Summit School

The previous two reviewers are quite simply, wrong and woefully misguided. Our family has had the experience of both public and private schools in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area, and without a doubt, Summit School by far, makes a much greater effort to celebrate, embrace, and encourage diversity in its student body as well as faculty. ALL children, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic background are nurtured, loved, and accepted for who they are. In fact, that's what makes Summit.........Summit. It truly is a school where "everybody can be a somebody." --A proud parent of a Second-grader and a Junior Kindergartner at Summit School.
--Submitted by a parent

If you are white and belong to the upper class, you will be alright in this school. If you are not, your child will be singled out, bullied, and the staff and administration will do little to help. The primary years have a lot of offer, classes are rich in the arts and technology. Students are given more opportunities with different areas of content than they would at public schools. However, the academic rigor is lost during middle school. We switched schools in sixth grade and my children were woefully behind.
--Submitted by a parent

Be careful when choosing this school. The school campus is beautiful.. but inside it is real ugly. The school will never address any conflict and uncomfortable issues will be ignored. If your child is African American they will suffer at the hands of insensitive teachers that do not care to understand or relate, ridiculed and taunted by the country club elitist children and the Black children are made to feel as ANY conflict that arises with caucasian children is their fault while the elitist white children are nurtured, consoled for their ugly, racist behavior.
--Submitted by a parent

I went to Summit . . . there was really never any other choice that my kids go there too. This is the best school around. It appreciates art , diversity, and creativity and best of all it does not test our kids to death.
--Submitted by a parent

Summit School excels in arts and technology. Its facilities and equipment are excellent. Elementary aged children have more hands-on learning opportunities plus the benefit of small class size and more focused instruction. Middle school is stagnant. Academic rigor is lacking and classroom instruction is uncommonly casual. The administration, especially this school year, often gives a rote 'we're working on it' response to parental concerns about core academics. In the balance hangs the question of whether our children will excel at the (competitive) high school level. Summit School is a wonderful place and it excels in most areas, but there is still room for improvement. While the hefty tuition all but guarantees a friendly, welcoming, all-inclusive campus atmosphere, it does not ensure that your child will receive the very best academic instruction (comparatively speaking).
--Submitted by a parent

I attended Summit School from Pre-kindergarden through graduating 9th grade. I would say simply that Summit taught me how to learn. The atmosphere was always warm and encouraging, personal, and at all times put a high level of value on Liberal Arts education (including giving a speech in the auditorium to the upper school as a requisite for graduation). The facilities have been improved in the years since I have visited and I trust the same dedication to student and charge remains in the faculty and staff.
--Submitted by a student

Our son has been at Summit since Jr-Kindergarten and will be a rising 6th grader next fall. The teachers are available to students and parents. There are extraordinary learning adventures (both on and off campus) and every child is reminded what a gift their Summit experience is. A new arts and technology center and new dining room will open in Fall 2009. Parents are very involved and have helped to raise additional funds to help the building campaign. The new head is great and has helped to push Summit into the 21st century. It is one of the most expensive schools in the state but worth every penny.
--Submitted by a parent

We have one child at Summit. The school is a child's dream. Tons of hands on lessons, a design center, wonderful library, PE almost everyday in addition to recess. Summit has a truly spectacular library and for the lower grades a dining hall that serves very healthy, global cuisine. The major negative is the tuition. It has increased each year by a large amount. Financial aid is limited to a certain few and there are no sibling discounts. Scholarships would also be nice. Otherwise great school if you can afford it or want to live a very modest life!
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Summit and the school is wonderful. The teachers and other staff are terrific. My children are very happy. The staff works hard to reach each individual child. The guidance staff does a great job creating programs to teach the children about kindness and many other important virtues on a monthly basis. There are many wonderful extras like drama, studing insects or plants in one of the many on-site gardens, an excellent music program, band (beginning in 3rd grade), French and Spanish (beginning in the 4 yr old program), an off-site Pioneer Day (3rd grade), an off-site Native American Day (2nd grade), Pottery and lots of other art and so, so much more. Unfortunately, we have to move our kids because of the high tuition. We will miss it!
--Submitted by a parent