“When you walk into Birches the space and people are inviting and interactive. All of the teachers and staff at the school are very kind and supportive; there is an overwhelming feeling of calm, warmth, and care. It’s amazing to see how being outdoors naturally facilitates important skills like emotional regulation, sensory processing, and social skills. We are already seeing increased confidence with our son who started at Birches this year in Kindergarten. The leadership and passion the administration and teachers display are beyond what we can describe in words. Each child is encouraged to create, explore, play, lead, and ask questions, and is given the patience, time, and attention that they need to do it. We’ve seen how this has helped our son’s growth in so many important ways- his ability to have boundaries and express his feelings, his stamina to hike, to pretend, to sit and just be; he’s more aware of himself and others now, and his social confidence and skills are blooming. We feel like he’s more able to be himself at Birches School and is just so happy to be there!”

“Birches was absolutely wonderful for our son. Within a few weeks of transitioning there in 5th grade, he began to regain his curiosity and confidence in learning. What I think Birches does so well is to respect and value each student’s individuality while emphasizing their importance as part of the overall community - as contributing to being diverse and multifaceted. The students do spend a great deal of time outside in the natural world, but this is woven into a strong academic curriculum. My son has thrived in High School since graduating from Birches. The school is truly an example of honoring how individual strengths contribute to the overall good - all in a challenging and rich academic environment.”

“We have a grandchild that has recently entered high school after having spent 8 years at Birches. We were concerned that the transition from a small, academic and nurturing community to a large public high school would represent a challenge. She has smoothly met this experience with a positive sense of self and strong academic foundation. Birches’ education has been an amazing experience. The teachers are stellar, creative and pack their magic into a project based, thematic curriculum.”

“We feel wonderful sending our Kindergarten son to school at Birches each morning, and then greeting him in the afternoon — cheerful, a tad muddy, a little tired, and overflowing with things to tell us about skills he learned, stories he heard, wisdom his teachers imparted. Birches offers proof that you can honor childhood and also offer academic rigor — it’s been amazing to see our son’s resilience and sense of adventure develop right alongside his handwriting, decoding skills, and number sense. We trust this school, its leaders, and teachers. ”

“My son is new at Birches and we could not be happier! I’m a teacher myself so finding the right school for our family was really important for us. We felt such a warm welcome as we joined the school and there are many opportunities to build connections with families and faculty throughout the year. My son is excited and happy when he gets home, talking about the hikes he takes in the woods, playing with his friends, and the hands-on academic work he does in class. We are so thankful to be a part of this community. ”