The Khabele School

My kids have been going to Khabele for 2 years and the teachers and community are awesome. Khabele is a non-profit secular, Montessori based preschool and elementary. I think some of the most valuable things taught to my kids are emotional intelligence and principles of peaceful living.
—Submitted by a parent

We are new to the Khabele School--our daughter started in an early elementary classroom there five weeks into the school year--and we could not be happier with our experience. We were seeking a learning environment where our child could master skills at her own pace and where she would be encouraged to think deeply about the things that interest her. Her guides made her transition to school easy; with love, kindness and grace they welcomed her into their classroom. She comes home from school each day excited about her work. The Khabele School's emphasis on global learning and peace education is a perfect match for our family ethos. We look forward to being a Khabele family for years to come.
—Submitted by a parent

Khabele is a place where I am confident and happy to send my children everyday. Everyone is appreciated and respected for their individualism. The children are given trust and taught to respect this trust. Most kids take this trust and learn how to optimize and build upon their goals, talents and passions. It is something that gives the kids great confidence, maturity and willingness to reach for extraordinary things. I can't say enough about the unique, enriching, powerful experience that my children are living and learning each day at Khabele!!
—Submitted by a parent

Our son graduated from Khabele a year ago (May 2011) and was very well-prepared for university. He is in his second year (17-year-old sophomore) at UT Austin majoring in Plan II Honors Degree Program as well as Dean's Scholars Honors Degree Program (Physics) with an almost 4.0 GPA in his university work. He enjoyed Khabele from 6th-12th grade and as parents, so did we. It's a great school and community. Go Khabele Class of 2011! It's a great school for a wide variety of young people.
—Submitted by a parent

The Khabele School now covers from pre-K to 12th, having merged with Primavera Montessori. For my children, in the primary and elementary classes, it's just an amazing experience. The kids love to go to school so much, it has to be seen to be believed. They are encouraged to learn in all areas, as in most Montessori schools, but also have added a nice art/creative side. I encourage you to check this school out for your children.
—Submitted by a parent

I enjoyed my first Khabele Parent Social and Summit. Thank you Barbara Frisbie for THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD! And, I didn't get the lady's name who prepared four of the desserts, but she told me it was an accident that she signed up for four of the dessert slots, and yet she still committed; also, much love to everyone else who contributed in delighting our palates. The Summit was informative and fun! I am very proud to be a member of the Khabele community - The Khabele School is on THE LEADING EDGE OF THOUGHT!
—Submitted by a parent

This is the start of my daughter's 4th year at The Khabele School. They are always trying to refine and improve their educational model and strive to create a vital community for students, teachers and parents. This is taken from an email I sent to administrators after our initial Parent Summit this year. Hi!! You all blew me away last night! It is obvious that some real magic came together this summer, along with lots of hard work. I am more impressed with and excited about this school than ever! It seems that now the vision is fully supported with structure and content to really make it all happen! I don't even really know how to articulate how proud I am to be a part of this amazing revolution in education. I am overjoyed and bursting with gratitude!! Thanks! My family loves this school!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been part of the Khabele family for many years as my boys were students of Primavera Montessori prior to the merger. Both campuses have been wonderful for us albeit in vastly different ways. Primavera was a nurturing environment that lets a child grow and explore at his or her own pace. You really feel the love. I recall arriving early every morning to read to my four year old and I always ended up with another child, then another sitting at my feet. I hated to go to work. The Khabele campus is urban and forward thinking. The buildings are charming and classrooms arranged to promote Socratic method and dialectic thought. The classes are rigorous and success is attainable. My seventh grader loves it and even when classes are difficult, he maintains that this is the place for him.
—Submitted by a parent

I can truly say the Khabele school changed our lives. Our older son has always been off the charts bright, but could care less about grades. This made for many of fights, tears and battles. Every night was a struggle to get him to complete his assignments, to study or even turn in his work. Our son finished his freshman year at Khable #1 in his class, is completely managing his school work on his own and is happier than we have ever seen him! I would encourage any family to go to the Khable website and BELIEVE all that you read. This school is committed to finding what is awesome in every child and encouraging them to make the world a better place with their gifts. They have also figured out that kids can learn with out being weighed down with a ridiculous amount of homework. QUANTITY does NOT equal Quality. These kids are scoring and testing and getting into top ranked colleges just as well and better than the local nationally ranked public school. Doing this teaches the kids an important lesson on balance of life. Thanks to the amazing people at Khabele, you have reignited the love of learning in our son and he now believes Stanford and other colleges are with in his reach!
—Submitted by a parent

Due to a relocation out of Texas, the past 4 years at Khabele has transformed my son from a meek, timid, shy child to one who can command the attention of a full classroom for a full 45 minutes. It has been an exciting and inspiring journey that I am very sad to see come to a close but I know it has prepared him to thrive in this new school. Khabele holds a very special place in my heart and I can only thank Moya for allowing us to share in this magical and truly inspiring educational community.
—Submitted by a parent

Here is a sampling of some reviews this month form Khabele families. Jackson's ability to fly an airplane on his very first project week was a once in a lifetime experience 4/24/2012 9:35 AM Over the last 2 years, Khablele has gone the extra mile to help my student develop emotionally and thrive as a self-directed learner. There are teachers at Khabele whose commitment changes students' lives, igniting a passion for subjects and for learning overal 4/15/2012 7:33 PM Our large public school system, while top notch in the country, just didn't work for either of our children. While at Khabele, they have made huge improvements in grades. More importantly, they enjoy learning...and that's what's really matters to them in the long term. 4/13/2012 6:50 PM The adolescent years can be difficult ones -- but they are also years of tremendous opportunity, especially in the right environment. We are thankful our child has the opportunity to grow up at Khabele. It is the kind of place that can make all the difference in the world. And the experience she has had here is something she will continue to build on and draw on for the rest of her life. 4/12/2012 8:30 PM
—Submitted by a teacher

I have three children at the Khabele School and I can honestly say that it is the best school I have ever experienced for each of my children. The staff is a group of highly intellectual, interesting, engaging, and caring people who have somehow honed the artistry of working with and empowering teens. The students are thoughtful, respectful, and smart. They ask a lot of questions and feel that this school is fully theirs. They are not passive observers, but have been given the trust and freedom to not only be themselves but to reach for a better and brighter version of themselves each passing year. The parents are involved and supportive. The leadership is open and warm and always willing to take feedback. It's a true community of learners, where everyone is learning together. This year's college acceptance list is more impressive than ever: Stanford, Cornell, Rice, Rutgers, Wash U, Carnegie Mellon, UT (of course), and tons of other great schools. The kids seem to leave for college prepared for academic success, which is what all parents want, but they also seem equipped with a deep sense of self-esteem, inner peace, and curiosity. http://www.khabele.org/videos/
—Submitted by a parent

Our experience with Khabele has been life- changing on more then one level. My daughter entered 7th grade after three happy years with a good public school and six years at a wonderful Montessori. We had HIGH expectations. Khabele exceeds them, daily. She is challenged, loved, respected and help accountable. We do not experience what I was nervous about in middle-school, kids are not allowed to engage in gossip, bullying, meanness or any form of holding one another back. The school has a honor council composed of kids who really do nip this behavior in the bud. The teaching staff is varied and knowledgeable in teaching methods and flexible throughout the day to include all students in the work. We are on a beautiful downtown campus and use the neighborhood with many partnerships supporting our kids in the ground-breaking field of Emergent Education.
—Submitted by a parent

The Khabele school has offered my children not only academic excellence, but also the support and guidance needed to navigate and verbalize their emotional experiences. This curriculum and the deep level of mutual respect and support offered by the teachers and staff has helped my children to become direct communicators and self-directed learners, allowing them to have a deeper academic experience than simply carrying out expected goals. I'm truly amazed by the self confidence, self-knowledge and leadership skills consistently displayed by Khabele students. I also appreciate the community and support offered by teachers and staff. It feels wonderful to know we are on the "same team" at Khabele -- the team that's rooting for and supporting the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

My name is Brenda Bazaldua, I am the head of the foreign language department at the Khabele School where I also teach Spanish. I have been a language instructor for 12 years and I own and direct a tutoring business, Linking Languages. Because of the nature of my business, I have a close relationship with multiple families from private and public schools, among some of them St. Stephen's, St. Andrew's, St. Michael's, and St. Francis as well as from the West Lake High School and Hill Country Middle School. It is not unusual for me to receive the question: What do you think about the Khabele school? My opinion has always been the same: It is a really unique and great place for families who want their children to discover themselves and learn a path to fulfill their own potential. It is the perfect fit for families that understand not only the importance of the high academics but the means used to obtain them. The school deeply values and works constantly in finding the balance between academics and the well-being of their students. I am honored to be part of this community and its constant growth and development.
—Submitted by a teacher

As Executive Director for the Integral Education Center, I often refer to The Khabele School as one of the best examples of a healthy, innovative and leading-edge education in the country. Few schools provide the conscientious practices that create emotional safety and academic rigor that The Khabele School combines to empower children and young people to develop as whole human beings and leaders. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to any prospective family, or aspiring teacher. This place has an emergent magic contained by great leadership that unlocks the potential of it's whole community.

As a substitute teacher, I cannot say enough good things about this school. I have subbed at dozens of schools, public and private, in Texas and California. Khabele is a truly exceptional place. I am continually impressed by the intellectual prowess of Khabele's students, and the dedication and abilities of Khabele's teachers. Khabele emphasizes the development of the student as an individual, and inspires students to want to learn. The teachers' knowledge and passion for what they do is contagious. Khabele is more than a school, it is a community.
—Submitted by a teacher

As a Khabele staff member and also a parent of younger children on the Primavera campus, I look forward to the day that my own kids can experience Khabele's Middle and High School. The teachers are phenomenal, and are present and engaged with the students in a way that I rarely experienced in my own middle and high school years. I have been continually impressed and inspired by the students at the school--they are bright, innovative, and thoughtful, and they are learning to be critical thinkers and responsible humans.
—Submitted by a teacher

Gives the students the freedom to be their best selves. Awesome faculty. I wish I had gone here!

I simply don't know what we would have done if we had not been able to enroll our older son at Khabele more than 7 years ago. An exceptionally self-directed learner, he has blossomed at this school and has been well-served. We moved our younger son to Khabele when we has in 5th grade because of the bullying he was experiencing at his exemplary-rated elementary school. At Khabele, he is accepted for who he is and has developed extraordinary relationships with some of his teachers. I truly appreciate the learning community that Khabele promotes.
—Submitted by a parent