Summers-Knoll School

2203 Platt Road

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

30 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 23, 2023

My older child went to Summers-Knoll through last year (K-5th) and my youngest is still there (now in second). Summers-Knoll has been like a second home to them. They feel loved and seen and have always been super excited to go to school. I’ve never had a day where my kids didn’t want to go. I’m sure that is in large part due to the amazing teachers, excellent field trips and engaging projects. The kids spend hours outside each day and learn things like the “science of sledding”. Really that was a physics lesson (force, mass, acceleration) and one that was absorbed and not forgotten. I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the schools model although I knew according to research project-based learning mixed with lots of time outdoors is the best way for kids to learn (look at Finland). But as an academic the lack of testing and the structure was a challenge for me. However, my eldest daughter thrived and by the end of fifth grade was years ahead in math and reading at a high school level. The school is also diverse and really brings all children and families into the community. My kids have also learned about social justice, different cultures and religions. Overall, the school has simply been an amazing place for my children to be for the last 6 years and so I cannot more strongly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2021

This has been an amazing learning community for our two children!
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2021

My child has been at Summers-Knoll for 5 years, K-4th. The school uses project-based learning which has been a positive experience for my child. Instead of studying individual subjects separately, the project-based approach will take a topic that the students are passionate about, such as Ancient Egypt, and then build lessons and activities around that topic. For example, the science behind mummies, the art of Egyptian mythology, a field trip to see Egyptian artifacts, etc... My child responded well to this approach and as a result, he is very engaged at school and loves attending.The teachers are attentive to my child's individual needs. In some subjects he is ahead of his grade level and they have been able to customize his lessons to keep him challenged. For example, in second grade, he took math in the third grade class, and his teacher gave him high-school level spelling lists.
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2018

We have nothing but good things to say about our experience in the elementary school. Our children are thriving, gaining new skills, doing well socially, and are genuinely excited to go to school each day. The leadership of the school has been fantastic, we couldn't recommend it more.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2018

We love being part of Summers-Knoll community. My daughter is learning in a nurtured environment where she feels happy, safe and motivated.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2018

For many years this school was an excellent fit for my child but recently things have changed. In the younger grades it appears that the progressive school philosophy is alive and well. But at the upper grades things are much different. The learning by doing, individualized learning and getting out into the world philosophy that is so prevalent in the elementary years has almost totally evaporated in many parts of the later grades. A couple of the newly hired teachers do not have that caring and nurturing nature that made this school so wonderful. Very disappointed at many of the cut backs made at the school as well. The school could really use a good cleaning inside and out. It is also hard to justify the increased tuition cost for the upper grades.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2018

We had our concerns about the head of school from the get go, but set them aside because we liked the philosophy and community of the school. That was a mistake on our part. Competency matters much more than philosophy and SK is an extremely poorly run school.
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2018

We have nothing but great things to say about SK's preschool. We moved him here from another preschool in Ann Arbor, and he's flourished. Personal attention, great curriculum, passionate teachers, and welcoming community!
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2018

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with our decision to join the SK community. Teachers care for each and every child and make them feel appreciated and loved. SK is a second family in which parents truly care about education as it should be: fostering a lifelong love of learning in children. SK is one of those schools that makes you wish you could go back to kindergarten and start life all over again.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2018

We are extremely happy our son is at this school. Not only is he happier, but he is excited to learn again! That’s the way school should be.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2018

My 2 children are thriving at SK. The creativity in teaching these youngsters helps them to develop critical thinking skills that will be paramount when they are older. I'm so thankful my kids have the opportunity to attend this school.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2018

As a parent, I had mixed feelings about the school. My child made friends, loved the teachers and most of the staff. Loved the classes and after school programs. But was sad that bullying was allowed to occur, was confused that adults would not help with this, and a deep depression set in that we are still trying to get a handle on to this day. I'm ultimately glad that we left Summers-Knoll. I wish I could have a 50K refund, BUT I do wish leadership from the Head of school and the Board of Directors was much, much stronger, making Summers-Knoll as advertised because I do think the concept is a great one that could work under the right leadership.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2018

Amazing. We enrolled our daughter as a kindergartner 3 years ago and I could not have asked for a better experience for her. She loves school, loves learning, loves her teachers and friends. She has loved learning French and Latin and Math and Music. Our daughter is moving on to 3rd grade now, at SK and we are thrilled to be sending our son to kindergarten now. We are so lucky to have found SK.
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2018

A wonderful progressive and project-based school that puts the emphasis on the most crucial stuff: critical thinking, creative problem-solving, curiosity, respect, encountering the wider world with eyes (and heart) wide open. My child, heading into her seventh year, couldn't love it more. And under new leadership the school has only gotten better over these last two years.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2018

I could write a lengthy paper on all of the things I love about this school for my daughter. She looks forward to school breaks ending so she can get back to school and at the end of the day she frequently begs to just stay at school. The staff is focused on teaching the whole student. Teachers are given the freedom and resources to design a curriculum that engages students while also ensuring the students improve in the core curricular areas of math, English, science, and social studies. Often times learning in these subject areas is accomplished through field trips, innovative projects, experiments, guest speakers, and discussions of real world situations and challenges. There never seems to be a dull day of school at Summers-Knoll.Through the leadership of the Head of School, Summers-Knoll continues to find the balance between progressive education in which students are given the chance to discover content on their own with teacher led instruction to ensure students understand the content. Students learn how to think, discover, analyze, and work together which will serve them well at Summers-Knoll, in high school, college, and beyond.Finally, I don't want to forget about the music, art, PE, and language instructions. These teachers are just as important to the Summers-Knoll experience as the homeroom teachers. Summers-Knoll should serve as a model for schools, private and public, to follow.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2017

Our kids are thriving at S-K. We have been part of the S-K community for six years, and we intend to stay all the way through 8th grade. Both the elementary and middle school programs provide an optimal learning environment that develops passionate, curious learners. Social and emotional development is as important as academics too. S-K kids are both nurtured and challenged which is a rare combination in a school. We are so grateful that this kind of progressive, project-based learning option with small class sizes exists. The best way to understand the unique S-K difference is to see it in action with a tour when classes are in session. Seeing just how engaged the kids are in the classroom and beyond is the true test for a school. S-K kids are deeply engaged in their work and play.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2017

We enrolled our twins in this school for kindergarten, simply because we had heard the school offers the best kindergarten in town. It does. We had anticipated moving the children to public school for first grade. They are now in the 4 th grade at Summers Knoll. This school offers something that no other school in the area offers. The classes are small, the learning comes alive in integrated projects that make learning meaningful, relevant and engaging . It is a community of people who care about the kids, care about the community at school, and care about the larger community around them. After school activities and clubs, and adventure days offered on school holidays are an additional and outstanding feature of this school. When your child attends this school, you really feel the child is known, appreciated and supported.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2017

The Preschool @ SK is a true gem! Our experience this year has been nothing but positive and in fact, it's overwhelming how incredible this school has been for our son and our family. Preschools in Ann Arbor vary greatly and there are so many wonderful choices. What initially set SK apart for us were three things: (1) the teacher to student ratio of 1:6 which is often more like 1:4 during most of the day(2) the class size is capped at 12 students (with two teachers in the room!!) which allows for so much one on one time and (3) the school's desire to solicit and include parent input. Our son's teachers, Clara (lead), Natalie and Resa are perfect complements for each other in the classroom and it provides a wonderfully diverse experience for our son. Clara has made us feel like family and there is not a more wonderful person on the planet (seriously, she's amazing). It comes up almost weekly between my husband and I how lucky we feel to have found this school.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2017

Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. My wife went through private schooling her entire childhood and on to a PhD at one of our leading universities. I went through public school and eventually a Masters. We spent over a year thinking about and selecting the right school for our older son as he entered Kindergarten. We knew he needed smaller classes, more access to teachers not stretched by too many students and the chance to approach topics experimentally, not just with workbooks. Math is taught using the Singapore method which I didn't know anything about before. It makes total sense that children learn first through objects and benefit from going deeper into core math topics, not a broad sweep of general topics. We are very, very happy with SK and intend to keep our child there through middle school and add our second son when he enters Kindergarten in a few years.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2017

I have had two kids at the school. For one it was a great experience; the school's emotionally supportive environment was very helpful. While it sometimes wasn't obvious what they were learning, by graduation we had a kid who really came into their own academically as well as personally.For the other, "twice exceptional," it didn't work out as well. While many faculty were excellent with this child, there wasn't enough support from the entire staff & administration.