very much.

i got bullied here. i liked the place but the children where horrible. im now in middle school and…read moremoved away from this nonsense. mrs maza and mrs clark where my favorites. abby was my bully btw. i lwft in 3rd grade thankfully. im very disappointed that the school had done nothing even when my mom called everyone i. a meeting to address the situation. abby would kick and punch and yell and no one ever would expel or suspend her.

When my son turned 3 years in 2001 I didn't look to far mount alvernia academy was the only place…read morethat we felt comfortable to send him and to trust them with his education Long story shot we are so glad that we did he graduated 2 years ago and went to a very good high school and my daughter is graduating this year We will miss MAA Thank you for all the good memories

My kids have been attending summer camp at Belmont Day for the last few years. Their program is…read moreamazing. I really appreciate that they swim 2x/day (lesson in the morning, free swim in the afternoon). The counselors are awesome. The staff - led by Zach - is super well organized. They send you all the detailed info that you need to know including theme weeks, what to bring and what not to bring, etc. Pick up and drop off are easy. The facilities are nothing short of amazing - including a huge indoor "barn" which is really an AC space that has multiple bball courts downstairs and art/music upstairs. The camp groups are small so our kids have made good friends and have had a great experience here for multiple years and counting. Be sure to register as soon as registration opens up because spots fill up very fast!

Amazing school. Caring, sensitive, creative...lives up to its stated values and mission statement,…read morewhich is a rare find.

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.

Waldorf School of Lexington(WSL) is a wondeful play-based education where children learn soft…read moreskills, i.e. problem solving and team work, in addition to the hard skills. The supportive staff works to develop the individual child and creates a loving environment for children to thrive. Our family is very pleased with the educational experience our child has at WSL.

Our children went to the early childhood program at this school (nursery and kindergarten) and it…read morewas a wonderful experience. We moved to a different state, otherwise they would still be at this school. The teachers that our kids had were caring and warm; kids got to do a lot of free play with other children and work on their social skills that way; the program also involved a lot of movement and outdoor time, which is so important to young children. Even in the short few years that we were there, I could see how being at the school made our kids more creative and gave them great social skills. Our kids still miss their old school.

We moved to our neighborhood for this school, and it's been a wonderful experience for our kids…read more The PTO is wonderful and so energized.