Calhoun School

433 West End Avenue

New York, NY 10024

34 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on November 27, 2024

I have been at Calhoun for almost 11 years. The teachers are great. They care a lot about whether the students understand the material rather than just whether they pass. Since Calhoun is so small, the community is very close and care for each other. On the other hand, Calhoun's diversity needs to improve, not only in the student body but also in the curriculum. The athletic program could be improved, especially for girls' sports. Overall, Calhoun's culture encourages students to be involved in numerous extracurriculars and work hard in classes and towards grades.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2024

Despite its location and high fees, Calhoun disappointingly underperforms in crucial areas such as academic rigor, diversity, and extracurricular offerings. The curriculum feels outdated and fails to challenge students intellectually, lacking in modern pedagogical techniques that foster critical thinking and creativity. The school’s student and govern body and suffers from a significant lack of diversity, limiting students' exposure to different cultures and perspectives, crucial for thriving in a globalized society. It’s mostly focused on ‘indoctrinating’ the kids with their ‘preferred political fad, which is concerning given the academics are also poor.Additionally, Calhoun offers no extracurricular activities, denying students opportunities for holistic development and exploration of varied interests outside the traditional classroom setting. This absence of a diverse and engaging extracurricular program further compounds the schools failure to provide a well-rounded, future-ready education. The free museums in walking distance from the school are all the trips my son did in the four years he has been at the schoolTo end on a positive note, there are a few teachers over the years that have ignited my sons curiousity on some academic topics but those rock star teachers unfortunately all left the school
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2023

Our family has had an amazing experience at Calhoun. Our daughter has been here for six years, and is now entering middle school. We have seen firsthand how our daughter has been met, nurtured and challenged to grow in a vibrant, engaging environment. The cross-curricular approach and the environment of curiosity and exploration that her teachers have fostered have led her to develop into a confident, self-aware, motivated and creative learner and thinker. She has a supportive friend group, and there is a strong culture of mutual respect amongst her peers. We are so happy she is at Calhoun, and grateful for the community that our family has become a part of here.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2022

Coming out of preschool, we applied to 15 independent schools. If I knew now what I knew then, we would have only applied to Calhoun. We have consistently received constructive feedback during our parent-teacher conferences, and we feel that the teachers/administrators/staff and our family have a partnership to guide our daughter in her growth. She is thriving academically and socially. The pedagogy of "open inquiry" is excellent for our daughter. The school really meets her where she's at. Our daughter does the After School Program (all the kids in her class do at least one day, most do 5 days) and she's at Calhoun for 10 hours a day (8am bus to 6pm). At the end of the day, she comes down the stairs with a huge smile on her face. That's a long day! She loves school. On top of the Calhoun education that she's receiving, the families we have met are just lovely - down to earth and very friendly. Another observation, in our daughter's grade, 99% of the families have both working parents. As a working mother myself, this was an added bonus. Our daughter is currently in first grade, and this is our second year at Calhoun.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2022

Happy, My kid is happy comes home excited about school. He is in 6th grade and I am surprised at how "easy' it has been for him to transition into middle school. Academically it feels much less rigorous because of how little HW he has, in reality they cover a lot of ground but without the pressure, endless HW and drama of other institutions.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2021

Calhoun is a wonderful school. It is invested and interested in becoming a better school for the children, the families and the community. The children are learning to think and explore and not to take everything at face value. Academics are important, but taught in such a way that the children don't know they are learning, but coming home with something new everyday. The curriculum is thoughtful and well planned. All voices are important and there is ample settings where everyone can be heard. My daughter was at an all girls school for years and always felt like an outsider and not seen. At Calhoun, not only is she seen, but she is learning to use her voice. And she isn't lost in the multitude. She feels safe. There are no walls in the space and it is designed to symbolize the openness of the faculty, and staff to see and listen to each individual.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2021

Our son is in 4th grade and has been at Calhoun since preschool. We wholeheartedly recommend a Calhoun education! Most importantly, Calhoun teaches children to THINK. The curriculum unfolds each year and builds on the prior year's foundation of learning and making connections within and across subjects.The academics have been excellent and tailored to each child. We were initially surprised that by 3rd grade, the children see different teachers for each subject. This has been terrific: teachers are passionate about their area of study and expert in teaching their subjects. This passion is ignited in students! (As we've had an opportunity to observe during remote learning.) Also, we've been impressed by how well teachers have gotten to know and understand our son. This shines through in semester reports, which have been uniformly thoughtful and demonstrate a deep understanding of our child!Calhoun is a very HAPPY place. When we toured NYC schools, we were struck by how happy students seemed in every classroom. (as well, we were blown away by a middle school jazz class and a very advanced literature conversation --can't remember what grade)The school is also thoughtfully and well-run. During COVID, I have not heard of one other NYC private school that took so many proactive measures to keep students in school safely and provide flexibility for families. examples: Students are tested WEEKLY w saliva test (unexpected additional benefit - our family feels safer in general, not just at school), Calhoun rented additional classroom space to create more physical distancing, enabled families to choose remote vs in-person or a combination. Perhaps more importantly as it relates to COVID, we were amazed and impressed and grateful last spring how teachers helped student voice and process their feelings about the pandemic and suddenly having their lives shut down. More than once, I had a tear listening to class discussions.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2021

We have a recent graduate from the high school at Calhoun, and currently have a junior and 6th grader attending. During this very challenging time (I write this review in January of 2021 for context), we feel even that much luckier to have our kids attend the Calhoun School. The entire administration and staff has worked overtime to see to it that our children, but also our families, navigate remote learning, forced quarantine periods, and a tumultuous time politically, all while maintaining a level of consistency that we all desperately crave and need right now. School communications are top notch, an example set by the head of school, "down to" class reps. We have very different types of learners in our children--a classic social butterfly who is easily distracted, to an over achieving Type-A student, to another who is somewhere in between. Calhoun has met each of our kids where they are, and has provided a student led experience that has enabled them to thrive, challenged them appropriately, and taught/teaches them that they can achieve more than perhaps even they believed of themselves.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2020

I have two children in Calhoun lower school for the past few years. It is a truly amazing school where the sense of community defines the school. Especially since the pandemic, they have upped their game even more. Seeing all teachers and administrators at drop off every morning, welcoming all students and parents to school in itself is a truly unique experience where one realizes Calhoun is really a family, one that is really needed and appreciated during such difficult times. From an educational perspective, originally I had my doubts about progressive education. Yet, seeing Calhoun do it for my girls, who are very different learners, and seeing how each child is evolving into her own different self while being exposed to a very diverse, advanced and challenging curriculum that is tailored to each child's style of learning made me become a big fan. I am truly grateful that my children are a part of such a unique learning environment always aiming the best.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2020

Calhoun offers a great education. They are child-centered and progress according to child development. Children truly thrive and come into their own with confidence.
Submitted by parent on November 25, 2020

I have two children at this school, and both began at Calhoun in kindergarten. My older child is a very easy going, and has always thrived in school environments. Calhoun has been the wonderful experience we expected for this child. They are excited to go to school and see their peers and teachers each morning, and return home with intelligent questions and thoughtfully formed opinions about our world. They have developed a strong love of both reading and math, and have a good attitude about the subjects that don't rank in their "favorites". My younger child has had a more difficult path, and really struggled to find their place at their nursery school and in pre-k. Our younger child has just begun their Calhoun experience and it has been already been an incredible change. The same child who cried every morning for years at their previous school, now gets upset at the thought of missing a day of Calhoun. They are forming bonds with their peers and have a deep love of their classroom teachers. They love reading, music, art and Spanish, and are rapidly growing in confidence in all the basics that accompany the kindergarten curriculum. Calhoun is an incredible community. The teachers love and invest in each and every student- it is truly a place where the vast majority of children will find space to thrive.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2019

We are grateful to have found such a wonderful home away from home for our daughter. She is both engaged and comfortable. It's a very rare combination of a caring social-emotional environment that encourages self expression and a rich, intellectually stimulating learning environment.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2019

I've waited a few years to write this. Our child is now at a (depending on how you rank these things) top-ten liberal arts college. The point isn't rank, but that it is, by any measure, an outstanding/highly-competitive school. And even that you might not care about. However, consider: after quite a few years there, we pulled the kids out of Calhoun middle school. After a bit of catch-up, they received an outstanding education via NYC public school. (Good enough to deliver them whatever college/life they wish.) It's tough to decide whether to be more offended by the the indifferent education Calhoun offered them, or the financial cost it represented to us. I do note we consider them better-educated in public school. And having opted-out of many years of Calhoun tuition, college, for our family, is effectively free. "Quality" and "cost" aren't the only measures of childrens' education. But if you have a reasonably decent framework of friends and family, perhaps they ought to be strongly considered.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2019

I have three kids at the school and have been very happy with our multi-year experience there. My kids (who are very different learners from each other) have each benefitted from the progressive approach, the teachers have been wonderful and open to dialogue to address any concerns that I may have, and the school community is warm and supportive. The recent changes in the administration have introduced some of the more ‘traditional’ metrics for academic assessment, while retaining a strong progressive philosophy. Yes, the school won’t appeal to everyone, especially the type A competitive parents who are single-mindedly focused on getting their kids into the Ivy Leagues. However, the school teaches the kids to appreciate the process of learning and discovery rather than rogue memorization driven by test scores and benchmark comparisons.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2019

I have one child at this school and am about to send my second child in September. The teachers are wonderful and the I have been so impressed with how warm the Calhoun community is. My child loves going to school every day and really loves to learn.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2019

I have two children at the school and I have really been so happy with how they have learned and developed thus far. The community of parents is welcoming and we have all felt so fortunate to be part of Calhoun.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2019

I have three kids at Calhoun. Even after being at the school for many years, almost weekly I am blown away at something one of the kids is doing at school. Whether it’s a school project, a field trip, a classroom discussion or my kids teaching me something new - the level of learning that takes place at Calhoun continually make me say “wow.” I’m thankful we have found Calhoun for our kids as they are thriving academically, socially and emotionally and are happy to go to school everyday.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2019

Calhoun School is an amazing learning institution that takes into account the entire child. I have had nothing but positive experiences at Calhoun. My child has received individualized attention and has grown and learned so much in her two years at Calhoun. The environment is warm, positive, safe and creative. Small class sizes, with the opportunity to socialize with other classes (and grades), has made her a confident in her abilities and skills. The teachers have very special and unique relations with the students. The lessons have drawn out a curious little lady with a thirst to learn more. She brings home questions and thoughts about her day, which I do my best to answer, but always feel comfortable asking the faculty for help if I need it. There is open communication between parents and faculty, and the weekly reports I receive are incredible. Overall - Calhoun School is so magical and helps create confident, articulate, curious and creative minds. Can’t wait to see what the future holds with the new Head of School, and how my child continues to learn.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2018

I have two kids in this school and I couldn't be happier with their approach to learning and community building. I feel my kids are getting a very high quality academic education while also learning king to be compassionate, well-rounded human beings.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2017

I agree with the most recent review that Calhoun fails as an educational institution. They teach grade levels below other schools and do not challenge children who are more capable by individualizing, as they claim. Our child has attended for 5 years and we thank our lucky stars we were able to transfer out. Most families aren't as fortunate.