The Cambridge School of Weston - Review #10

I found the intensive schedule was more to my skills than taking many classes at once. 4.5 week 'mods' (x 7 mods per year) & 1.5 hour classes, 2 - 3 per mod, made learning a 2nd language faster as you spend more time w classmates & teacher, actually speaking the language. Since there was no bell ringing every 50mins., I spent more time finishing up the classwork rather than anticipating the bell ringing. I learned subject matter that interests me today. My Russian History before 1917 class is still 1 of my favorites!There are a variety of athletic options not generally available...dance, intensive theater experience (buildingstriking sets, & practice on all 3 yrly productions got me athletic credits!) Plus the regular sports, if course, it is a great option for anyone!The relationship with the teachers makes this school experience endearing. The interaction is constant...they come to lunch with us, they relax around campus too. Many are also dorm parents. This close-knit community is absolutely a must see, if not a "sign me up, Mom & Dad!"

Such an amazing experience has to be gotten. The more creative you are, no matter what your hobbies or sports, you will find friends at Cambridge. You will find life-long mentors in the teaching staff. You will stretch your mind, awareness & social skills, but you will have a ball doing so.Though I am over 50 now, I have vivid memories of Cambridge School. All of them are pleasant.

If I had had the choice, I would have loved 4yrs at Cambridge School. And the dorm experience may have helped me adjust better to an away college. But I certainly would recommend that a curious mind should be exploring the options here! So much to do, and learn, you will never lack for activities of all varieties.And the alumnus are a great way to experience the school.

I loved the sense of belonging to something great. Minds that went on to museums, to write books, teach, travel, & even to explore the Heavens working at NASA! The need to belong us strong in teenage years. Cambridge School gave me that ability to write my own story, while being part of the stories around me.I have Never regretted being a student at Cambridge School. It was the best learning experience in my life! And I hope it will be the best in yours too!

If you choose to go to Cambridge School, you will be gifting yourself a future, one that cannot be gotten just anywhere. You will make friends, open your mind & go places you'd never dreamed of existing! And you will grow...which is the whole point of education. To grow in skills, certainly, but also socially, emotionally, & physically. I really think you will be pleased to get your high school education at my beloved Cambridge School.

The diving into a subject & sticking with it to the end. 1½hrs per day was great for math, over a 4 mods (18wks). I did learn!History was easier for me as a 1mod, 1block (1½hrsday for 4½weeks) class. I was able to take US History before Kennedy, Russian History before 1917, & Boston Art History (for both history & art credit) We walked through Boston, and learned the difference between different eras of builders, & purposes.French was a 3hr, 9wk class. I took 3rd & 4th yr French. We even took a class trip to gorgeous Quebec City. I loved learning the difference between types of French, then Mum & I would speak to each other in French!Cambridge School is small, about 300 student great. 9 -12. Therefore, the class size is small. Each group is wholly immersed in the subject matter! We used to have Law Day - speakers on a variety of social justice issues could be seen, or sign yourself up for their workshop. Now, there is a "Social Justice" required courses, probably still a variety of subject matter. This is a fabulous way to discover the world around you, & see places & people you may never have had the opportunity to experience. In 1980, we participated in the Model UN, in the nation's capital! We got Rumania... I was stunned to discover later that my paternal grandmother was Rumanian! We met students from so many schools, & had a ball learning.That was what made my junior & senior yrs; suddenly at Cambridge School, learning was fun!

Variety... I was in love with the athletic program. I was a spotter for both the Weight Room & the Ropes Course... I even did stretching at lunch (1½hrs was more than enough time!) which turned into a group effort! One student commented that his basketball skills improved!Cambridge School is about community; being part of a team in athletics is just a different dynamic of the community. And the students get along well.

Theater was a boon for me. I had loved performance art since I was 6. I was chorus & crowd in the 1st play. Then again in play #2. By play #3 Junior year, I was Stage Managing, & thrilled to have the option.Later in life, those skills came into play in my own management jobs! Cambridge has developed some great actors.The Music Dept. produced some amazing talent as well. Musicians, singers, & any other aspect you can imagine.

Cambridge had some amazing students. During morning break, several students decided to start a coffee shop. It was opened after school as well for tea, coffee, muffins & donuts....just what we needed to get to after school activities. There is a choice at this school as to which activities you desire: dance, acting, choral society, art in many forms, photography, school newspaper, sports, field trips to different cities, & New England towns. The Boston area is rich with culture & Cambridge School dips their students into it! There are Museums to see, Galleries to attend!

As a day student, I didn't experience dorm life 1st-hand. There were sleepovers with friends tho, during drama season so we didn't have to do our long commute. Lucky that all the kids in our carpool were in the plays!The dorm parents step in as parents, there are rules like you have at home, but the dorm students did seem happy on the whole.The dining hall was open for Campus meals. If you stayed after school, dinner was available for day students as well. The food was lovely: lots of fresh veggies, fish, grains, meat. The family that ran the dining hall knew their food!

There was a rule in the dining hall...shoes were mandatory. But, with few rules at Cambridge & a community of students who understood respect for self & others, the Dining experience was exemplary. There were always plenty of options available for vegans to meat & 'taters folks.There are big windows, lots of light & a small bunch of students & teachers who are together in small to large groups. We had 1½hrs, so not all are at once. Then, off to favorite activities.

As I mentioned before, Weston is right outside Boston, MA! Boston is rich in US Revolutionary battlefields, museums small & large, such as The Museum of Science. There are shops, & sports stadiums: Red Sox, Bruins, Revolution, & Patriots round out the New England sports line-up.New England is accessible to students as well...By has skiing & hiking, as does NH, but NH has ocean shoreline, however it is small. MA, RI & CT have long Atlantic Ocean shoreline. MA has 3 islands to visit, Nantucket, Martha's vineyard & Cape Cod. The are a number of Colleges(Boston College, Smith, Amherst) & Universities (Boston U, UMAAmherst) and many more schools, like Berklee School of Music, in MA alone!There is never a boring day if you live around Boston!

The students at Cambridge came from all different countries, lifestyles, cultures & financial backgrounds. We are all equal at Cambridge...students coming from every socio-economic background have one thing other schools had been lacking in my experience: Respect for Others!We learned from each other, & befriended day & dorm students alike! We signed up for activities solo, knowing that whoever was there, we were all happy to learn. So many amazing minds was a wonder for me; I had moved around as a kid, but Cambridge School was home for me.