Chestnut Hill Academy

CHA has outstanding teachers that work to challenge the kids based upon their skill level. The school embraces diversity and is a great place to educate your kids!
—Submitted by a parent

Our child started CHA in kindergarten. Now she is a third grade student. She loves learning and CHA plays a very important role on this. Bright Horizons has five elementary schools in four states. This gives them ability share what works and what can be better. They have continuous training for staff and teachers. Low student-teacher ratios gives them ability gives teachers ability to help each kid in their own pace. For example, my daughter receives extra home work in areas she feels not challenged. And she gets more attention if she needs in another area. I see staff and teachers are always happy. I have read some earlier review about teacher turn over. I have seen some teachers leaving CHA over the years. But these were mostly due to personal reasons like getting marrying and moving out of area, retiring or deciding to take care of their newborn. I see these teachers as extra activity teachers or as guests at special events. They are still part of CHA. CHA is very diverse school. And they embrace this really well. My child has friends from around the world. CHA is committed to raising leaders. You can see this in all their activities. I strongly recommend CHA as a parent.
—Submitted by a parent

Just took a tour of this school. First off, the facility is located right next to a electrical power plant with classroom windows looking into the plant. So make what you want for your child being exposed to strong magnetic fields all day every day. The principle gave an hour-long tour of the school during which she talked non-stop about everything from the paintings on the wall, to the lockers, to flags representing students from various countries (this to me does NOT indicate appreciation for diversity). At the end, it was nothing short of a sales pitch for this FOR-PROFIT school that does not provide any tuition assistance. The tuition itself is almost $17000/year and that does not include all the extra charges for books/material ($750), hot lunches, extra-curricular activities, ski trips, etc. All in all, it is an extremely expensive school designed to impress parents (not the kids) with extras, making them feel good about the education of their children. We'll be looking elsewhere, for I firmly believe that we can find just as good an education elsewhere for much much less.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter has been at CHA from K-5. We are currently searching for a new school and find it difficult to compare other schools to CHA because of the teachers and support staff. They have all been wonderful for the past 5 yrs. The before and after school programs are ideal for working parents, as the children are well supervised and often working on projects/activities. Parents are very involved at this school. We have a another child who hopefully will be attending next year.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had our son at CHA from K-5. The communication from the school has been excellent. The care and concern of the teachers has been great. The curriculum is strong and well rounded. The current principal is exceptional. We simply have nothing but positive comments about CHA and would recommend it highly to anyone considering this institution for their child's education.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son's just completing his first year here and we are very happy. The staff are young and enthusiastic. They're very supportive and together with the principle (who is excellent), are always happy to work through any individual requirements for your child. Great afterschool programs offering everything from creative writing to lego animation and afterschool care for those who need it. Small class sizes so lots of individual attention. Lovely new building with bright classrooms, indoor sports hall and astroturf soccer pitch. Only downside is rather small playground but they don't all go out at once. Great ski program. Most of all, it's a private school with a very down to earth atmosphere.
—Submitted by a parent

Pros: High academic standards, good communication with parents. Cons: High teacher/staff turnover, for-profit school does anything to maximize profits, parents that give more $$ are listened to more, what you see on your tour may change by the next year to save $$. Overall the school focuses on serving kids who will be there from early in the morning to the evening so that they can pay for lots of extracurriculars and aftercare. If your kid is fine like that, maybe it is ok then. If your kid needs any nurturing, skip this place.
—Submitted by a parent

Chestnut Hill is a great school that challenges their students by placing them into small learning groups, and gives them a warm and safe place to develop very strong core skills. My 2 children have attended CHA from K - 5 over the last 8 years, and every year I am amazed when they publish the Iowa standard test scores for each grade at how advanced the children are when compared to this national standard. My son's 4th grade class last year scored on the test at a 6th grade level, and all other grades also scored well above their grade levels. The school caters very well to working families with good after school programs and lots of extra cirricular classes.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had our daughter at CHA for the past 2 years. We couldn't be more pleased with her progress academically, socially and emotionally. We really believe that the opportunities offered by the caring, nurturing staff has everything to do with success. We re-evaluate each year our other schooling options but seem to quickly realize that we have a gem of a school!
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is preparing to finish her first year at CHA and we couldn't be more pleased. She has experience a world of growth in Kindergarten. Not only is she excelling academically, but she is also maturing emotionally and is learning a strong sense of community. A strong group of teachers and administrators run this school effectively, but also take time to make the children feel loved and nurtured appropriately. Throughout the year, they plan many activities and events to bring the entire school together to support the kids. CHA is a wonderful school and we feel lucky to have our child attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had such a positive experience with this school. Our daughter is in kindergarten. The variety of activities, the professionalism, warmth and effectiveness of the staff, the environment and values are all things that make the school a special place.
—Submitted by a parent

Each year we are at CHA, we reevaluate the school in context of others and where I child is developing. The thought being that the perfect K may not be the perfect 1, etc. While it is a bit of extra work to research each year, we keep coming back. I continue to be amazed at the flexibility and single-student focus that the teachers (and principal) have. There is no such thing as standing in place at CHA, they are very focused on continuous improvement and adjusting to the dynamics of each school year. We are very impressed.
—Submitted by a parent

Chestnut Hill Academy has nurtured my son over the past two years, during which I have watched him develop from being fairly shy into a boy who has a strong sense of self-confidence and an active love of learning. The teachers are enthusiastic and instill in students a real curiosity and a sense of wanting to learn and explore. I know that this love of learning has given my son a foundation that will last him a lifetime. Beyond the academics, the school offers a great range of enrichment classes that help kids recognize their potential to achieve whatever they put their minds to. We've been incredibly happy with CHA and would recommend it to any parent looking to give their child a well-rounded headstart in life.
—Submitted by a parent

I wanted a school for my daughter that would be academically challenging, make learning fun, structured yet not militant, low teacherstudent ratios, provide opportunities that she wouldn t get at any other school, fantastic teachers and staff (who were nurturing and loving) .and a place where it was encouraged for parents to be involved (just to name a few). CHA is every one of those things, and SO many more. I m constantly amazed at how much my daughter has learned at CHA and how much she knows, in comparison to some of her friends who attend other schools. She loves to go to school every day, loves to do her homework, is excited about learning everything a parents wants to hear from their child when it comes to school. The quality of education that my daughter is receiving at CHA is exceptional and I'm so thankful that she is a student there.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our third year at CHA and we are very happy with our experience and always recommend CHA. The school is a great community both in terms of the students and teachers but also the parents and administration. The administration has an open door policy and both parents and students are welcome and encouraged to ask questions and provide input. The teaches and administration really know each child and are an active participant in each individual child 's success. The teachers are wonderful and a talented, passionate, and motivated group. The school provides great learning opportunities outside of the classroom and is interested in the entire growth of the child (academic as well as their whole being).
—Submitted by a parent

We've been very happy at CHA. We tried public kindergarten but it wasn't a good fit for our daughter. She needs a more challenging academic enviornment and a more supportive social environment. We've found that with CHA. The teachers and staff are always very responsive to our concerns. We are thrilled with how our daughter is thriving at the school. It's not cheap, but I feel like we get our money's worth.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at CHA and we are absolutely thrilled. Our child has thrived both academically and socially in the three months he has been enrolled. Our only regret was that we were not at CHA sooner!
—Submitted by a parent

We came to this school after not being happy where we were. Our children are happy and adjusted easily. The environment is caring and nurturing. It is a great balance of academic and social. If your child is ahead in one subject, they are able to tailor the curriculum to suit them. There is a great balance of working hard and playing hard.
—Submitted by a parent

This review if for the North Campus of this school. We have transferred our kindergartner here from Medina Elementary. The result was a much happier child who is making great academic progress. The teachers and staff at this school work together to nurture each child's individual potential. They tailor the curriculum to challenge and encourage greater achievement. CHA has a caring environment and high academic standards.
—Submitted by a parent

The administration changed 2 years ago and the school has gone very much down hill as a result. The administration is a rubber stamp to the for-profit fortune 500 or 1000 company that owns the school (Bright Horizons). BH is very knowledgeable in the field of daycare centers, but not in elementary and middle schools. The communication between the administration and parents is poor, and many parents are very dissatisfied with the current situation but feel stuck until they apply for 5th or 6th grade. The dwindling enrollment in the upper grades (beginning in 4th grade) is of great concern, yet the school doesn't seem to focus on student nor teacher retention. Right now, there are only a handful of students signed up for the middle school grades. Parents took a survey recently and the results showed the the value of the education vs. the price paid is in the toilet...
—Submitted by a parent