From our Students and Parents
If you would like to speak with one of our student’s parents, just let us know. We are happy to connect you!
From a Trailhead parent:
“I am the mother of a 7th grader who has been attending Trailhead Community Farm School since it opened this fall. Trailhead is a fantastic school. Our son is thriving! When we first sat down as a family and read Trailhead’s website, my son said, “that sounds perfect for me!”. The first seven years of his education were in a great private school. Academically, our son did very well, but he was not doing as well as he wanted to do socially or emotionally. He would become frustrated with himself because he did not understand how most classmates could sit perfectly still, follow directions easily, and make perfect decisions, all while being able to chit chat with school mates. Since birth, our son has been a multitasker who always thinks outside the box. An artist by nature, creativity is his wheelhouse. Every single day, the professionals at Trailhead treat our son’s neurodiversity as a strength and never as a disability. He feels he is finally in a place where his differences are understood, accepted, encouraged and appreciated. He has felt able to ask for guidance without being worried he will be scolded or told to just figure it out.”
“Trailhead Community Farm School nurtures each students mind, body and soul and teaches to their strengths while enhancing their challenges. Our son has always been an experiential learner, which is Trailhead’s model. They know that all students learn in their own way and if they teach to each student’s strengths, they will be successful and engaged learners. At Trailhead, students do academic work, but it is broken up by breaks. They go outside and run, lay in hammocks, whittle, build a fort or play with the therapy animals. Students are able to build confidence and relationships with horses and trainers at Happy Hooves Therapeutic Equestrian Center. On Fridays, students are learning by exploring the world off site.”
“What many educators say about middle school is that the students just have to get through it. At Trailhead our son is experiencing adolescence along with middle school in a manner that makes 7th grade enjoyable! The professional educators and therapist(s) at Trailhead are exceptional and they genuinely love what they do and are excited to see their students arrive each morning. Our son says all the time that he loves his school and teachers because they accept him for who he is and always encourage him. As parents, school does not get better than Trailhead. We wish every child that thinks outside the box could attend Trailhead.”
From a Trailhead parent:
“I cannot begin to tell you how much the opportunity for my child to attend Trailhead Community Farm School means to me and my family. I have seen so many positive changes in my child in just a few short months. She is healthier overall - physically, intellectually, psychologically, and socially. I genuinely do not believe she would be doing this well after several years, much less over a few months, without this school. Everyone in my extended family, even those that don't see her too often (or aren't that observant) have noticed a significant positive change. The value that this school has provided for my child is innumerable.”
“We struggled so much at school before and received constant negative feedback with frequent parent conferences during which I was repeatedly told how much of a problem my child was and how the school could not accommodate the issues she created. We heard possible causes of her behavior proposed from oppositional defiant disorder to attachment disorder, none of which fit my child and were just reflections of how frustrated the school staff was trying to fit her into a mold she just couldn't fill. Everything they tried just made things worse and I just watched my child wilt and wither as the negativity wore away at her spirit. She incredibly gifted academically and scored off the charts on all of the testing she had in elementary school. However, she was unable to do 4th and 5th grade math by the start of sixth grade when we left the public schools. It was impossible for her to absorb instruction when she had such a negative environment and couldn't get the accommodations she needed to function well in a classroom. Needless to say, this experience also caused a lot of doubt and shame as a parent feeling that I was not able to give my child what she needed in life.”
“It is such a blessing to see how she's blossomed at TCFS and I am so excited about the great things to come. Instead of refusing to go to school and dreading every day, she wakes up ready for a great new day ahead and is excited to be at school. She also has had an excellent educational experience at TCFS and is learning so much in a way that really engages her and makes her see the value of the information in the real world. Before we enrolled at TCFS, I was unsure whether she would be able to attend college or even be regularly employed as an adult. Now thanks to TCFS, I have no doubt that she will excel at whatever she puts her mind to and her future is bright.”
From a Trailhead student:
“In my opinion, Trailhead is the best school for students with ADHD and/or autism because it’s not your typical school. Trailhead offers one-on-one interaction with its students when needed, e.g. when a student is struggling with a subject and can’t understand how to do said subject, all they have to do is ask and one of our teachers will provide help with anything they need. My favorite thing about Trailhead is how accepting all of the staff members are and how eager they are to help us to get over obstacles and learn more and more every day. TCFS also provides adorable animals for us to play with, and I personally love this. I believe that it is extremely therapeutic for all students currently going to Trailhead.”
“I feel that TCFS has helped me significantly with my anxiety, struggles, and communication issues.”
