Milton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its heavy on Judaism. Not as inclusive as we hoped

There is daily tefillah in the mornings. Children also attend Hebrew class and Judaic Studies. As well, one of the specials students have is Israeli dance. The school is very up front about its curriculum, and families can get a good sense of it during tours and visits.

One of the things that’s interesting to me is that some families don’t prioritize or like the emphasis on Jewish education. Their kids might complain about tefillah or Israeli dance, and the parents are more apt to schedule out-of-school appointments during those times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its heavy on Judaism. Not as inclusive as we hoped

There is daily tefillah in the mornings. Children also attend Hebrew class and Judaic Studies. As well, one of the specials students have is Israeli dance. The school is very up front about its curriculum, and families can get a good sense of it during tours and visits.

One of the things that’s interesting to me is that some families don’t prioritize or like the emphasis on Jewish education. Their kids might complain about tefillah or Israeli dance, and the parents are more apt to schedule out-of-school appointments during those times.

If a child has to miss something, prioritizing an academic class over Israeli dance makes sense, even for people who like an emphasis on Jewish education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had 1 kid there who did well and this is my take: Milton is a warm private school where teachers know all the kids but it caters best to kids who are already succeeding. If your child is not a strong student, or struggles with anxiety, ADHD, or similar things, then it is probably not the right school. A fair number of people I know end up removing their kids. There also have been issues with bullying in upper grades that weren't handled well.

IME, Milton has a lot of supports in place for kids who need extra help. They have far more learning specialists and counselors than most comparably sized schools, and they use those specialists for both push-in and pull-out support. Milton also facilitates outside service providers, like SLPs and tutors, meeting with students during the day. Through their use of student success plans (an IEP-like document), they are more responsive and accountable to families than most private schools.

I will say that the students complete a lot of essays as well as individual and group projects. I can see how some children with high executive function needs or difficulty with social interaction might find it challenging to learn this way. However, there is no way that any school’s curriculum will be the best fit for everyone all the time.

The administration and faculty really do prioritize inclusion. I’ve had contact with other local private schools, and they tend to take a much more sink-or-swim approach to helping kids with learning differences. They also have fewer resources dedicated to student support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had 1 kid there who did well and this is my take: Milton is a warm private school where teachers know all the kids but it caters best to kids who are already succeeding. If your child is not a strong student, or struggles with anxiety, ADHD, or similar things, then it is probably not the right school. A fair number of people I know end up removing their kids. There also have been issues with bullying in upper grades that weren't handled well.

IME, Milton has a lot of supports in place for kids who need extra help. They have far more learning specialists and counselors than most comparably sized schools, and they use those specialists for both push-in and pull-out support. Milton also facilitates outside service providers, like SLPs and tutors, meeting with students during the day. Through their use of student success plans (an IEP-like document), they are more responsive and accountable to families than most private schools.

I will say that the students complete a lot of essays as well as individual and group projects. I can see how some children with high executive function needs or difficulty with social interaction might find it challenging to learn this way. However, there is no way that any school’s curriculum will be the best fit for everyone all the time.

The administration and faculty really do prioritize inclusion. I’ve had contact with other local private schools, and they tend to take a much more sink-or-swim approach to helping kids with learning differences. They also have fewer resources dedicated to student support.

BS. Milton’s inclusion is poor. Your kid needs speech, ok. Your kid has an IEP or G-d forbid a diagnosis- take a hike.

[Anonymous]

We have found Milton to be inclusive, balanced, and academically challenging (in a good way). We have 3 children, all very different, and with some challenges (ADHD and some other issues). The school has been supportive and willing to work with us to navigate these challenges and ensure their success. Not perfect for everyone, but if no major learning or behavioral challenges, it is an amazing place. We experienced some social challenges for one of the children early on, but the school helped our child work through it and he is in a great place now.

The academics at Milton are more rigorous than what we experienced in our several years public school, and we love the emphasis on experiential learning and critical thinking. The teachers and administrators are phenomenal and care deeply about the kids.

The school is warm and there is so much joy in the building. The parent community is amazing too. We have felt incredibly welcome and very blessed to have found this place and made the move!