Natick, United States
33 Eliot St
N/A
+15086557333
Riverbend's 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.
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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.
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.
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 daughter's 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 I've 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 can't 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 didn't 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.
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