Applewild School

120 PROSPECT ST

Fitchburg, MA 01420

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 04, 2025

The community here is great, and the faculty is outstanding. Flexible schedules, and tuition for a reasonable price. My kids are in preschool here and having a fantastic time while learning a lot!
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2025

There is no other school I would send my student to. I am excited to see the new athletic facility and playground that is being built.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2025

The Foundations Program at Applewild is phenomenal! My son is severely dyslexic and in this program he receives the OG tutoring that he needs. He is flourishing - the program is “language based” and provides the academic support he needs for his dyslexia & dysgraphia. For a kid that struggled so much at school, he’s found a place he fits and that fits him.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2024

Until there is a change in leadership, I would avoid Applewild. I can give anecdotal reasons but here are some facts.-7 years ago they had about 180 elementary DAY students between two campuses (Fitchburg and Devens), currently Applewild has about 110 elementary DAY students with about 30 boarding students-There were 16 students in the class for my youngest. 6 years later, the class only has 6 of those students still attending. The other 10 have left. -There were 17 students in the class for my oldest. 7 years later, 2 of those students still attend and the other 15 have left. -Staff attrition: Only 14/70 staff total (teachers, staff, facilities, administration) still work thereOnly 4 of the 14 are student facing teachersMy youngest never had a teacher my oldest had Every teacher my youngest had has left the school except for 1. Attrition from last year to this year (based on this year’s family directory)Kindergarten had 19 students, only 8 returned for this year (1 is a faculty child)1st grade had 10 students, only 8 returned this year (1 is a faculty child)2nd grade had 14 students, only 8 returned this year (1 is a faculty child)*If you google average attrition for a private school, it says it is about 10-11%If you are looking to apply, I would encourage you to speak to those in your town and to local Central MA facebook groups to hear what others have experienced at Applewild. There is a reason why the other independent schools in the area have waitlists and Applewild’s day student enrollment continues to decrease. You should also ask to see and then carefully read the contract prior to signing as there is language within it that limits a family’s ability to speak up and advocate for their children.
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2024

Avoid this school. The current leadership at the highest levels is careless and sloppy at best, grossly incompetent at other times. They've failed to keep accurate records of my children's time there, and then claim they are exempt from maintaining and sharing such records due to being a private school. The head of school ignored complaints from staff about unsafe play surfaces, resulting in injuries to children. Leadership regularly misled families and misrepresented what class levels and what specials would be offered. Leadership threatened families with expulsion for sharing concerns about the direction of the school.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2024

I'm surprised by the negative reviews below as they have been so far off from the experience that we have had with our two children at the school.We enrolled our two boys during COVID-19, and the school has gone through some significant changes since then—the vast majority positive.We have found that our boys have been appropriately challenged and supported academically. The faculty are all remarkably mission-driven and student-centered. The curriculum encourages curiosity and allows students to explore their own interests. There is a growing club and extra-curricular program and the athletic program is on the rise as well. I highly recommend Applewild School and would send our boys there again if we had to do it over again.
Submitted by other on October 07, 2023

Applewild is not the school it was 5,10, even 20 years ago and they are trying to survive on old luster. Staff is over stretched and students are no longer getting the rigorous approach that once was. Last year in grades 4-5 there was no standard writing curriculum for students so those grade levels are behind in their schooling. There are administrators who are more interested in filling boarding student houses while forgetting the every day workings of the day school. Bullying is pushed under the rug and nothing is ever done about it. Racist comments happen and somehow those go unnoticed or fall off deaf ears. The comments seem to come from the same group yet they are still enrolled at the school. When parents bring up issues that need to be resolved they are presented with “we think your child should see a counselor because they have anxiety. When in reality it’s the Applewild environment that is creating the unneeded anxiety for the student. These family then becomes the “crazy” family because they’re trying to address their child’s needs. Administrations lie to the parents and students constantly and find they’re favorite way to bully and belittle daily. Teachers are intimidated by administration for fear of losing their job on a daily basis. There has been a huge teacher turnover from 2019 to present and only 3-4 original Applewild teachers remain. The Devens campus was substantially downsized last year leaving parents in the community only weeks to figure out what to do with their children for the following year and the option they were given was to come to the Fitchburg campus for a much higher added fee for next year. Parents had to scramble to find after school care very quickly with very little explanation or notice. Their foundations program for Language based learning programs needs an entire over site and this school needs to look outside of their walls for proper training. They don’t have properly trained teachers in the areas of struggle needed. There are no occupational therapist or speech and language pathologists. There is also no full time counselor to support children’s emotional needs with learning challenges, . There are many valuable resources in this area that could help them but the head of school said that all training can be done with the professionals they have now. Also, board has no oversight and is said to work for ahead master and not in the best interest of the institution. Major over site is needed ASAP.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2023

My child had a traumatic experience at applewild where they were chastised and unsupported to the point where they were anxious. They left applewild two full grade levels behind in reading and luckily caught up in a new school by the end of the school year. The school ignored my pleas for help until I pulled my child from the school. Amy Jolly has destroyed the reputation of a once amazing educational institution. Since we’ve left I’ve heard more than one teacher say ohhh applewild? Every kid leaves there with an IEP. With the nearly $15,000 I spent I’d expect some semblance of teaching skill but they are more concerned with looking good on social and attracting new students than actually teaching.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2022

2 very different campuses with very different leaders. 5 stars and above for Applewild Devens. 1 star for Applewild Fitchburg…
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2022

If your political views are leftist, you’ll love it. One of my son’s teachers had a picture of Bernie Sanders dressed as Superman, punching then-President Trump in the face on a book shelf in his classroom. Why wait for college to indoctrinate your child into leftist ideologies? Start ‘em young at Applewild! This is the kind of thing you’d expect in public schools, but at least in public schools the indoctrination doesn’t cost 30 grand a year. Way to promote violence too, BTW. Not too in line with the school’s “core values”. If they didn’t have double standards they’d have none at all.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2021

Applewild has changed its standards. Teachers are overworked taking on a multitude of responsibilities and students are not challenged. Leadership has disintegrated. The quality of students accepted have declined- there is bullying and standards have diminished to accommodate new students and families. Classroom sizes have grown (Some classes as big as 20 now), critical thinking is non existent and many traditions of the school have disappeared. Talented teachers are leaving and families who have been there for years are looking elsewhere. I’m hoping to find alternative schooling for my current student and those of us staying are feeling stuck and hoping that it’s just one more year to get through. Applewild has become a very expensive public school.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2020

I wish we came to Applewild sooner. It is the best choice we have made for our daughter.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2019

Applewild has been the best choice we have made for our daughter and her education. Friends always ask why we choose to send our daughter to a private school when we live in a community that already offers an exceptional public school experience. For us, small class size, diversity in the classroom, and creative and innovative curriculum are some of the reasons that compelled us to make the switch.At Applewild, each teacher, administrator, and member of the community knows my daughter by name, who she is as a person, and appreciates her as she is. The teachers are able to challenge her academically and personally, as they understand how she learns and what her strengths and weaknesses are. They work collaboratively with parents to ensure the children are not only growing as learners, but as human beings. The strong sense of mission, culture and values is something my daughter has benefitted from, in addition to, having clear rules and policies regarding how community members treat one another.The expectations are high in all areas of school life - academics, social interactions, athletics, and community engagement; however, this is all balanced with constant encouragement and support from Applewild that helps the children feel successful, even when things are hard, new, unfamiliar, or uncertain.Applewild is a special place, with staff who deeply care about their students and their roles as educators. We feel very lucky to be embraced by a community that is helping our daughter realize her best self.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2019

Applewild is a school like no other. It gives each child the support and foundation that is necessary to be successful in life.
Submitted by other on January 14, 2019

I am intensely grateful that school was always a positive experience for me as a kid. If I had gone to a place with large classes full of disinterested students and teachers, where kids were ridiculed for leaving their comfort zone and good students were dismissed as nerds, I fear that I never would have developed positive associations with academics and the arts. Thankfully, I went to Applewild, and I was more than prepared for secondary school, and for most of the twists and turns I've run into thus far in life.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2018

We live in a town with a very good public school system (currently ranked #1 in New Hampshire) yet we were looking for something exceptional for our child who is bright, creative, and loves learning. We decided to explore independent and private schools in search of a more individualized learning experience. We found what we were looking for and more at Applewild. Applewild has smaller class sizes, a rigorous and challenging curriculum, plenty of specials and sports. The teachers are warm, engaging, talented, and passionate. The students are focused, eager to learn, articulate, and courteous. Our child is thriving at Applewild where he is reading significantly above grade level. He is being appropriately challenged across all of this classes/subjects. Our son also loves the specials: French, P.E., art, drama, music, chorus, shop, and library. He is eager to share about his day and practice the French words he is learning at home. I recall when we toured the school he was intrigued by the balance toy the lower school students make in wood shop class. He talked about it frequently before he was admitted to the school. It brought our family so much joy when he recently brought that same balance toy home that he made and painted himself in shop. He was so excited to show it to us and demonstrate all the different places it can be placed and still balance. We believe that an Applewild education will lead to many high school options for our son. The matriculation of Applewild students is impressive. Upon graduation, many Applewild students go on to distinguished high schools: Groton School, Bancroft School, Lawrence Academy, Cushing Academy, among a number of private and public high schools. Our family had concerns about affordability, since the tuition at Applewild is significant for our family. However, through the Access Applewild Program, our tuition became within our reach. We still stretch a lot financially to pay the tuition, but we are extremely grateful for the assistance and are thrilled to be able to provide our child with this extraordinary opportunity. I encourage any family interested in exploring educational options for their child/children to visit Applewild for a tour. Many of the things I’ve described in this review will be evident during your tour. You’re sure to fall in love with the school!
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2017

Our family has been an active member of the Applewild community for the last four years. Not only has the experience been wonderful for our daughter but our family has grown as a result of a very deep and real collaboration that we have built with the teachers and leadership. They have been open to our thoughts and have made themselves available on a regular basis with honesty and partnership. At the end of each year, I try to reflect on both what my child has learned as well as what I have learned over the course of the last year. There generally is more than I can summarize in a few thoughts but let me say this. Applewild has been for our child more than I could have hoped. She is deeply known not only by her teacher and the lower school head but also by each teacher in the school. They all value her strengths and work with her to ensure that she is getting the absolute best from the experience. Sure there are worksheets related to some topics but there has also been some incredible project based learning opportunities. Last year for example, we watched as our daughter learned deeply about an important Egyptian female figure. She delivered a five minute oral presentation, developed a presentation board and even sewed her own period appropriate costume. In that one project, it was clear that she had not only learned about her assigned historical figure but she was also challenged to organize her time and learn strategies for presenting information both in the written and oral forms. Each child in the class created an equally though entirely different presentation and seeing them all displayed at one event was awe inspiring. This year, her very deep study asked her to research, create and present a timeline as well as a board game that incorporated facts about her assigned president. Not only did we all learn more about FDR than we'd ever known but we also learned about WWII and the Great Depression. Further, she learned how to utilize a computer program to create timelines and the art of combining learning and artistic skills. Each of these examples has shown us just how much the school works to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn in an environment that values varying learning styles and plays to individuals strengths. Being a part of this community is a gift not only for the children but for the families as well.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2017

I used all my savings to send my children to Applewild because they are strong students and were losing interest in learning due to being under-challenged and highly distracted by social issues. I expected Applewild to be a loving environment that would offer my children creative outlets that would re-engage them in learning. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! The curriculum lacked innovation and many of the lessons have not changed in years. The school confuses volume of work with rigor (there were lots of worksheets, copying notes, and other low-level thinking assignments). As far as the environment, if you do not start in Kindergarten and if you are not in a situation to have one stay-at-home parent who can be at the school constantly, you are treated like an outsider. One girl continuously bullied my daughter and the school did nothing to address this and denied there was an issue. My son had an unqualified substitute for months. When I brought up these concerns, the administration retaliated in a really hurtful manner. I ended up withdrawing my students and even with tuition insurance I was forced to pay thousands of dollars for nothing. This was the worst decision of my life. It was a terrible experience that left me with an empty wallet and has had a very negative impact on my children. DO NOT send your students here, use the extra money to invest in music, chorus and woodshop lessons (these are the only classes that are worth paying for at Applewild).
Submitted by other on March 06, 2015

I went to Applewild for fifth through and eighth grade and graduated with the Class of 2014. My memories from Applewild, academic, athletic, and social, are some of the best I have. The boys' soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams are all great. My main sport is lacrosse and I enjoyed all three years I spent on the varsity team. The coach, Mr. Jones, is really funny and great to be around. He was also my history teacher for sixth and eighth grade, and he sparked my interest in history. I placed 15th in the nation in National History Day (I created a website with one of my friends), and we wouldn't have been able to do it without Mr. Jones or Applewild teaching us the things we need to be successful. Hands down the best pre high school independent school.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2014

Applewild has been an excellent choice for all of my children. It put them well ahead of their peers and prepared them well for the rigors of private secondary prep school education. They all began in 5th grade and were instantly welcomed into the community by the children and faculty. I am grateful for the superior education.