Hillwood Academic Day School

We LOVE Hillwood. Everything about it -- and that's saying something given that we drive there from the Peninsula. Our daughter transferred at the end of her second-grade year after shadowing for 2 days. Initially, we hadn't planned to pull her from her current private school and were weighing options for her 3rd grade year as her brother is attending a school in the city. She loved it so much that when Hillwood offered her the opportunity to start right away she begged us to let her do so. And here's the best part -- she chose to switch immediately because she felt challenged. She was getting bored in her other school and the great thing about Hillwood being so small is that every child is seen, heard, and valued. The intimate setting allows for every child to progress at their own pace academically -- and Mrs. Gayle Grantz who runs the school with her husband is THE best teacher ever. Firm, structured, loving, and kind. Our daughter's math proficiency has doubled in her short time at Hillwood as well as her reading abilities and passion for writing. She also loves soccer on Monday afternoons post-school that they offer as well as the friends she has made across the grades. 2-4 grades are in one class and they regularly interact with the lower school little ones as well as the upper school kids that have matriculated. As a professor, and as a parent, our most important goal for our kids is to build a foundation and a noy for learning. Hillwood is an exceptional place to do that within a family-like atmosphere. And the Grantz home on Scott street which houses the school is so cozy, you just feel at home there. Mrs. Grantz also makes -- in my 8 yo's words 'THE BEST SOUP & HOT LUNCHES EVER'. Mrs. Grantz does indeed cook hot lunches every day and again that is just part of the Hillwood magic. If you are on the fence and still searching, highly encourage you to shadow at Hillwood and give Gayle a call to see if it might be a fit for your family.