After some time at this school, I can no longer -- in good faith -- say that it has been a 5-star experience. The people are (mostly) lovely and kind, but they are surely not openminded, innovative or fully transparent.
AHB has been nothing short of phenomenal. The project-based learning curriculum is wonderful; my son genuinely loves to learn and is excited to go to school every day. He even gets upset if he has to miss a day! We deeply appreciate how the teachers value him for who he is. It's a supportive and engaging environment that nurtures his curiosity and confidence. We love the community and the focus on family values. Basically, we love AHB!
This little school is a haven for my middle schoolers. It is offering them a safe, engaged community during the tumultuous preteen years. The structure enables them to build curiosity and self confidence because they have so much autonomy over their learning. They have the ability to decide for themselves what they think is interesting and to what depth they want to explore a subject, and to my delight, it is so much deeper than what has been forced on them in the past. Due to the small class sizes and tight-knit community, they are learning to be good citizens and to care about their peers. Kindness and camaraderie come naturally when they know each person so well. The teachers are inspiring and energetic. They are deeply engaged with their students and are able to genuinely know them and guide them toward their full potential. My kids enjoy going to school, they do their work (mostly) unprompted, they think deeply about the subjects they’re learning, they respect their peers. I’m seeing bursts of curiosity and even a little initiative. It’s more than I’ve dared to dream for them, really.
Warning! As a former teacher of 10 yrs and a parent of a student who attended this school I'm very concerned. Because when students in the youngest classrooms are attacked or bullied, the administration does not apply discipline, or act competently, to make the school safe.
My child loves school. History feels like dramatic stories of our past. Math lessons include games and real world application of skills that make the necessary memorization of facts worthwhile. Reading is a way to encounter literature and ideas that fuel lively discussions. Writing is a way to share ideas students care about. The arts are used to create projects about class content. Quarterly themes spotlight content that students use to develop projects, shared in a research exchange between grade levels. Students work across grade levels, cultivating respect, which is reinforced through their social-emotional learning curriculum. School leadership effectively fosters a respectful, kind community of parents. Politics do not drive the curriculum. It is truly a place to learn. School shortcomings include limited playground facilities, and the absence of a dedicated arts & sports curriculum. However, this is the trade-off for going to a school with reduced onsite hours.
AHB is an amazing school! My son went here for 7th and 8th grade. He made quality friendships with friends that he has managed to stay in touch with. He experienced no bullying and only kindness from his peers. The teachers are warm and loving folks that enjoy teaching. I'm very happy that we chose to send him to AHB.
AHB is an awesome K-5th experience, centered on project-based learning, and integrated studies. High parent involvement and great sense of community. Not much racial/cultural diversity, and no field for sports, those things are missing. But do walk to a local park once a month for "park day", which is nice.
This place is a gem! “Rigor without stress” was exactly what our very academic but perfectionist child needed. The 6th-8th graders are encouraged to be kids, have recess, etc. — no rush to grow up here. The very small size isn’t for everyone but it eliminates a lot of the social woes common in big middle schools. There’s (literally) no space for bullies at AHB, and since they all have to interact with everyone, even very dissimilar kids seem to embrace each other’s quirks instead of teasing. Absolutely wonderful teachers and a fantastic curriculum. Many interdisciplinary, creative group discussions and projects. This is the best preparation for the workplace someday - most tasks in real life are group projects! Communicative, open administration, *everyone* is friendly. Surprisingly affordable. Very nearly perfect for us. The only things I would change if I could would be adding a high school so we could have more years here, and adding Spanish.
We transferred to AHB after 2 years at another micro school, and we came with some baggage. :-) We didn't realize that many micro schools attract kids with some serious behavioral issues, yet won't have the resources to address it or to keep other kids safe. I'm so glad that AHB is different -- they are exactly what they say they are, and they've done everything they've promised AND MORE. We're so impressed with the kind, growth mindset-oriented environment, the incredibly talented and experienced teachers, and the rapid progress our child is making. (At the old school, small class sizes did not equate to academic gains -- something to be very careful about with mixed-age classes. AHB, however, gets this right, by creating the ability to move kids to different levels and by grouping them certain ways within their own class.) We feel like we won the lottery in getting a spot at AHB. It actually makes me really emotional to think about, after all we went through before.
Our daughter has been at AHB Community School since Kindergarten. She’s now in 4th grade. The small class sizes and ~10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio have been great. It was important to us to get this small school environment in one of the fastest growing cities in the country. That’s becoming harder and harder to find and it’s something we really appreciate about AHB. Before joining, I did have reservations about the academic rigor of the school. It’s obvious AHB is a loving and nurturing environment. You can see that from outside and I can attest to the fact it is indeed that. I did have concerns our daughter might get behind in academics, though. That just hasn’t been the case. Instead, what we’ve found is that AHB has helped create a real curiosity. Our daughter is multiple grade levels ahead of her age. AHB is playing the long game and it’s worked out really well for our family. I’ve seen a similar situation for most of our friends at the school.
I taught at this school for several years and it was a beyond wonderful experience. The teaching staff is phenomenal, the administrative is supportive and the families are the incredibly helpful. Most importantly, the students are all so happy. They love being at school and it shows in the work they produce, how they learn, the friendships they make, and the fun they have. I would highly, highly recommend this school to anyone looking at smaller private schools for their children.
My experience with AHB started 7 years ago when I first toured with my daughter. Unfortunately while AHB felt like a great fit, the shorter school week was not going to fit with our work schedules. We opted to join another school and were very happy for several years. However as my daughter got older and my son entered school, I realized the joy of learning for both of them was non-existent. In fact, they were coming home weekly telling me that they "hated" school. I went back on the hunt for something we could all love! It was then that I rediscovered AHB! My daughter was so in love after her shadow day we transitioned her mid year. She thrived at AHB last year and this year my son has also joined the AHB family. They have not once used the word "hate" to describe AHB. It is quite the opposite, they actually have said they wish they had school on Friday's to be with their teachers and friends. AHB has a a teaching style that is unlike most traditional schools, but I can attest that the kids are learning not just math, English, science and history but there is also an abundance of social emotional learning for all ages. My children are currently thriving and I could not be more happy with our new school!
A few years ago my 3rd grader was struggling in public school and absolutely hated school. We tried everything and realized it just wasn't working. We needed to make a change. I had heard about AHB through friends and decided to move him there. Now he is so happy and actually looks forward to going to school. He loves the smaller class size and the friendships he has created. AHB was a lifesaver for us. You can tell that the teachers are happy to be there, enjoy teaching, and love their students. The community of families is wonderful! I only wish we had moved to AHB sooner.
After bouncing around from school to school, and one bad experience to another, we have finally found a school where the staff is thoughtful and the culture is transparent. It took me 6 years of speaking to schools and educators to finally find AHB! A couple points to note about AHB: - Children work on projects that provide context for various aspects of the topic on hand. For instance, my child is studying the human body -- in doing so, she is creating a model of the human body. It started with a simple outline of the human body on a large piece of cardboard. The, during week 1, the kids learnt about the human brain and she added a brain to her model. Week 2, they studied the skeletal system and my child added a skeleton to her model. You get the point, right? This type of experiential learning provides context (as opposed to "learning" devoid of context). Why is this important? Because, all of life has context: nowhere in life is one working on anything that is devoid of context. - Parents have opportunities to be deeply engaged with the school. AHB has various after-school programs, many of which are run by parents. For instance, I'm involved in a once-a-week math program where we meet for an hour and play various games. There's another parent who teaches yoga, and yet another who teaches music and singing. Also, the school board is comprised of mainly parents -- so, people whose kids are attending the school and who are deeply invested in the well-being of the kids are making the decisions. Thankfully. I have more to say and not a ton of time, but I will say one last thing -- this is a very different school from any other school I have come across in Austin. People here actually listen, engage and collaborate.
This approach to learning should be the standard. Coming from a play based learning pre-school, this is the natural progression to cultivate future growth in all aspects of a child. I feel lucky to have found AHB and will be happy to have my next two little ones join the school when they old enough.
Our family is thrilled with AHB because both of our children adore it. AHB provides a creative and collaborative educational alternative that fosters curiosity, creative problem solving, and hands-on learning. Our kids are excited to attend school each day! The teachers are not only kind, but they also know how to actively engage our children in the learning process. The AHB community as a whole is exceptional, and we feel fortunate to be a part of it.
AHB has been an amazing educational home for our children. The four day structure suits our family’s needs. It provides an immersive leaving experience that I think very few schools offer.
Verified
