The O'Neal School

Our family truly loves the O'Neal School, where we have been part of the community for several years. During this time, we've had the opportunity to connect with the teachers across the lower, middle, and upper schools, and our experiences have been exceptional! The educators we've encountered have provided outstanding support, and the academic programs have been wonderful for our children, challenging them while keeping them actively engaged and nurturing their passion for learning. Moreover, the overall sense of community at the school is remarkable; it is strong and welcoming, encouraging everyone parents to teachers, and families to get involved. As we begin the college placement process for my son this year, I feel assured that we made the right decision in choosing this school. I have full confidence in both the teachers and the college placement process they offer. We cannot express enough how positive our experiences have been; from the arts to academic programs, my kids have been inspired to participate, grow, and achieve great things at the O'Neal School.

My family is very happy at the O'Neal school! We have a 2nd, 4th, and 6th grader and have found so much to love for each one of them! Firstly, the campus is beautiful, lots of big trees, wonderful playgrounds and outdoor spaces, not just for elementary, but for middle school as well! There is ample time built into all of my children's day to get outside and run around. We have been very impressed with ALL of the co-curriculars: Outdoor Science is a stand out, the art program is fabulous and well-designed, and my kids LOVE Spanish, PE and Music too! As an educator, I love that they have multiple co-curriculars per day. My son's middle school experience has been wonderful, with multiple ways for him to get involved, sports, Battle of the Books, off-season strength and conditioning, enjoying the class trip at the beginning of the year. There is so much to be involved in, the hard part is narrowing it down! He loves his advisory teacher, and has wonderful engaging teachers. Across the board I have found my children's teachers to be stand out, excellent communicators, passionate about their subjects, and wonderful at engaging the students in a way that goes way beyond the dreaded worksheets. I love how different disciplines work together to make the subjects come alive across multiple subject areas. I love the project based learning I see with all of my kiddos! Additionally, I have been impressed with the engagement with families, and feeling welcomed as new to the community. Admissions was wonderful to work with, and went above and beyond to help get our family situated. We are very pleased with our choice to come to O'Neal!

We are completely satisfied with our experience at the O'Neal School. Our family has three children enrolled, each with very different educational needs. The faculty and staff are professional, competent, dedicated to student learning, and really pleasant to interact with. Our eldest daughter arrived from a different school where she had been learning Chinese-Mandarin for two years, and she wanted to continue studying the language. O'Neal found a way to incorporate her online learning courses the curriculum. This same daughter has autism, and the O'Neal faculty have been exceptionally patient and accommodating is establishing the right learning environment for her. Another daughter is heavily involved in a local gymnastics program, and O'Neal exempted her from physical education due to the time she spends at the gym. The theater, art, and music programs are also excellent. Mr. Lussier is a community treasure! During the COVID-19 quarantine, he traveled to his students' houses to provide socially distant music instruction in the driveways of their homes. That example about sums up O'Neal's commitment to the growth and development of its students.

We have three children who have been identified as having learning disabilities. They have struggled in almost every academic environment we have put them in (we traveled a lot). The O'Neal School told us they would work with our children, and they have. They also gave us reduced tuition. Finally our children are successful in school! I would say that if you have kids that like sports, or are not that academic this school would be a great fit for you! They know how to meet each child where he is, and not push too hard.

The Academic Enrichment Program is unique to the O'Neal School and allows students with learning differences to not only work through their challenges and improve their own academic skillset, but ultimately surpass standards and put them at an advantage compared to students at different schools. Our son participates in the swim program at the school, which has given him the opportunity to compete and win multiple State Championships. The athletic program as a whole teaches the students to be well-rounded and how to manage their time while balancing multiple activities at once which are imperative skills that will carry with them throughout their lives. Our son has also learned the importance of working with others as a team, has gained strong leadership skills and realized the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. The faculty and staff at The O'Neal School are passionate, supportive and consistently provide attention and aid where it is needed. They go beyond the scope of any ordinary educator and unremittingly support the students both inside and outside the classroom; whether that be cheering them on at sporting events, attending important outside activities such as volunteer work or working with students directly when they face challenges with their schoolwork. As parents we can confidently say that our son personifies the pillars and mission of the school and his character is a direct reflection of the institution and their practices. We are grateful to have such an amazing school so close to home.

One of the best & most important aspects of our time at O'Neal has been the 1 on 1 relationship that our daughters, my husband, & myself have been able to establish & maintain with O'Neal's teachers, year after year. Our daughters (9th & 8th grade) have been here since Pre-K. The small student-teacher ratio, together with the fact that the parent-student-teacher relationship persists even after the kids graduate from each division, has allowed us unparalleled access to all of O'Neal's instructors, many of whom have either a masters or doctorate. This access is one of the reasons why our daughters so far have achieved such great academic success. The fact that we can login anytime & track our daughters daily progress, from daily homework grades, test & quiz grades, to their current averages in each subject, makes this access even better.

Our child began his journey with the O'Neal school in the 3rd grade and is currently a Junior. I strongly suggest visiting the campus for yourself. Immediately upon entering the campus you will notice their warm, inviting environment that is well-equipped with state-of-the-art technology and accommodations that are simply unmatched. While some may see the commute from Sanford as a sacrifice, we believe the drive is well worth it. The O'Neal School is constantly developing new ways to provide opportunity and growth to their students. Attending a college preparatory school has given our son the confidence in knowing that his transition to college is one he will face with ease and an eager, optimistic attitude. The students graduate with a sense of confidence, determination, and social consciousness and are well-equipped as successful, passionate leaders. The academic curriculum is challenging and allows the students to flourish in the classroom.

My daughter started at The O'Neal School in Pre-K and is now in 6th Grade. While we are making somewhat of a financial sacrifice, we consider that an O'Neal education may in fact be one of the greatest gifts we can give her. She thrives in the classroom with a challenging curriculum that stresses critical thought (not just robotic regurgitation for testing purposes), the school offers a strong swimming program that created the foundation for her to swim competitively on a State level. The school's offerings in music and choral opportunities have fostered my daughter's strong interest in singing. The friendly and supportive environment, small class size, challenging academics and highly committed faculty and coaches of The O'Neal School are the building blocks that will allow her to continue to succeed academically, athletically and socially through her educational career and later in life. Visit the school: the spacious campus, happy students and passionate faculty are all impressive. I'm not sure how anyone could not choose O'Neal after seeing what this school offers to children in the Sandhills, it's truly unparalleled.