Baker Demonstration School

201 Sheridan Road

Wilmette, IL 60091

59 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 31, 2022

We made the switch to Baker when my daughter was entering 4th grade. The transition was seamless. The kids were welcoming, and the teachers and staff reached out to make sure my daughter's needs were met, both academically and socially. The thing that struck me most about the switch to Baker was the change in my daughter's overall personality. Pre-Baker, she was a great kid, but she seemed anxious and a bit on edge when it came to navigating social dynamics. She also lacked confidence academically. Almost immediately after beginning Baker, there was no more anxiety about social dynamics--my daughter looked forward to attending school every day and had no problems navigating friendships with the kids at Baker. She also found her confidence academically and began taking on challenges with a more positive attitude. Overall, my suggestion is, if you are thinking about Baker, go for it.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2022

his past year (2021) my wife and I enrolled my daughter at Baker for 4th grade. It was a fantastic experience. From the very beginning we, as a family, felt welcomed. Whether it was an initial school tour, or a new student meet and greet, everyone from staff, to the administration, to already enrolled students and their parents welcomed us with open arms by answering any and all questions we had with both sincerity and warmth. The level and degree to which the parents of Baker students are involved from both recruitment and during the school year is amazing. As my daughter warmed up to the school as the school year started, teachers were there for support every step of the way with understanding and hand-holding when needed. She thrived. The progressive education was a great fit. We love the smaller class rooms - we love the focus on arts - we love the focus on real-world learning instead of just textbooks. People there really care about their peers. It's truly an amazing school.
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2022

Each year we are impressed by the faculty's knowledge and commitment. They consistently see the students as individuals and meet them where they are, recognizing social and emotional needs at each stage of development. The 4th and 5th graders pursue special projects based on their own interests and become buddies to younger students, learning self-agency, giving back, and pride in accomplishment. In middle-school, the benefits of progressive teaching take hold as the students navigate adolescence and increased academic demands. With a foundation of respect for themselves and others, the students take ownership of their learning and their role in the school community. Beyond what Baker taught us as a family, we are grateful for the community of like-minded, thoughtful parents working together to support the success of the students. We would do it all over again without hesitation and are glad we took the leap when we enrolled our daughter back in junior kindergarten. Our daughter is well prepared for high school.
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2022

Our child has attended Baker for a few years and we just love it. It's a truly special school - the first thing you're struck by are the incredible teachers who create deep, authentic and caring relationships with their students and classrooms. They truly know and understand where each student is coming from. Because of the manageable class sizes, they are also really able to focus on hands-on learning and differentiate for each student's needs - our child has loved the curriculum in every grade and I'm amazed at what a deep math and science thinker she's become, how thoughtfully she can read and analyze books and poetry, and how she's allowed to flourish creatively. And Baker nurtures children in every grade with a strong emphasis on social emotional needs, as well - that was another thing we were struck by, how very kind and close-knit the kids are as a classroom and as a school, as well as with the families and teachers.
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2022

Baker philosophy of addressing the whole child really resonated with us as physical health and being agents of positive change in the world is just as important as the fundamentals of math, reading, science and social studies. It was an unexpected delight to shift from stress about her learning environment to sincere gratitude for the unique learning opportunities and individualized attention that are just part of her new daily routine. The classroom is a positive learning environment where students shift from individual work to group projects throughout the day. Physical education is every day and includes traditional PE, swimming, and movement/dance. Art is twice a week and is based on an open studio concept allowing students to direct their own exploration with the teacher offering class demonstrations on different art techniques throughout the year and providing individualized support. My daughter uses the sewing machine, created ceramics her teacher baked in the kiln, and learned a Japanese weaving technique among so many more projects. Her tech class included using a 3D printer. The fundamentals of reading and math are addressed directly in focused core classes and woven into special theme projects for additional practice and application giving her learning more meaning and immediacy. Music includes a rotation among instruments like keyboard, drums, and guitar for classroom performances at school events, music history and Karaoke time. We have been pleased with the safety measures related to general student safety in these times and specific to COVID. We are hopeful that are more data is available and now that younger children are eligible for vaccination even more of the school wide traditions can involve parents, caregivers, and friends. We enjoyed the talent show, bonfire, and Halloween parade in person and appreciated the ability to Zoom in for the holiday sing where our daughter's class performed Eye of the Tiger as well as Grandparents and special friends day and her class play.We never anticipated choosing a private school, but are so happy that we explored the possibility and made the decision to join. There's a place for your family at Baker too!
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2022

We have three children who graduated from Baker and our youngest child remaining. We could not love the school more. We were at a local public school for five years and were happy, had wonderful teachers but wanted something smaller for our oldest for middle school. We toured Baker, he shadowed and it was an instant match. We decided to also enroll our kindergartener at Baker just for the year and then have her return to public school for first. Although we were happy with the public schools, we were amazed with Baker and the play based learned. We were amazed by her experience and the constant activity happening around her. We ended up moving all of our kids to Baker. Our kids have developed not only a deep love of school, but also a deep love of being at school, they simply never want to miss. They love their teachers, their building, their friends and the community. They are happy and confident and can self advocate. They feel like the school is their school and they are home.
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2022

I'm an alum of Baker and I left the school feeling like Baker was my second home. The culture of the school and student-centered approach made me feel like I could pursue any dream I wanted. I loved school and I loved learning, and this feeling empowered me throughout my future education and life to advocate for myself and feel in control of my destiny.When we moved back to the area after living abroad for many years, I knew that I wanted my children to have that same gift that I was given. I returned to Baker and found that the same culture and climate permeated the halls. The teachers, administrators, parents and students are passionate about the school and its mission. They are there because they love learning and they want to transfer that love to as many children as possible.Lifelong learners are built when teachers get to know their students and families and find engaging and unique ways to learn about the world we live in, this is progressive education.
Submitted by other on February 01, 2022

Baker Demonstration School has been fantastic for our family. Our daughter entered the Early Childhood program (Pre-K and Kindergarten) and has continued into the Primary School (1st-3rd grade), and our son is currently in the Early Childhood Program. The educators at Baker are constantly reviewing and evolving the curriculum and working on fostering an inclusive environment in all types of creative ways. One of our favorite programs is Wandering Wednesdays. This program exposes Kindergarten students to learning outside the classroom by taking the children into nearby parks, gardens, and forests for learning, team building, and testing of boundaries. Because of our daughter’s experience in this weekly excursion, her interest in plants, birds, and nature overall has exceeded our expectations. To this day she has a tremendous interest in birds and treating the environment with respect. She is also above grade level in reading and is developing into a confident and expressive thinker. To see this type of development at such a young age has been extremely encouraging and reinforced some great values in our daughter.In addition to our curricular experiences with our first child at Baker, our decision to enroll our son at the school was directly influenced by how well the school navigated the onset of the Covid pandemic. We found the school to offer a balanced, data-driven approach to guiding the school’s response and communication. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the processes the school put in place to keep the faculty, staff, and students informed and safe during a time when the information available was changing weekly--including weekly PCR testing and strict adherence to safety protocols. We could not have asked for a more assuring experience.
Submitted by parent on December 26, 2021

We began our Baker journey thinking that it would only be an Early Childhood experience. However, it quickly turned into a firm commitment to not only see our youngest of three graduate, but to also ensure that this very special school thrives beyond our children. This is a human-centered community that prioritizes the needs and well-being of every individual—where equity and inclusion are at the forefront. Our commitment to stay at Baker was sealed when our then four-year-old daughter wanted to sing the Somali national anthem as part of her family share in her preK class. This is a place where my children do not feel the need to leave out any parts of their identities—where they feel seen, heard, and valued. This is a school that is dedicated to preparing socially conscious global citizens—where each child examines their experience in relation to others, their community, and the world at large. It is one that recognizes the racial and cultural differences among us, and acknowledges the vast and varied contributions of those often left out. My children could not contain their excitement when discussing the Somali-Americans that appeared on Baker’s Periodic Table of Black History. This is affirming of their identity and signals to them that they, too, are valued.
Submitted by parent on December 22, 2021

When my family first arrived at Baker, we had a very shy 3 year old boy on our hands. He was our first, and both my husband and I were nervous to leave our sweet little guy for a whole day! Today, he is 7, and wow does he love school. He is confident, secure, and can’t wait to see his teachers and classmates every day. When it came time to send his younger brother to PreK, the decision was a no-brainer. The boys reading skills, numeracy, love of learning, have come so easily and naturally. Their kindness and comfort around peers and adults alike demonstrates how the Baker staff and faculty support a community of respect for others. Every person at Baker is encouraged to be themselves, and accept others as they are. The hands on experiential learning shows up every day in our house . Even in the midst of distance learning, the kids stayed totally engaged. With the support of two very committed kindergarten teachers we even managed to hatch chicks at home! I can’t say enough!
Submitted by parent on December 21, 2021

We knew that Baker was the right fit for our children from the first day. We weren't planning on sending our kids to a private school but we happened upon Baker when looking for a preschool program for our son. He thrived in the Baker environment with the small class size, the personal attention and the discovery based learning opportunities. Baker provides a space where your children are known and nurtured. We're so glad we found it! It's the type of community and education we had always wanted for our children.
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2021

My 7th grade daughter has been at Baker Demonstration school for 10 years, starting with 2 years in preschool. When we toured Baker for the first time, my husband and I both thought to ourselves that we wished this had been our school. We are so glad that we made the choice to send our daughter there. From the beginning, Baker has fostered a love of learning, leadership, and sense of community (both within the school and the world at large). From the beginning, I noticed that all the staff knew my daughter’s name including not just those teachers in her grade but also the staff in the upper grades. This creates a feeling of being “seen”. In each grade, there are experiences that have helped my daughter to have the confidence to explore who she is and make learning fun. Her love of music was started in preschool with a great teacher who regularly played guitar and has continued throughout the grades to the Middle school arts core where she can explore all the arts including drama, singing, art, and band. At Baker, the social and emotional development of the child is balanced with a strong academic development in a way that seamlessly feels fun instead of rote learning. Baker has taught my child to think about the greater social context of learning by including equity diversity and inclusivity in all class learning, choice of books and historical subjects taught. Experiences such as these in school and extracurricular field trips such as camping and outdoor education trips have helped her become independent and confident. She came back from the 2 day overnight outdoor ed trip with a greater connection to her peers and a sense of independence which she didn’t have previously. Progressive education allows kids to be engaged in a topic and includes all aspects of learning throughout it such as math, science, writing, and co-working with peers. An example of this is the Baker Business School in 4th and 5th grades. In this program, kids are asked to create a product, make a business plan, present it community venture capitalists for funding, market it, develop a website, and manage the sales. As the CEO of her company, my daughter learned valuable skills that she can use in the future if she so desires. As she moves toward high school, I know that she will be well prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead. Baker has given her the tools to become an independent thinker, interested in learning, and interpersonal skills to help her manage the world to come.
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2021

Baker has been a great school for our son, who is now in 7th grade. He has been at Baker for 9 years, starting in JK. He loves learning from the teachers and from the other students. The range of classes is awesome - from language arts, math, science, and social studies to art, drama, Spanish, Latin, tech, wellness, swimming, band, and I'm sure some I've missed. Much of the learning is project based, working with his classmates to define problems, come up with solutions, and present the project. It's great that they learn that it's OK not to get something totally correct on the first (or second or third) try. Rather, it's important to see what didn't work and make corrections. The children focus a lot on getting along with each other, showing respect, helping each other out, working as a team. His class has gotten several new students in the past couple of years - these kids are welcomed by the other students and fit in easily. He had older buddies when he was in K-3. Now he is a buddy to younger students. Extracurricular activities are very diverse, from sports to Lego robotics, a new rocket club, band, and drama. There is always something for the children to do during and after school. Further, the achievements of the students are praised just as much if they made the winning basket and if they contributed to the robotics team going to state. Lastly, we have made deep friendships with many families, all of whom care about the school and their child(ren)'s education.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2021

Our 7th grader’s experiences at Baker truly inspire us. From the language arts curriculum and hands-on science experiments, to the exemplary arts and the social/emotional health dialogue, Baker is educating the total child. We think Baker’s intentional, thoughtful curriculum and instruction is key to raising a child prepared to adapt and succeed in today’s diverse, complex world. Our child finds learning at Baker academically stimulating and fun. She comes home from school bursting with things she's learning, including the process of chromosome inheritance, the science of DNA and fertilization, and CRISPR gene editing--both its potential to help eliminate disease but also its ethical complexity. She's been deeply stimulated by language arts lessons that have asked the kids to write their own epilogue to a book the class read together, as well as to write a story to explain the mysterious scene in an Edward Hopper painting. Our child feels that her teachers and the staff at Baker know her and care about her happiness, growth and success. She is learning about wellness beyond physical health--the curriculum includes financial, emotional, and relationship health as well. As parents, we observe the mutual respect between teachers and students, and we see how they work collaboratively together. Baker is a nurturing, inspiring, safe and wonderful place for our middle schooler. Our positive experience is particularly noteworthy as we joined Baker mid-sixth grade, which could be a really hard time to change schools, but the community welcomed her and us and the transition has been smooth.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2021

Baker Demonstration School has been a Godsend for our family. We initially chose Baker because they are food allergy friendly and we have stayed because of the quality education our son has experienced. As two educators, we immediately noticed the highly invested teachers, inclusive environment, project-based learning, and social justice initiatives at Baker. Our son is growing to be confident and comfortable in his own skin AND to be a leader in his community. Students are encouraged to ask questions and exercise their voices. The teachers plan their lessons around the interests of the students while still meeting the learning objectives. All staff members go above and beyond to connect with the students. Baker has reading support, counseling support, a full-time nurse, and an individualized approach to meeting student needs. The whole-child approach prepares students to excel in high school. Our son LOVES school. We are truly grateful to be at Baker Demonstration School and cannot imagine our son anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2021

Every morning when I drop my children off at school, I feel so lucky that they are getting a Baker education! Before arriving at Baker, my first grader was floundering. As a creative, "think outside the box" kind of kid, she was incredibly bored and unengaged with the worksheet-driven education she was receiving at our local public school. After arriving at Baker, we noticed a huge change. Her enthusiasm for learning blossomed-- The project based-education embraced at Baker has even made her love math! As a parent, I love that Baker is taking care of my whole child; not just her academic needs, but also her social and emotional needs, too. We have found the entire Baker community to be warm and welcoming and we are very excited to be a part of this amazing school for many years to come!
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2021

I have had children at Baker for over 20 years…all 8 of my children have attended and they have had nothing short of exceptional experiences. All of them have grown into the dynamic individuals they are in part due to their experiences at Baker. It is hard to encapsulate exactly why Baker has left such an imprint on my children but a significant contributing factor would definitely be the experiential learning – the students in every grade are immersed in hands on learning in a way that they are able to retain and carry with them and they make meaningful connections allowing them to not just to memorize info to take a test but to learn in a way that grows their overall knowledge enriching them as dynamic individuals. This is done in an environment where each child is validated for who they are and encouraged to explore and challenge themselves in a multitude of ways. The unit studies are one of my favorites - a theme is chosen by the teacher and the whole class is immersed in this unit for weeks and every facet of learning is achieved through this in hands on ways that leave the students with a unique concrete understanding of the concepts taught and insatiable enduring curiosity and enthusiasm. The excitement the students have for these unit studies is boundless. All of that is enhanced by the exemplary specials/arts programs (including swimming) and unique school wide traditions like the 5K, sunrise breakfast, Baker bonfire, cardboard challenge and outdoor ed trips to mention a few. The overall sense of community is warm and diverse and welcoming - the bottom line is children thrive within the walls of Baker and beyond. There is a complementary dynamic of academic rigor along with the edification of the whole child socially and emotionally providing students a foundation to succeed in life. I cannot say enough about how positive of an experience Baker has been for my children.
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2021

The thing I value most about Baker is that it encourages my children to be joyful. They love going to school every day. Baker helps them to be curious and to love learning, and to find wonder in all they do. Kids remain kids, even in middle school. The school’s buddy program, where older kids help care for younger kids, helps them stay young, but also teaches them responsibility for each other. The children are kind to each other and are taught to take care of each other, making the school a safe and fun place for them to grow as learners and as people.
Submitted by parent on July 07, 2021

We've loved Baker. One of the things our family cherishes about Baker is how every student is encouraged and celebrated for their unique characteristics. My kids have all been very athletic-centered kids who easily could have been typecast as athletes only. Yet they were given the opportunities and encouraged to try many different activities and interests. Whether it was art or dance, they were pushed to explore topics that they had little previous experience in. As a result two of my sons became confident dancers and artists, and were proud of their achievements. The teachers are enthusiastic leaders who are as engaged with learning as the students are. Academically we have found that the classes, especially in the middle school, become differentiated enough so that students are challenged, whether that means independent language studies, or smaller group math classes. This attention to the individual learner has meant our children have been constantly challenged.
Submitted by parent on June 29, 2021

Baker has turned around this pandemic year for our son. He hated online learning and was really losing ground. We were lucky to get him into Baker mid-year and the change was absolutely remarkable. From Day 1, he felt welcomed and supported. He was actually looking forward to going to school for once, not a small miracle. His teachers supported him so much that his confidence grew by leaps and bounds. We kept waiting for the "honeymoon" to end but he wanted to do summer school there, too. The teachers are enthusiastic and so positive that they draw the students out. I'm an educator too and really appreciate their focus on what makes each kid unique - it allows them to teach to the students' strengths and interests and motivate the kids to push themselves. At least that's what it did for my son. I've got a happy, curious kid that's enthusiastic about learning - I knew he was in there somewhere! I should also add that he made friends even more easily than he did in public school. Even the kids are supportive and seem to embrace quirkiness. Fifth-grade teacher Ms. Sandler sets up such a supportive classroom that it brings out the nice in kids. I love public school, did it myself and had my kid there and will again, but this is what he needs and wants right now. I feel lucky to be able to give it to him. The academic piece is certainly there, but the confidence and enthusiasm Baker is instilling will allow him to thrive years from now.