Feedback

Parent feedback:

“When I used to pick up my daughter from school, she would usually have a blank look on her face and would sometimes just ‘blow up’. Now when I pick her up she makes eye contact with me and talks enthusiastically about school. She is physically tired, but not emotionally drained.” 
- Rachael

“I have two kids who don’t want to leave school at the end of the day. Last week on the way home, my son told me “I am just so content” and I have noticed how my daughter is opening up and becoming herself again.”
- Jackie

“My daughter loves it – she talks voluntarily about her day. She especially likes the adventures and being outside.” 
- Anitra

“Our son is a lot calmer, genuinely happier than before - he’s satisfied at the end of each day. We’re secretly smiling to each other because we know it has been a good move to send him to Seven Oaks” 
- Carlton

“We used to have to drag our son out of the house to go to school each day. Now he is constantly asking us to hurry up so he can get there early. And instead of “I don’t remember”, he is full of the many things he has learned during the day. We’re surprised and excited by his new excitement for school.” 
- Tomo

“My children love going to school and I have noticed a huge leap in their ability to create and problem solve since they started at Seven Oaks.  I drop them at school knowing that they will be cared for and nurtured in a loving environment.”
- Samantha

“My son Matthew is seven years old and has been attending Seven Oaks Education Centre since it opened in April 2009.  I had started visiting schools looking for just the right fit for Matthew well before he turned five only to disappointed because we either lived in the wrong school zone, there were long waiting lists or I felt the school was too conventional to meet Matthew’s educational and emotional well being.

I spent many a night on the Ministry of Education website searching for schools that may have fit the bill when I happened upon a link to ‘new school to open in Opawa’.  I opened the link and couldn’t believe what I was reading, it sounded too good to be true after all the previous disappointments!

After reading the article and visiting the website I couldn’t wait to register our interest and I can truly say that it was the best thing I ever did, not just for Matthew but the whole family has benefited from Matthew’s move from mainstream schooling to the wonderful nurturing, educational environment that Seven Oaks provides.

The free flow of the class day means if Matthew feels he needs to burn off energy he can go outside and do just that, if he needs to eat to replenish his energy he can.  If he wants to read about the planets or build a castle he can and I can see how Trent and the other educators cleverly incorporate learning math, reading etc.

The staff at Seven Oaks, have become part of our extended family.  They are working along side us to educate Matthew not just with reading and writing but with life skills that he will take with him throughout his life’s journey.

Matthew has gone from being a sad withdrawn boy who had lost his enthusiasm for school to being eager to attend school to see what the next adventure is!

Thank you Gaike, Trent, Janet & Charlotte for the love and care extended to my family and for re-igniting Matthew’s spark!
- Donna Upson

Student feedback:

“I love this school so much! I love the fact that you can do what your goal is. I’m learning a lot of maths in all the building we’ve been doing.” 
- Sarah, aged 10

"I like Seven Oaks because we can make things, like clay. I’m learning maths. I like relaxation, the hut and lots more.” 
- Jenny, aged 9

“It’s the best school I’ve been to. I like its personality. Almost every day I come here it is cheerful, really exciting to come. When you walk through the gate it’s like walking into a 5 star hotel. I’m learning how to do long division. I am building rockets, doing experiments and building a tree hut and getting a go-kart and planting apple seeds.” 
- Joe, aged 8

“I love Seven Oaks. I love launching rockets and all the teachers, and doing things like making the worm farm and vege garden.” 
- Matthew, aged 7

“I go to the cool school. We do reading, writing and ‘rithmetic, but also lots of other fun stuff!” 
- Anna, aged 8

“The teachers are very friendly and nice and I learn more at Seven Oaks because I get to be more open. I learn much more interesting things - not just inside things like numbers all the time.” 
- Nathan, aged 7

You also get to do lots of stuff that you don’t get to do in a normal school” 
- James, aged 7

“I like it because we have games and I learn about things. I learn about odd numbers and even numbers.” 
- Fenton, aged 5