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May 2023 by Steve H.
I personally had a very unpleasant experience with the Gardner School. When my wife and I looked into enrolling her son (my stepson) there, they were friendly and warm at first. We took him there for a tour and they shared with us their philosophy on education and being a family-friendly school. We were impressed and they asked us for a $1,000 deposit to start the enrollment process. Less than a month later the pandemic hit, lockdown started, and the world turned upside down. Several of my clients panicked and pulled their business and suddenly our expenses outweighed our income. I contacted the Gardner School and ask that since we hadn't moved forward with our application yet and due to the craziness of the Pandemic, that we needed a refund. They refused saying the deposit was non-refundable. I explained my financial situation and they still refused. They just pocketed the $1,000 and didn't seem to care about a struggling family. I wouldn't recommend giving your money to an organization that could have cared less that we needed the money at that time.
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January 2023 by Desiree Lorentz
My child has been thriving since they began school at the Gardner School. They allowing learning through play, and truly listening to the interests of their students. Critical thinking, problem solving skills, kindness, and celebration of being an individual are all encouraged daily in the classroom there. They are helping my child develop in a positive, encouraging, and healthy way. The staff is kind, communicative, and sincere in their approach. I would highly recommend the Gardner School.
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January 2023 by Susan Melton
I have two children attending The Gardner School and I couldn't be more pleased with our choice. We transferred our son there when he was in 1st grade in February 2020 because he was struggling at school. Of course Covid hit soon after but Gardner managed to pivot to an online learning within 3 days. By Fall of 2020 it was open again full time and one of the few schools able to do so. My daughter started Kindergarten that year and I’m truly grateful that she was able to go to school in person.Gardner is unique in that it treats children as individuals, allowing them to grow and learn at their own pace and uses a variety of learning styles because they know that not everyone learns best the same way. The teachers are truly caring and create a nurturing environment that encourages children to reach their fullest potential.The outdoor spaces are a big part of what makes The Gardner School so special. Our children love spending time outside, participating in games and activities that are designed to foster their physical and mental development. The wetlands and garden provide really unique experiences that you can’t get at a traditional school.The school also has a great culture that celebrates the value of learning and exploration. We have found the financial aid that is available to be a great help in making the school affordable for us to attend.As a strong believer in the Gardner School’s mission and my desire for it to thrive far into the future, I have recently joined the Board of Trustees. I’ve found the Board to be a very professional and positive group of people which are all dedicated to making Gardner the best school possible.Overall, we are very pleased with The Gardner School and highly recommend it to any family looking for a school that fosters academic and personal growth in their children.
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January 2023 by Gavin Huckins
The Gardner school has been such a welcoming environment and community to our family. Not only do they offer a private intimate setting, but in complement they also provide a healthy structure and learning platform for each child. They recognize and embrace the unique diversity of each student while enabling them to blossom into their strongest selves. Our little girl is learning to be independent while also learning to be a functional part of community. I would highly recommend a visit to the Gardner school Campus to see what they're wonderful staff and facilities have to offer.
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January 2023 by Jane tesner kleiner
We have two boys who attended Gardner School and loved it. Our youngest is currently in 5th grade and is absolutely thriving. There is lots of interesting projects, hands-on learning, outdoor explorations in the gardens, wetland, forest and WSU Vancouver. He thrives with the multi-curriculum approach so each project and assignment can meet his learning needs, whether it is visual arts, computer program, writing, storytelling, reading, math, music or physical expression. He just loves it and comes home pretty excited every day. Highly recommend this school because of the caring, thoughtful and creative staff! Always working hard for great and diverse experiences.
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January 2023 by Adriana Baer
We are so happy we found Gardner. We were looking for a school that had high-quality academics alongside arts, outdoor education, physical activity, and whole-person learning. We found everything we were looking for and so much more here. The community is so wonderful and our child is thriving.
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January 2023 by George Davis
I am a grandparent of three children who are all attending the Gardner School of Arts and Sciences. I have an interest in them receiving the best possible education in their formative years. This is a school which serves that purpose.In my observations of some public schools lately there’s been a failure in educating kids to even average standards. I’ve seen unruly reprehensible and chaotic activities in our public schools. Lately we’ve seen in the media some teachers raising your kids are examples of instability, gender confusion, and lack of any real guidance. That’s not what happens at this school. Private school enrollment has increased because of this realization.I feel at a private school like the Gardner school of arts and sciences, which is supported by the parents of the students and is intimately involved with the parents has an atmosphere of safety, comfort, support, and stability.The teachers I know have a good skills and values to teach at high standards. My grandkids kids love to go to this school because it’s an exciting safe and inspiring atmosphere to pursue learning by their young and undeveloped minds in a comfortable setting. The children get support and encouragement from the skillful, kind and mindful educators. Positive feedback frequently given by the caring staff is possible because of the student to teacher ratio. I wish I could’ve gone to school like this when I was growing up, my grandkids have learned more at their age than I ever knew, and I am positive they’ll do well in the future because of receiving a solid foundation.
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December 2022 by Desireé Lorentz - Realtor (The Home Hive)
My child has been thriving since they began school at the Gardner School. They allowing learning through play, and truly listening to the interests of their students. Critical thinking, problem solving skills, kindness, and celebration of being an individual are all encouraged daily in the classroom there. They are helping my child develop in a positive, encouraging, and healthy way. The staff is kind, communicative, and sincere in their approach. I would highly recommend the Gardner School.
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July 2021 by Elisha Wilhelm
I have so many wonderful things to say about Gardner that when I started to write my review, I was having a hard time figuring out where to even start. So, I turned to my sweet 6-year-old child and asked, “What is your favorite part about Gardner?” She smiled, gave me a thumbs up and said, “I love that we got chicks! And I also love pajama days. And I like that teacher Deborah is so nice.” The Gardner School has become one of my child’s favorite places (next to Disneyland, of course). The teachers and staff are incredibly kind, accommodating, and feel like family. My favorite part of Gardner is their practice of learning through experience. The grounds at Gardner provide children a place to learn AND observe their world. The chicks that my child’s kindergarten class nurtured and watch grow from eggs, for example. What an incredible experience! My child came home each day and told me all about the growth of the eggs and was beyond thrilled when they were able to witness the chicks hatch. The small classroom size was also a huge draw for me because my child tends to be shy and uncomfortable in a large group. I also truly appreciate how the staff at Gardner focus on the children’s growth in all areas. Gardner has helped my kiddo find her voice and grow academically, emotionally, and socially. We just love Gardner so much!
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July 2021 by Saumya Kumar Dang
We have been at Gardner school for 3 years now and could not been happier!! Teachers and staff are excellent and know every child by their name and their personalities. Kids learn in a playful supportive environment with plenty of outdoor activities. Overall an excellent independent private school which lays a solid foundation for the very important early years of learning!!
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November 2019 by Frank Ventura
the patience and determination of their teachers only know two of them and I assure you that your kids are in good hands. congratulations
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June 2019 by Steve S.
Last day of school picnics are usually a bit sad, but this year's at Gardner was like the last supper. If you had only been following communications from the board, it might have gone unrecognized that this was truly the last day for so many teachers, staff, and volunteer families. Thanks to some thoughtful community members and a microphone, the many teachers, staff and volunteer families who made this school the amazing school it was, were given a proper sendoff full of kind words, hugs and many shared tears. It didn't have to be this way. Gardner used to be an incredibly supportive community, and now, some board members don't even get out of their cars. They offer a controlled narrative that supports the strong beliefs they hold behind closed doors. Unfortunately for the board and head of school, parents vote no confidence by pulling their kids out of school and teachers and staff leave the positions they have valued for so long. If you are considering this school for your children, make sure to get all of your questions answered...that would be a lot more than what this once strong and supportive community was able to do.
