Kathy has been involved with Ashbrook for 8 years and is the mother of an Ashbrook 7th grader and 5th grader
“I can answer questions about almost anything, including the culture and community of Ashbrook, the academic support and individualized attention paid to each student, and parent involvement.”
Brittney is a new Ashbrook parent
“This is our first year at Ashbrook. We enrolled our 8th grader this fall 2021 after one day back at a local public middle school. We also have a 1st grader currently in the process of transferring from a public charter, and a preschooler at a local Montessori school. We have experience in just about every type of schooling, including public, public charter, distance learning charter, and now here at Ashbrook after fielding the tribulations of the pandemic. We knew that the academics would be strong, but the social-emotional support of this school has been at the forefront of our amazing Ashbrook experience.”
Sabrina has been involved with the school for 4 years and is the mother of an Ashbrook 1st grader and 6th grader
“I am happy to answer any questions from prospective families regarding Ashbrook’s academic program and enrichment opportunities. As our children were previously enrolled in two different local public schools, we have had other educational experiences from which to compare and appreciate the benefits of Ashbrook at both the elementary and middle school levels.”
Jessica is a new Ashbrook parent, with one child currently enrolled in 1st grade and another joining Ashbrook for Pre-K next fall
“I’m pretty new, but have loved our experience thus far and am happy to share with others. I feel I can answer questions about the community and culture of Ashbrook, the individual student attention, the small classes sizes, and anything else that may help you better understand the benefits of Ashbrook.”
Brandy has been involved with the school for more than 10 years and is the mother of an Ashbrook 7th grader
“Our experience has been with our daughter attending Preschool-8th grade (now in HS), our younger son attending Preschool-7th (current), and our eldest son who attended Ashbrook for Preschool-Kindergarten and then attended public school. I can provide some perspective on the reasons we chose to keep 2 students in Ashbrook after our eldest’s public school experience, especially middle school, which has been a very significant contrast.”
We moved to Corvallis 4 years ago from Austin, TX. At that time we were zoned for a public school and I had my daughter all registered to start, but I didn’t have any peace inside. The same day we visited the public school, we had tennis class where I fortuitously met three Ashbrook moms! They were so helpful and enthusiastic that THAT day we ran over to Ashbrook. From the moment I stepped inside and heard the peaceful flowing fountain, to the memories of performing in their beautiful theater (I am a cellist) I knew we had found the home for our kids.
I have profound respect for institutions that recognize the fundamental role Art plays in shaping our children’s minds. Ashbrook has continuously demonstrated their commitment to the arts with their staff and curriculum, and their beautiful home-spun theater productions that engage the children’s creativity and imagination. The teachers that inspire my children every day are confirmation that we are giving our children the best possible introduction to the fields of study that could lead them to fulfilling professional lives. I have witnessed such a rich and varied tapestry of education being laid out: ever crucial and fundamental STEM education, a brilliant introduction to cultural awareness and historical appreciation, and a holistic health and wellness emphasis. There is a balanced atmosphere provided to meet the needs of individual children with their unique talents and interests. The class sizes alone ensure a level of detailed care we couldn’t have received in larger public schools.
Bravo to Ashbrook’s response to the pandemic! We are SO grateful for the gymnastics that teachers and staff executed to keep our children sane and engaged this past year! Ashbrook’s focus on the arts, their dedicated and inspiring teachers, the community of involved and supportive parents, the organized and friendly staff, and meticulous attention to the details of my children’s health and safety are all reminders that there is nowhere else I could dream of sending my kids every day.
~Victoria, Victor, Tessa (7th grade), and Max (2nd grade) Wolff-Zevallos
From a very young age we knew we had a precocious girl on our hands. At the age of 2 she was drawing portraits and asking philosophical questions about what species would be on earth after humans were extinct. She was interested in learning about everything from dinosaurs to the different galaxies in the universe. When she wasn’t reading about them, she was drawing them.
This all changed after enrolling her in public school. After her first day of kindergarten, I asked what she learned and she replied softly, “I learned that people yell and push.” For 2 weeks we watched our little girl lose interest in learning and then school all together. She had been so excited to start kindergarten but began crying every time we got in the car to go to school. Public school is fine, but we knew we couldn’t keep her in that environment so we started to ask friends what we should do. One close friend had her daughter enrolled at Ashbrook and told us that she knew Emma would love it.
She was right. Overnight we had our daughter back. She was excited to learn again and wasn’t overwhelmed by an overcrowded classroom. Her favorite thing about school was having art every day. She would come home laughing about something Mr. Olson had said, and it was such a joy to see her enjoy learning again.
Emma is now in 6th grade and still loves Ashbrook. Because of the pandemic we have all been through a rough storm, but Ashbrook has been our rock. The staff has done everything in their power to keep the children on track with their education. We are so happy to have found Ashbrook.
~Rachel, Ash, and Emma (6th grade) Terry
We have loved Ashbrook since day one. Our journey with Ashbrook Independent School began with a teaching position in 2015 and now continues with our son in the preschool class. We knew from early on in our experience at the school that it would be a dream to enroll our kids. We love the passion the teachers and staff bring to their students and the familial culture that makes Ashbrook feel like home.
The students are encouraged to do their best and are challenged at appropriate levels. They are held accountable and taught what it means to be active and productive members of their community. We love that Ashbrook places importance on the celebration of many cultures through their foreign language program. There is also an emphasis on the importance of physical and health education as well as music and art that gives students a holistic learning experience. Ashbrook incorporates character building and cross-curricula lessons in the daily learning experiences that make it interesting and applicable to students’ lives.
We know that when we drop our son off at school that his small class size and highly capable teachers will allow him the opportunity to reach his potential. He will be met exactly where he is and will be in a safe community whose first priority is their students. The janitorial team, the culinary staff, teachers, office staff, families, and other students work closely together to create a strong sense of community. We know that we will be kept informed beyond our expectations about his progress and how we can support him at home. We chose Ashbrook because they go above and beyond to create learning opportunities that would be hard to compare.
~The Chambers Family
Ashbrook is part of our family. Like every family, we have been through many good times as well as some challenging times. The dedication, enthusiasm and continued support of the Ashbrook staff to provide a nurturing and challenging academic environment for our children through thick and thin has reinforced our loyalty and commitment to the school.
We enrolled at Ashbrook 9+ years ago for the same reason most families at enroll: guaranteed small class sizes, foreign language, physical education, art, music, and creative electives. We are thankful for this diversity every day as we watch our kids expand their knowledge and experiences. They are learning to manage academic rigor, think critically and self-advocate; all characteristics that will help them in high school, college and future life endeavors. Furthermore, the desire of families and staff members to volunteer time and resources to the school is amazing. Ashbrook has so much hidden (and overt) talent! Our entire family has built relationships with staff, students and parents that very well may last a lifetime.
In our opinion, a moral, emotional and educational foundation is critical for a family. Ashbrook has helped foster these characteristics in our children and we are thankful. Ashbrook will always be part of our family.
~Matt, Krista, Connor (graduate), and Keira (6th Grade) Lindberg
The last few years have been a very challenging time for so many; practicing gratitude each and every day is one small thing we can all do to manage these stressful times.
One of the things we are truly grateful for is the stability that Ashbrook Independent School has brought to our family during this time. For the last 7+ years we have been surrounded by a community of wonderful people that share the same passion for a well-rounded and diverse education built on a foundation of strong character development.
We joined the Ashbrook community because we love the small class size, the access to language, music, physical education and the fantastic elective options. We were also excited to be in the presence of innovative, passionate, skilled educators not bound or discouraged by a legislated educational system. Even though virtual learning is not the most ideal learning environment, we feel very fortunate to have the wonderfully dedicated Ashbrook staff delivering quality educational content in a small virtual classroom where every student can get the personalized support they need.
A BIG thanks from the O’Connor family to the Ashbrook staff for living and breathing the Ashbrook mission to nurture our academically capable students every single day!
~Pat, Stephanie, and Nora (7th Grade) O’Connor
We’ve been very happy with Ashbrook for 8+ years and we’ve stayed with Ashbrook because of the great community, the small class sizes, and a greater ability for teachers to flex to the needs of our kids.
Also, with the way the school year started in 2020, we were really thankful that we could send Liam onsite and were really impressed with the quality of the online delivery of instruction for Natalie. It’s great to be here at Ashbrook – there is so much potential for all kids at all grade levels, not only academically but for the whole child!
