Oak Farm School

Our child attended Oak Farm for 2.5 years. The toddler classroom teacher and setting was a wonderful experience. The second half of our experience in the Primary 3-6 year-old classroom was AWFUL. We were told we were not welcome back to the school if our child discontinued experimental listening therapy for an extra $100 a month (credentials: administered by a physical therapist/school gardener). We were told our child needed to be evaluated and after evaluations, our pediatrician assured us our child was a normal 3-year old likely having a difficult time adjusting to a classroom of 4-6-year olds as he was the only 3-year old and the other two 4-year olds were closer to five years old. Furthermore, our doctor and his nurse confirmed our son was one of many children sent into the the practice for superfluous evaluations. The head of the school will likely have this comment removed. This is the second time I have written a review as my other was removed as was two family forums set up by parents for discussions concerning the school's practices. We are just one of many disappointed parents who had a poor experience at Oak Farm.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had the pleasure of seeing both of my nieces, who are now 18 and 19, develop into life long learners who are very compassionate, independent, motivated, and intelligent. I credit their success to their awesome parents and their Montessori education from Oak Farm. I personally have 2 children (21 months and 4 years old) attending Oak Farm, and when I compare their social and academic growth to other children who do not attend Oak Farm, I am so grateful that we have this school choice in our community. So much brain development occurs between the ages of 0-5, and Oak Farm's Montessori methods maximizes this brain development. Oak Farm is a community asset that is helping children develop into adults who are doing amazing things in the areas or entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Anyone who has an infant - 8th grader should send his or her child to this school!
—Submitted by a parent

We have proudly been a part of the Oak Farm Community for over 12 years. We have 3 children currently attending the school and feel extremely fortunate to have this school available to us. My children love going to the school and couldn't imagine going anywhere else. The sense of responsibility and independence the school and faculity instill in our children is outstanding and our children are respected by their teachers and peers and in turn have learned to be respectful to others. My children's academic growth is far beyond the "norm" for their respective grade levels every year and their ability to problem solve independently is amazing to watch. Thank you Oak Farm for what you have given to my family.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had our two children at Oak Farm for 5+ years and it has been a wonderful experience. We have found all of the teachers to be extremely caring and it is a wonderful learning environment. Our children are excited to go to school everyday and look forward to the challenging work. We have met with the Head of School a few times and have found her to be a great listener, a great problem solver and a very compassionate person. She has incorporated the Model United Nations program into the curriculum and both of our children are looking forward to the opportunity to attend the Model UN Convention in New York City when they reach the 8th grade. We have been very pleased with the communication from the classroom teachers and the administration and have always been treated like customers. This has been a vast improvement over our experience when our two children were in a public school. Oak Farm has allowed our children to flourish in and out of the class room and we would highly recommend the school. The campus is beutiful, but it is the compassionate, dedicated teachers and administrators that make this a great school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent of three Montessori children that have blossomed at Oak Farm I cannot speak highly enough of the teachers and the administration. They have always been proactive with an excellent Professional Development program for their teachers that keeps them abreast of the most successful teaching techniques. That effort shows up in the wonderful growth our children have shown academically, emotionally and socially. I recommend the school to anyone in the Fort Wayne area.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family suports Oak Farm through its Parent Organization and based on the comments we hear from the other participating parents, this is one great school. You get a sense of the quality when you tour and look in the classrooms to see children and older students smiling and thoughtfully engaged in their work. We have visited other schools in the market and this is definitely the school we are recommending for our grandchild.

We spent the last two years in a state of stress and worry. After six weeks at the school, Oak Farm started with the "meetings". They saw " low executive function" "focus issues" and signs of "ADD and Dyslexia".. We were very open to their findings. However after seeing the recomended professionals for evaluation, my child was found to be "NORMAL". We also had a abnormal recomendation for medication. The head of school was very much pushing us in this direction. Medication for what? We didnt have a child who needed medication. We have left the school and will never be returning. Its really sad, its a beautiful school but its scary what control these people have over our kids and happiness. I will not suggest this school to anyone, ever! I strongly suggest no one allow there children to participate in the "listing program", its over seen by a woman with very little training and she is not educated to evaluate learning challenges. I
—Submitted by a parent

"Yet if we older people are sincere in our profession of love for the young, it is the miracle of their triumphs that should dazzle our eyes and not their so-called defects. The child is truly a miraculous being, and this should be felt deeply by the educator." --The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori This is not Oak Farm philosophy. We have found Oak Farm to only be fault-finding, never sharing our child's triumphs. Like the other reviewer, we were led to believe our child had psychological and neurological problems of which we nor any other adults in our lives noticed. After two evaluations, we were told our child is NORMAL and getting out of that environment was the best thing we could do for our young child.
—Submitted by a parent

BEWARE!!! This is NOT a traditional Montessori school! Do NOT be fooled when you see the environment, they have all of the Montessori materials, but their "application" is different. We came to Oak Farm because the Montessori school we were at (and had been for 8 YEARS) was not offering Upper Elementary classes. We were sold by the beautiful campus, the"Silent Journey" they make you take to show you what the school has to offer; however when our daughter started the Primary Class, it was less than 6 weeks before we were told something was seriously wrong with her. She was having major anxiety going to this school & was having potty accidents, although she was almost 6, no accidents since 3! She completely shut down and we were told she was showing "autisic like" behavior and to see a Neuro Psycologist, fast! We struggled through with the help of a psycologist using cognitive theapy and coping until she could be tested by the Neuro Psych. All that and we find out she is FINE!!! Anxiety, most likely from her environment... this peaceful Montessori environment! We pulled her out IMMEDIATELY & went to Willowbrook Day School! She is doing VERY well! They should be investigated!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent