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[quote=Anonymous]We are a part of the Sheridan family and have been for several years. We joke about "drinking the kool aid" but the truth is that the spiel they give the open house is the truth. They really do believe in creating a safe environment where children feel safe to take risks and they also take children seriously. It plays itself out in real action every day, and in every classroom at the school. That said, the kids do not run the show. The adults are definitely in charge, and every decision the teachers and administration makes is deliberate and well thought out for the best interest of the children.

And don't take all of the "touchy feely" stuff to mean that the academics are not rigorous. The children are well challenged and there is excellent differentiation to meet children where they are. I also like that the school is open minded enough to know that they need to stay abreast of research and continue to make improvements. There is talk of adding STEM and robotics in upper grades and opening up electives beyond just the arts (i.e. current strong emphasis on music).

Many of our grads do on to "prestigious" schools like NCS, GDS, Maret, and yes even holy Sidwell (lol). The Head of School works hard to prepare each individual student for the high school application process.

I personally loved when my son had three teachers for K. 
24 kids in a class, yes, but have you seen the K schedule? These kids are in transition regularly throughout the day, moving from class to class (often in half group sizes). Our son has come home every day since day one, excited about the environment, the other kids, the teachers and what he's learning.

The school, to us, is a hidden gem. Other cool things include a free morning program (drop your kids as early as 7:45 for no additional charge), an awesome after school program called Ex-Club, enrichment programs and free after school music lessons. They also serve a hot lunch everyday, the younger kids have older "buddies" in higher grades, the twice a year trips to mountain campus push kids to stretch themselves and the student run conferences encourage kids to take an active role in their own education.

Yes, the one drawback is that its small. Only 225 kids spread over K-8. So thats one class per grade. But the Head knows every single kid's name, and everyone, including administrators in the school, seems to know every kid's name. So if a friendly environment like that is important to you, then that could be a strength.

Re: diversity, we don't think it differs much from other independent schools. That said, this year's new K class appears to be one of the most diverse the school has every recruited. Thats just from me seeing the kids pictures posted and all the new faces in the mix. There is diversity at the teaching ranks as well in terms of age/gender/experience, and they certainly have some room to grow in the area of faulty of color (again, take a look at other independent schools, many have few teachers of color. Its a process people). The school has just hired a new Multicultural Affairs Director to work with the curriculum and teachers to ensure that the content is inclusive and representative of all peoples' experiences. Its really exciting.

To me, a dad of a son at this school, we could not be happier. And it also feels like the school is hitting its stride and is now in its best years ever. We're proud to be a part of the Sheridan family.  [/quote]

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