Testimonials
Parents of former and current students:
“We’ve been delighted with the warm and caring atmosphere at The Magnolia School. I think our kids have also really benefited from the theme-based curriculum. I would have loved it as a student. There are very few worksheets! For an alternative school that puts a large emphasis on social development (which is important to me) they have an ambitious academic program.”
“Although all kinds of kids seem to do well at Magnolia, it's an exceptionally good place for gifted children. The lack of grades keeps kids working hard, since they are challenged to do their best, not just an A. Multi-age classes make it easy to place children in the right math or reading group, regardless of their chronological age. And the theme-based instruction encourages kids to make connections and think critically about what they're learning.”
“My kids loved the freedom to learn at their own pace and be physically active both in learning and outdoor play. How many schools have kids beg to stay for after school? The teachers, students, and parents were an extended family for all of us. Even years after we have been at the school, if something bad happens to someone in the Magnolia School Family, the ‘extended family’ will be there with loving support.”
“Our children attended The Magnolia School from kindergarten through 8th grade – 9 years. They are now very successful in high school, having easily transitioned and making As in honors and AP classes. I am very impressed in the education they received at The Magnolia School. The level of discussion at this school far surpasses any you would encounter in a public school.”
“We chose The Magnolia School for our children because our gifted daughter was bored in school and frustrated with the volume of busy work. In the first grade, she told me she thought school was supposed to be about learning. ‘It is,’ I said. Her reply? ‘No it’s not; it’s all about worksheets!’ And she was right! This is why my kids are at Magnolia School, where they are encouraged to ask questions and think critically.”
"It is hard to pick just a few memorable parts of our Magnolia experience. I think overall the warm atmosphere, home-like feeling, probably enhanced by the number of teachers our kids had from kindergarten all the way through 8th grade. This continuity really did create a second home where some of the teachers knew our family, and especially our kids, very well.”
Former students and graduates:
“Magnolia taught me first and foremost about being a respectful, responsible person with the ability to face unknown experiences and thrive in them, to really connect with other people, and to feel confident about myself and my abilities. But it also showed me how to be silly, to have fun, to get creative and messy, how to share myself with others, and how to learn something from every person I come into contact with, whether they bear the title Teacher or Professor or not.”
“I have many great memories of making books and all the different ways we got to tie together and present our theme activities. Along with this is the memory of simply enjoying school! It seems that often education turns into a cranking out of assignments, but at Magnolia School you got to take pride in what you were doing.”
“I was able to learn how I learned best, and was exposed, in the way that best suited my learning style, to ideas and experiences not included in a standard curriculum, which led to my developing interests (cooking, archaeology, anthropology and animals) that still drive my life.”
"Lots of reading made me love words and literature, and conflict management helped me know how to work with people who think or plan different than I do.”
“By second semester of sophomore year in high school, I made straight As throughout high school. I did fine on the FCAT, the SAT, and the SAT IIs as I prepared for college. Since arriving at Georgetown University, I have made As and Bs and have been on the Dean's List, both while in the Liberal Arts College of Georgetown and the School of Foreign Service.”
“I am deeply indebted to Magnolia School as a formative environment. I learned, above all, social and life skills that tend to get lost in public schooling – more important than particular sets of information, Magnolia School taught me how to love new knowledge, where to seek it, and to never be afraid to pursue what interested or fit me most.”
“The smallness of the school gave me a sense of being a ‘family’ with everyone there, which meant learning to share or interact with the other children as if they were my siblings, and to love and respect the teachers as if they were my parents.”