PHS is a lovely Waldorf school with caring teachers, small classes, and a wonderful community…read morecommitted to supporting the whole child. My kids are both thriving after having been home with me for a year and a half during the pandemic and a big move upstate. PHS has helped them adjust more than I could've hoped. We are very grateful for this experience.

PHS is a wonder filled environment for children to blossom. Their Waldorf inspired learning…read moresupports the whole child, mind, body, and soul. They learn through immersion with their specials teachers guiding the children in the same way. Our children spend most of their days in school, so it is important they are able to connect with Nature during this time and at PHS they surely do. Their farm and garden staff is fantastic and children learn compassion and responsibility, while strengthening their will power, through caring for their beloved farm animals. Their verses teach them reverence. Bird counting encourages observation. Planting seeds, growing flowers, and food shows them how to care for themselves and the Earth. All learning is age appropriate and really looks at where children are developmentally and how they can be fully nourished, body, soul, and spirit. My son is currently in first grade and has truly found happiness here. Everyday he wakes up dawn's first light, dresses himself, and is eager to go to school. When I ask him if there was anything not so great about his day, he replies "No, the whole day was GREAT!" We have had superb communication with his teacher and the whole faculty. Our son is truly seen and cared for individually in this beautiful, nurturing community.

I am writing up a follow up review after being at Middle Way School from K-6 and now my daughter…read morehas just transitioned to public junior high school and I can very highly continue to recommend the Middle Way School!! Our daughter's transition to public school has been very easy, she is ahead of many of her peers academically , which has been proof to us that Middle Way ,as well as giving her a wonderful love of learning and social- emotional skills also did a great job preparing her academically! Our years at the Middle Way School were wonderful..they hire excellent teachers and the culture of the school fosters independance, mindfulness and compassion in the kids and our daughter has benefited enormously from having her primary education there. She has a love of learning that I dont think she would have had if we had been in a public school setting for elementary school. I have witnessed how critical the early educational years are to fostering curiosity and fun in learning and Middle Way was excellent for that. We also loved how much outdoor time they get as young children which is so important! We highly recommend Middle Way to families, it was a wonderfully inclusive and educational space for our daughter to flourish and with that great foundation she seems to be set up well to continue her educational journey.

Our experience at Middle Way School has been very positive. This is our second year and our…read moredaughter is in first grade. MWS's approach is a very nice balance of academics and experiential learning. The children are given lots of outdoor time as well as a complete afternoon outdoor program where they learn wilderness skills, gardening and play with their peers. The teachers are phenomenal and the academic curriculum is structured to meet children where they are as they can move between class rooms and are not stuck in one grade, the school hires wonderful staff. Our one concern going in to the school is that although we are spiritual people we do not consider ourselves "religious" and we wondered about how Buddhism would be represented in the school. So far we are very happy with the Buddhist philosophy and tenants that are foundational to learning at the school and that their has been little in the way of religious doctrine. We feel that our whole family is benefiting from the tools and wisdom my daughter is surrounded by at the school and this also radiates out on the campus of the school that is very sweet and compassionate in it's atmosphere. We are very grateful that Middle Way School has fostered in our daughter a very positive relationship to learning early on. She loves it and that happiness translates back to our home!

Mill Road Elementary School, a symbol of early childhood in this small town, seems to be in a state…read moreof continual change and progress. Whether that progress is forwards(with it's ever positive music department) or it's teachers who most seem to have brought along with them a love of the subjects they teach at these early age group-kids, it all seems to come to fruition here. Not only that, but with a gradual shift to the technological nature of most educational systems in the US, this school, even in the child's young agehood, the child starts to learn the basics and intermediate levels of technology here too. I know I graduated Red Hook Central Schools in 2002, but some of the teachers I had back then, are still here when my brothers' graduated this school in 2009. There were some teachers that were very influential in my life that continue to make an impact on every child who receives the "training" from them. Although they all try to make a positive influence(so as not to exclude teachers that neither them nor I had not met), just a small group of teachers can mean a lifetime of memories. From the ever excellent Mr. Schubert(who is as devoted to the school to spend his day from 6:15AM till 7pm most weekdays and who raises a venus fly-trap plant in his room to the Mrs. Longendyke to lots of others, they all mean to this community, a lot! They brought us all up, and continue to be a generosity to our community. It's interesting to note though that this school is actually 2 parts in one. It has an elementary school in one half the school(which grades Kindergarten through second attend) and an intermediate school connected right on(which houses grades three through five), and, starting with the 2011-2012 school year the business department in the one end of the school(which still uses their former address in a separate building south of town). The school itself has undergone several renovations. It's gotten a new roof, but that's just a small tad information of what is expected of them to achieve in the upcoming years. And before I sign-off for today, I'd like to mention that Red Hook has always had a superb over the top music program, with well-talented teachers who care about their students. Although some may act a bit weird (like the one in the middle school-http://www.yelp.com/biz/linden-avenue-middle-school-red-hook#hrid:hnrYM80Dmis0KGd7sqNtRA) she cares just as much as every other teacher (in some way shape or form). I have been watching my previous performances and watching my brothers and it seems that Red Hook picks harder music pieces to perform, than the school level should have waited for. Pieces that were designed for high school chorus' and bands, were played in middle school, pieces in middle school were played in elementary school, and early college-level pieces were performed in the high-school.

Might be slightly biased, but Proctor High School offers so many opportunities to the students free…read moreof charge. Though Proctor gets a bad reputation because of a small population of students who are extremely challenging, the majority of the students there are charismatic and bright. The faculty is really exceptional, meeting incredible demands by the state, administration, and daily interaction with students from both poverty and affluence. The diversity is really a gift, with many students teaching others of tolerance and open-mindedness that they would never get to experience in another district. Though it is a large school (and really should be two schools) it's peaceful most of the time. Test scores are improving and great things happen there each day.

What a fantastic school! It is a joyful and nurturing place and such a gift for our family!…read more My son began as a PreK student and is now in Kindergarten. At the young age of 5, he has an independent spirit and it's been instilled in him that his opinion and voice matters. He is kind, considerate, and sensitive, and he is taught that those are values to celebrate. Each day, he is encouraged to be playful and creative, indoors and out, especially in the snow! He comes home exhausted from adventures in the fairy woods, or releasing tadpoles into the pond or sending butterflies he raised to Mexico, or building a plane and flying it to Africa. He is learning math and writing and reading, but it's so joyful and instills such pride, that it doesn't feel like work. One day, I was home sick and suggested he stay home and watch movies, but he said, "Mama, we are learning numbers 7 and 8 today, and a new poem, and I don't want to miss that!" Between the Spanish and French lessons, the intro to musical instruments and sign language and poetry and yoga and skiing and ceramics and book making and wood working and on and on, he is bursting with a love of learning. And not only does BCD know and value my son, but I feel as a family, we have been welcomed and engaged by a warm group of parents from all backgrounds. Berkshire Country Day School is one of the best decisions we ever made and if you are considering it, I say, YES, do it!

Berkshire Country Day School has been fundamentally transformative for our son. He started there…read moreat the end of 5th grade, and is now in 8th. I have such overwhelmingly positive things to say about his time there, that I barely know where to start. Many schools say they treat every student as an individual, and work to ensure each individual is known, understood and given what they specifically need to grow and fulfill their potential, but BCD actually truly does that. My son has grown in a way I hoped he would, that I knew he was capable of, because BCD allowed him to. His time there has been, and continues to be, utterly inspiring and fulfilling, and he is so, so happy. He loves school! The academics are really strong and challenging, but at the same time engaging and fun. The school is not at all preppy in the way I understand that word, and is definitely what I would call progressive. The relationship between teachers and students is one of mutual respect and teachers are part of their "team", on their side and always there for them. This relationship doesn't challenge the teachers position of authority, but interestingly seems to reinforce it in a meaningful way. Every teacher he has had there has been exceptional, approachable and welcoming, and he has loved, respected and relished learning from every one of them. He is now an amazing young man who LOVES learning. He is confident and kind and caring - everything that I knew was within him, and that has been nurtured and allowed to flourish at BCD. We were awarded financial aid, as many applicants are. Don't assume you can't afford it. We are by far what you might consider the private school profile, and without the financial aid we couldn't have given our son what I consider to be the best gift we could ever give. It has still been a struggle financially, but achievable and the struggle has already paid back in so many ways. Pay for this, and college will take care of itself!

Vassar road is one of the best schools. they don't have scary teachers. Almost all the teachers are…read morenice mrs.Newman is a kindergarten teacher she is very very nice mr.Nikola is a first grade teacher. he is the best first grade teacher. mrs.licari is the best second grade teacher. she plans very fun things.-Ivan -2nd grade student 2018

An excellent school for your child to attend. The teachers are kind, compassionate and loving. They…read moreemphasize to their students not only a great education, but teach them kindness, compassion, good sportsmanship and living a life of service. Every year, the students and teachers put on a Thanksgiving show and serve a wonderful Thanksgiving luncheon to local seniors. Their principal last year retired (a great man!) to be replaced by a young woman principal serving as a new principal since September 2022, and she's doing a great job!

I had concerns my son wasn't reading at grade level. I was dismissed at his conferences and told he…read morewas doing fine. We decided to pull our children from the school after we felt our concerns were being dismissed. Day one at his public school he was identified as a child who needed immediate academic intervention. After 2 months of reading support his teacher told us he was never taught how to read correctly. Never taught how to decode words. I am so upset I didn't trust my gut instant and fight harder for my son. Instead he spent many days looked over because he's a good student and the attention was spent on the kids whose parents intervene daily at pick up or drop off or the students who had break downs daily. My other child was leaning math 2 years above his grade level. When I questioned this, I was dismissed. He was graded on a "curve" and never earned below a 90 to keep parents happy. He spent 2 years retaining nothing in math and never learning the skills needed in middle school. He quickly learned in his new school that teachers do not grade on a curve to keep parents happy. The grade he earned is the grade he received. He was also subjected to a student who would disrupt class daily and because the student's mother paid full tuition he was never dealt with and his behaviors disrupted the education for many students. Hearing that my son was never taught the skills to successfully learn how to read is sad. But I'm glad we have moved on and his current school is helping him. Think twice before you invest money into this education.

From the owner: Saint Gregory's School offers independent, private education to boys & girls of all faiths who make…read moretheir home in New York's Capital Region. We provide children in Pre-School through 8th grade an elite level education to prepare them for their future. Our school is located on 22 open acres in Loudonville, a suburb of Albany, New York.