Little Earth School

321 West Zia Road

Santa Fe, NM 87505

5 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-3
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 06, 2024

We went to Little Earth School last year, while my son was a 3rd grader. We still talk about it, as a model of education that exists, that we feel very lucky to have been part of. I am glad to know this exists as a template of education.Caroline and Jill, the two Directors, listen more than any other administrators I have met, to parent concerns. They are soft, sensitive, kind, and make time to hear all perspectives. It can't have been easy... with so much erupting in the world these past few years. They make space for safety and hold a lot... for families, kids, teachers. I am impressed by how they handle situations and the excellent resources they made possible, in terms of teachers.Linda is pure love. My son recently went to an international school when we moved back home. He talked about missing Linda often. He would show me the yoga poses she had shown him and act as an instructor to me as we did them together. At the end of this school year, they were learning about clouds. The teacher asked if anyone knew how clouds form. My son raised his hand and said "the evaporation rises to make a cloud." The teacher was impressed. My son is dyslexic. It showed our new teacher how deep the imprint can be of project-based learning. The love in the classroom, the time spent outside sledding, the time with Norbert or playing gnomes, led to a sense of play, the Emilio Reggio method, that made the kids sink into learning as play, that made them settle into their bodies and minds and be open and receptive to learning, too, I think.Little Earth is incredibly measured about discipline. They are cautious about not destroying a child's world. They wouldn't ask a child or family to leave without taking a very measured approach and trying, multiple times, to resolve the issue. If there was a safety threat to other kids, I feel they might take this route. They are very feeling oriented and attuned to the families and the children they work with. They support childhood, above all else. They would not ask a family to leave unless the safety of others was being put at risk. This did happen while I was there, that two boys who were brothers, were acting in an unsafe manner. The boys left to another school and were asked to leave there, too.This is a very loving environment, in which kids can still be kids. Art, play, cursive, reading... the kids get on the floor to draw out projects. They spend as much time in nature as is possible. They believe in parents and families.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2022

The school is very good in many was but they are not so effective with lively strong-willed boys. They expelled our boy a few weeks before the school year ended.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2020

Agree with other review: As long as you’re an easy to teach and deal with kind of kid they are willing to teach you.
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2019

The parents and community are amazing. The leadership is ineffective, outdated and close minded. The majority of the teaching staff are amazing and loving, but I do see were some have lost their passion for this work.
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2018

Both my son and daughter went to Little Earth School and they have very different personalities and I always felt that the school really respected and honored each of them as individuals. They are now moving out into the wider world as remarkable whole people who both love to learn. I feel they got an amazing foundation at Little Earth School!