Meridian Academy

My child just started at this school, and it was the best decision we could ever have made. He took the ISEE last year, and we toured all the Boston Emam school, not finding a good fit in these huge schools. At those big public schools, we really felt a "one-size-fits-all" approach in the biggest Boston Emam school. My son was also not impressed with the language options, as he is fluent in Spanish. One public school told him that he could not start Spanish until 9th grade and they would put him into level 2 only! That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as they say! We were done with public schools and wanted a school community where his love of learning would be fostered and appreciated! He really loves math and science, and at his old school, kids were starting to pick on him for being such an avid learner. At the Meridian, it is a family, and everyone supports each other. The younger kids have older mentors. There are community groups and other activities that include all ages of kids. I cannot say enough about how amazing this school has been for my son! He comes home every day raving about all he learned. As a 7th grader, he is already learning about physics and says the math, science and technology classes are the best classes he has ever had. They are so hands on! Additionally, they learn the reason for learning math like Algebra. Imagine! Most schools teach subjects as separate-unrelated silos of information. At the Meridian, the subjects are TIED TOGETHER AND INTEGRATED. You learn math by doing hands-on physics projects. His humanities class is also integrated with ceramics. Every day he has ceramics, he is so excited. They are learning Greek Mythology and went to a Harvard Museum to learn about the history through the artwork. They are now creating their own Greek myths, and designing pottery with their myths depicted on their pots. The school is small so that they can customize your learning. Even is in a Spanish class with one other student, as it is advanced Spanish for the younger kids. Languages are 1 of 3 pillars of learning, so learning a foreign language is paramount every year at this school. There are no loud bells going off, the teachers communicate with each other to integrate subjects, and the kids are able to be totally involved in their learning. They don't need an external reward system like grades, as the kids want to learn and do their best. For example, you don't just slack off and write a report to get by with a C grade. You actually learn to write, revise and master your topic. It is not about getting by, it is about loving what you do and revising your work until you are proud of it. Colleges have commented on what good writers the Meridian students are, and this is why. I could keep going on and on. We have followed this school for years, ever since my child was 5 years old and playing with the robots on their info table at the Wake Up The Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain! Lastly, I really appreciate how the kids can be fully self expressed and not be afraid to do so. Bullying would never even be considered by this tight-knit amazing school community. The school fosters the kids' overall development too and, for example, kids can feel comfortable using gender neutral pronouns at this very inclusive school.

My child has grown dramatically as a student in the three months since we made the switch to Meridian. In our previous school, the day was mostly defined by worksheets and white-board lectures. Now, the day is filled with hands-on activities and meaningful discussion. If the class learns a math concept, they quickly apply that concept to real-world applications. For example, as they learned ratios, they began putting together gear-based machines. Before Meridian, my child was an indifferent student. School was something to get through. Now we hear comments like, "The work here is more challenging, but it's also more fun. And now I know why I'm learning it." On the social side, we knew it was a risk to switch from a big school to a small school, but that gamble has paid off. The school has a true community spirit and many of the ugly aspects of middle school life simply don't exist there. Kids really get to know each other, even when they don't initially think they have much in common. Older kids mentor younger ones. In short, Meridian is exactly what we'd hoped it would be.

My daughter loves the supportive community of teachers, fellow students and staff. I love how art is incorporated in the curriculum. For a small school, it is quite diverse which is important to our family.

Meridian Academy is inclusive, engaging, and equity-minded school that provides my daughter with fun and exceptional strong academic explorations. Students are supported to follow their interests and teachers work with them to pursue these in just about any area that sparks their curiosity and desire to learn. It's a close knit community of independent thinkers - wholeheartedly recommend it!

Our experience has been wonderful; it's like my child has a chance to shine bright at the Meridian! I'm the parent of a 6th grader; we moved from another local private school so it's not our first private school experience. She is learning so much and feels motivated about her work in Humanities and Math/Science/Tech. The art program is integrated with what they're learning academically. The teachers make time to meet with her 1:1 when she needs help. The school feels like a community in a way that her last school did not. The only down side - I'm not allowed to enroll as a student!

Meridian is an educational gem, a relatively young treasure among Boston-area independent schools. Its small size means that students get exceptional and unlimited attention from teachers. The educational philosophy is truly interdisciplinary- the core academic program combines Math/Science and English/Social Studies. Good writing is practiced everywhere! The community is open-minded, progressive, and warm.

I have attended Meridian for 4 years after transferring out of Boston Latin School. Meridian's small, friendly, and supportive community is unmatched in schools throughout Boston, and at Meridian, I have learned to enjoy going to school every day and be excited about learning.

Meridian is a great way to learn and have fun. I have grown as a student tremendously through-out my years at Meridian. Its unique learning environment and small classroom size makes it easier to get the attention from a teacher that you need. It's truly an incredible school filled with incredible people.

Both of my sons have attended Meridian and have grown as creative, independent learners with tremendous initiative. The faculty are bright, enthusiastic and caring and students get lots of attention and are known well. Communication with parents is excellent. Students have an evening exhibition of their projects (papers, experiments, art work, etc.) three times a year so you can really see the quality of their work.