Sequoyah School

Our child has been at Sequoyah for years, and we are so sad that they don't have a high school or we would be there through senior year! The teachers are dedicated, intelligent, inspirational and caring. The teachers are available to both students and parents at all times either via email or phone. Sequoyah gave our child the the foundation for critical thinking, to explore and to be curious, to be empathetic and to be kind. The students there have a deep sense of who they are, and that they can achieve anything. They take pride in their work. The curriculum can be challenging but they offer support for those who need it. My child always looks forward to going to school. I cannot say enough positive things about Sequoyah. It is not for parents concerned with the maintenance of educational standards based on testing, sitting quietly and still in a classroom and motivation through grades. However, if you want a happy child who is motivated, empathetic, concerned about the environment, who chooses experiences over materialism, Sequoyah is the right choice.
—Submitted by a parent

Sequoyah School has been our touchstone for nine years now. Our daughter has one more year there and our son is moving into the upper classes. Both kids have received academic and emotional support beyond what we would expect from a school. They both have learning differences which the teachers and administration were pro-active in having addressed. Both our children have been given the support they needed without their self esteem being compromised. I don't know of more dedicated, holistic, resourceful group of teachers or administrators.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a Sequoyah parent for three years, with two children currently enrolled (kindergarten and 2nd grade). Although my children couldn't be more different in personality and learning style, Sequoyah has proven to be a perfect environment for each of them to thrive and develop as humans and individuals. I am consistently impressed with the teaching staff, not only for their creative and holistic approaches to learning, but also because they truly know my children and are able to provide individualized feedback and support as needed. Embracing a progressive approach to education has been a new experience for our family, but certainly not a difficult one given the positive outcomes we have witnessed so far in our children - confidence, strong sense of self, heightened empathy, love of learning (and of camping!), and yes, academic achievements, too, including a strong foundation in the "three Rs". I'm excited to think of what's to come for them and for us as we continue our Sequoyah journey.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son is about to graduate from Sequoyah School and we are nothing but pleased with his experience there. In the upper grades everything came together for him. Having been provided "the space" to mature as a student, without any premature onslaught of formal academics, he emerged into a self-motivated, earnest student. He views school as a veritable home away from home, has terrific relationships with his teachers, and not once has he ever complained attending school. Learning is not a chore for him, but a desired pursuit. He will now be attending a top-performing local high school, with the inner resources to adequately extract from it what he can, rather than be burned out from the get go, like so many other kids we know. Ultimately, this is exactly what we sought when we first applied to Sequoyah. We will be leaving the school with tremendous admiration and appreciation for what it offered our son.
—Submitted by a parent

Sequoyah School has been transformative for our son, who will be leaving the 8th grade there and attending Flintridge Preperatory School this fall. The Sequoyah progressive educational philosophy was highly effective, allowing our son the time to mature into formal academics, without any "homework grind," such that now he is independently motivated and very responsible when it comes to academic learning. We will be moving on from Sequoyah, which has been our community lifeblood for the past eight years. The teachers teach out of a sense of vocation and their enthusiasm for learning has been passed onto our son. We are grateful beyond belief.
—Submitted by a parent

While Sequoyah talks a good game about nurturing kids and individualizing instruction, the reality couldn't be further from the truth. The kids are largely unsupervised for the majority of the school day, and academic instruction is both minimal and aimless. There is a great deal of grandstanding and self-congratulation around the school's "habits of mind," yet in practice, neither the teachers nor the administrators are accountable for student learning or development. To make things worse, there are frequent incidents of physical harm and bullying at the school, which the administration callously shrugs off as adherence to their educational "philosophy." This school fails both to prepare students academically and to create an environment in which it is safe to learn.
—Submitted by a parent

Sequoyah School is appropriate for students who are slow learners and can not keep up with normal grade level academics. I wish we had known that Sequoyah was such a non-academic school when we enrolled our child. After two years we took our child out of Sequoyah and switched to our local public school. Our child is now getting a much better and well rounded education and we are saving thousands of dollars a year, although we are currently spending money on a tutor so that our son can catch up to his classmates who attended public school for their initial years.
—Submitted by a parent

Absolutely the best school in the area. We have a son graduating from Walden school thus year and moved our daughter last year. It was the best move and now wish we had both kids @Sequoyah sooner. Nurturing environment with a great deal of thought provoking discussions. Teachers are the best we have seen with a great amount of enthusiasm and passion for the school and the students. Love, love, love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

love of learning,individuality,social consciousness camping,emergent curriculum.
—Submitted by a parent

It nurtures children and helps them become caring and conscientious members of the collective body.
—Submitted by a parent

Freedom, individuality, emergent curriculum, love of learning, empowerment, hot lunch, camping!
—Submitted by a parent

Sequoyah helps your child find who he or she is and become confident in being that person. My daughter came out of there and chose a very academic school that tests often and grades conventionally, and at the end of her first year was the only person in her 9th grade class to rival the older girls at her new school for sheer number of academic achievement awards. I attribute her enthusiasm and confidence in her ability to take on a new and very structured system to the self-awareness she learned at Sequoyah.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at Sequoyah from Kindergarten through Second Grade so far and it is absolutely perfect for him. Yes it is not academic-test driven like many schools, but that is why many progressive-minded families go here. The curriculum is inquiry based and individualized and our child comes home most days with self-designated homework assignments. The arts programs are amazing as is the immersive camping program and the overall sense of community. It is getting expensive, but hopefully tuition assistance will help keep that from being a barrier.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is very good for Kindergarten-1st grade but after that, the curriculum is uninspired and the kids are behind--most parents need to supplement the older kids with private tutors. For a school that charges almost $16,000/year in tuition, this is ridiculous. Also the tuition has increased over 40% in the last 3 years and is scheduled to continue increasing.
—Submitted by a parent

If you are looking for a school that nurtures your child gives them a voice in their education and lets them be happy children then Sequoyah is the place for you. My Daughter has been there since kindergarten and she loves it. This is a school that focuses on reading, problem solving, and outdoor education. The staff is wonderful, and Sequoyah has one of the best libraries I have seen. Sequoyah offers students music, drama, Spanish, science, library and art classes as well as a fully developed camping program. The expectation of parent involvement is high, at least 40 hours per year. But that can be done in various ways including fundraising, working on campus, or chaperoning camping trips. If you want to really want to see what your child will look like after 10 years at Sequoyah you have to attend graduation. It's amazing, and so are the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

A very warm and caring school. Your child will be well looked after. Not heavy on the Academics which can be a plus or minus. No homework for the lower grade kids. No sports programs, P.E.is flag football or soccer. Does offer art, music and drama and some after school classes and daycare. Parent involvement is expected and reqiured. Minimum 40 hours for families and 20 hours for single parents.
—Submitted by a parent