Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Ashwood Glen (2020)
Ashwood Glen alumni, current students, and parents shared their insights on the school’s culture, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Hear what Doreen, Marsha, Dina had to say about the school.
Highlights from the Q&A discussion
Doreen — current parent
Doreen, a current parent, shared her perspective on Ashwood Glen School's seamless transition for her son, emphasizing the nurturing environment, personalized attention, improved manners, and effective communication between teachers and parents, highlighting the school's impactful learning experience.
I was surprised how easy the transition was for my son. It went really well. And he really loved his teachers there. He asks when he's going back to school. So I thought that was a great indication of how much he was enjoying it. And it's only been a month.
My son says he loves the school and he loves his teachers. My son comes home and tells me how much he loves his new teachers, and he wants to invite them to his birthday next year. Their mindset, the attitude, their willingness to do what you ask of them. You can tell they're getting the stimulation.
The facility itself is so beautiful and brand new. And you can see how neat and clean and tidy it is. I feel it's so important for them to have a calm mindset. It's so nice to see such a peaceful environment. I like that there are little toilets for them. And it's such a nice setup.
I find such a change in my son and his manners. He was always polite, but it's like an extra step. Like, ‘thank you for making this food for me, mama.’ That's so sweet. That's a big change in such a short time.
The open communication with the teachers, I feel like that's such a big thing in their learning. Even just having conversations, like his teacher had called me to give me an update on how he was doing and telling me just things that she's noticed in his learning.
Because they’re with kids of different ages, the teachers noticed that my son was picking up some of what she was teaching to the older kids. She told me that's something I'm going to work with him on, because he's shown interest and I can see that he's ready to learn some new things. So that’s a very tailored approach to each child's level and challenging them at their level and getting them outside of their comfort.
I just feel like the teachers are really nurturing and really do know each student really well. You can see that there's a lot of knowledge and experience behind the school. It's like everybody's trying even harder to make sure that the parents know that they're there for their children.
Marsha — current parent
Marsha shared her views on Ashwood Glen School's nurturing environment, which fosters independence, confidence, and lifelong learning habits in children, highlighting the positive impact on her children's adaptation, personal accountability, and engagement in their educational journey.
The school is a very nurturing environment. This is the first time my son’s been away from home. So we were nervous about the transition.
My son’s vocabulary and sense of manners have expanded. The ‘thank you,’ the ‘please,’ the routine of when he comes in, he takes off his jacket. He’s responsible for hanging it up. These are habits that will live with them forever. And all this starts at 18 months old.
Within the three weeks at Ashwood Glen, we couldn’t get my daughter to stop talking about school. She's very proud to show us her agenda book, her homework, and the checkmarks for when she is finished with each of them. You can see how that's going to be lifelong lessons and values as they create these study habits for the future. My daughter has always been studious or proud of her work, but she wasn’t confident in presenting to her peers or to ask a question to her teacher. That has changed.
The teachers provide support in such a careful and nurturing way. It's not a struggle, but every student needs some support in certain areas. The teacher provides that support and attention in such a beautiful way that my daughter doesn't know she's getting one-on-one time for academic reasons.
This will sound very cliché, but we knew we wanted to enroll the moment we walked in through the front doors of Ashwood Glen, the bright, open, and clean spaces. The second moment we knew is when we met the administration.
Dina — current parent
Dina, a current parent, praised Ashwood Glen School’s transformative impact on her daughter's confidence, the school’s academic focus, and teacher-student relationships. She highlighted the personal growth and improved communication skills, attributing these changes to the supportive environment and effective teaching methods.
The teachers are very careful with the kids, treating them as their own children. My daughter is not worried about talking to her teacher. She's not afraid to ask any questions. Initially, she was concerned about asking questions or if she had homework unfinished, she felt bad. But now, she can ask her teacher questions and can even communicate with her through email. This improvement in communication was a relief for her.
The way the teachers communicate to the students creates confidence and a deeper connection between them. It supports students in feeling capable of independent work, reducing their worries.
My daughter's confidence and social skills have significantly improved since joining Ashwood Glen School. The school has made a remarkable difference. She's now more confident, social, and proud of herself, showing responsibility by taking care of younger children, which is a big change for her. This experience has shown her own gifted nature, previously unrecognized, and it’s a significant transformation in her personality.
Since transitioning from public to private school, my daughter has become more focused on her academic work, both at home and in school. She reviews what she learns in school more diligently. This has led to her finding the homework manageable and even easy, and it allows her to prepare for tests with minimal stress.
Our evening discussions with her father show a consensus that our daughter has changed for the better since her enrollment. Initially, we were hesitant, but we now firmly believe that choosing Ashwood Glen School was the best decision for her future. This school has not only addressed our academic concerns but also significantly contributed to her personal growth and confidence.
