Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Regions MA: Anova School (PK-8)

Hi, I'm a parent at the new Anova School that opened in Melrose this year. (Melrose is a little North of Boston, right off 93.) I thought I'd offer myself up as a resource if anybody's interested in learning more about the school.

If you haven't heard about Anova, it's an independent school specifically for gifted & talented students. (For 2011, the grade range is PK-8.) The focus is on individualized learning plans based on ability, not age. The classes are small and supportive and my highly gifted kid has just blossomed there this year. It's amazing to see the effect of an environment where she's genuinely understood and accepted and challenged. She loves school, and comes home bubbling over with the exciting new ideas in her head. :-D

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the school. Also, there's on open house this Saturday, January 8 2011:
http://www.anovaschool.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=86

Wow - thanks LAW! The school sounds great. Wish I lived closer...
Grinity

We applied to Anova around Halloween, but still have not heard anything yet and it's nearly Valentine's Day.

My 5-yr-old son got accepted to the Clark School and The Phoenix School at the same time. The Clark School offered an immediate slot with him so we decided to enroll him there after Thanksgiving.

I'd be curious to hear how the Anova School handles kids who balk to do work when it's too easy or they are scared to get bumped into the next material/grade.

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your school! Do you know how this school compares to the Sage school in Foxboro? We are exploring options for kindergarten for 2011. Do you know if they still have spots open for the fall for K?

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your school! Do you know how this school compares to the Sage school in Foxboro? We are exploring options for kindergarten for 2011. Do you know if they still have spots open for the fall for K?

Clark School and The Phoenix School have rolling admission. I think both have slots for K now and in the fall. They have rolling admission. My son was 4.5 years old when we applied around Halloween. He's got a late birthday, but he was accepted to both schools immediately. Both schools allowed him to start as a pre-kindergarten student after Thanksgiving and be enrolled full-time as a kindergarten student next year.

Both the Clark School in Danvers and the Phoenix School in Salem are private gifted schools. I don't think they have cater specifically to the exceptional or profoundly gifted schools like the Sage School does.

Both the Clark School and the Phoenix School have some differences. The Phoenix School is a one-room schoolhouse situation that holds about 27 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. The Clark School has about 100 students from pre-k/k to high school. They group kids in classrooms by age. My son is in Group A with the pre-k, kindergarten, and first graders.

The Clark School is aimed at kids with attentional issues (which my son has), executive functioning issues, and processing disorders, or mild learning disabilities; The Phoenix School is not. The Clark School has a structured, traditional curriculum. The Phoenix School has a more flexible curriculum.

I grew up near the Sage School. I looked at their website, but frankly didn't want to live near where I grew up again. The Sage School is also about double the cost of the Clark School, which was an factor for us. The Sage School doesn't address attentional issues either, which was probably the biggest consideration for us.

I forgot to add - The Clark School limits their classrooms to 15 students. Kids work at their own pace and level. Acceleration is possible if a child completes the curriculum for their group and possesses the social and emotional maturity to do so.

One of the reasons why we decided on the Clark School was due to their ability to address a child's social and emotional needs as well as any special education issues like attention better than the Phoenix School or other private gifted schools in MA.

Both the Clark School and The Phoenix School have been around for 30 years and were started by teachers who knew one another. So there's a lot of common ground, though some differences as mentioned too.

I would suggest taking a tour and/or scheduling a visit for you and your child. That's one of the best ways to determine which school or setting may suit you and your child.