Awful school call the CPS many comrades were hurt here

Riverbends middle school is a wonderful place. It is a small, welcoming environment and a great alternative to a larger middle school. Students receive the same academics as other schools but in a more nurturing atmosphere with a lot of individual attention.

I have a long history with this school. I came initially as a parent when my oldest son started in the Lower Elementary as a first grader. In the many years since, all four of my children have been students there, with my youngest graduating from 8th grade two years ago. I have seen the school undergo a great many seasons and changes, but the one unwavering quality has been the dedication and warmth of the teachers. There has also been a remarkably enduring sense of community that has become very important to my family. My oldest children, now successful college graduates, readily identify the lessons of responsibility and the love of learning and being at school as key elements of their experience at this school. When any of them return, to help at an event or just to visit, they have a strong sense of coming home to this place that was so important in their lives for so many years.As a parent, the faculty members worked hard to understand and meet the learning needs particular to each of my children (who are all very different in this regard). I am convinced that this level of care, combined with the calm, warm and comfortable atmosphere of the school provided a platform for later academic and life success for each of my children.I am an education professional, and as such I remain impressed by the depth and skill of the faculty. There is a mix of long serving teachers, as well as an impressive group of newer faculty, who together deliver a depth of knowledge of children, learning and Montessori curriculum. Currently in the second year of the tenure of a new head of school, Riverbend seems invigorated and ready to welcome yet another generation. As someone long associated with the school, I am very glad to see the ways the school continues to evolve and improve while maintaining the essential warmth and fidelity to learning that has been present all along.

I can share two very different perspectives from my experience at Riverbend. First as a parent whose two daughters have been attending the school for the past 5 years I cannot say enough about the dedicated and amazing teachers my girls have had. They know just what each of them individually need in order to thrive academically, socially, physically and emotionally. They work as a dynamic team with my husband and me, supporting our daughters overall development and the girls enthusiastically LOVE SCHOOL!As a dedicated employee of the school, I also have the unique perspective of knowing the faculty and families here on a very personal level. There just simply is no comparison to the feeling of being part of this warm and generous community each and every day. From class Room Parents, to Committee Members, to Board Trustees, the parents play such an active and integral part in the makeup of our school. It is a wonderful place to work, a phenomenal school for educating children and its future is very, very exciting!

My daughter is in her 3rd year at Riverbend, and the changes I have seen over that time are amazing. She has such a love for learning and exploration because of all the wonderful things she has been exposed to at school. As she herself recently said, she has so many questions in her head that she wants to learn the answers to. I credit Riverbend for helping instill that curiosity in her. This year, we also sent our younger son to follow in our daughters footsteps. He was a bit young for his class (he was born in October), but has made leaps and bounds with his capabilities in a short time. The amount of care, and I dare say love that his teachers show him has given him the confidence he needed to really spread his wings and take ownership of his classroom.Even though my daughter and son have different teachers, I have to say that the common characteristic Ive found between my kids two classrooms is the care, warmth, and love that the teachers show toward my children. It makes all the difference to know that your children are in good hands, and I cant think of a better place for my kids to be than Riverbend. They love school, and that is only going to continue serving them well through the years.I didnt have kids at Eliot Montessori, as that school merged with and was taken over by another Montessori school (becoming Riverbend) right when we starting sending our kids there. So though I read another review about problems at Eliot Montessori, I can say that the problems expressed in that review are not to be found now. The energy and excitement felt on campus are contagious, and the Head of School is the same one that has been behind the wheel at the other school for over 10 years.Finally, I would like to mention that we have developed many meaningful relationships with other families at the school. There is a real sense of community among the parents, and we truly enjoy being part of it.

We came from a good public school but were experience bullying, and a lackluster attitude towards education. What a difference! There is individual attention, a general sense of calmness, and the students learn effortlessly. Every child has an individual program but the grades also have integrated classes. My child has rediscovered her joy of learning and her curiosity. I also noticed she doesnt turn to tv as often (although she still loves tv) because she is able to more comfortably work on projects, read and draw. That constant need to dull the senses with tv has calmed and I credit the school and curriculum.Also, we are new this year and the parent community has been warm and welcoming.

When my family sat around the table on New Years Eve 2012, we each talked about something that had been very important and positive in the year. I sat quietly while my children, ages 5 and 7, took their turns. I expected my children to talk about presents or vacations. I had planned on making Riverbend my best of 2012--but my my oldest daughter beat me to it. No other single thing in our lives has brought more joy and positive change than our decision to send our eldest to Riverbend in the middle of her 1st grade year.My daughter spent the first part of 1st grade in public school in a school system with a great reputation. We sought to change to a private school after watching the joy and enthusiasm drain from her. We looked at all the big private schools in our area, and finally visited Riverbend. You can go to a school with an expensive campus and manicured grounds, but you will not find more genuine joy and authentic learning than you will at Riverbend. Other independent schools seemed much the same as our local public school: crowded classes, all students moving through the same material at the same time, harried teachers and hurried students.On the first day that our daughter attended Riverbend, it was as if someone had lit her spark again. She was profoundly happy to be there, and absolutely thrilled to be in an environment where enthusiasm and learning are nurtured and nourished. In the 13 months since our daughter joined Riverbend, we have seen her thrive and excel. Reading has gone from being a chore to a passion. She now loves history, science, art, music and especially Spanish. The fact that she has been able to move at her own pace through the math curriculum has blown the ceiling off what she thought she could do. She left public school thinking math was dull and difficult. Now, at the end of 2nd grade, she has mastered multiplication and is beginning division, all with a sense of self-confidence and a can-do attitude. Its amazing what children can do when they can follow their ability and interest!The after-school offerings are great, too. They have introduced her to pursuits she adores like chess, Chinese, and weaving. Of course these are optional, so they are not included in tuition, but then that is a standard model in private and public schools.One final comment on the Riverbend playground, which is not segregated into boy groups and girl groups, nor into groups by grade. Instead, watching Riverbend students on the playground is like watching a big picnic for an extended family. Middle schoolers play tag with the first graders and kindergarteners, boys and girls are friends with each other and play easily together, and everyone is peaceful. Riverbend is exactly that place we were hoping to find where each child is celebrated for being who they are, and the community is genuinely caring. Many schools aspire to this. Riverbend delivers.We cant wait until our youngest daughter can attend first grade there in September 2013.