Testimonials

To say we are indebted to TDS is a gross understatement. This beautiful place and all of the adults inside have poured love, acceptance, and belonging into both of our children. TDS has been a safe space to grow and learn from mistakes. Thank you for seeing and loving our quirky family over the past six years. This school will always hold the most special place in our hearts.

The community of welcoming and warm peers and encouraging teachers is truly unparalleled. We were thrilled with the lower school curriculum and social experience and were frankly surprised to be even more impressed with the middle school. TDS has created a middle school environment without the stereotypical middle school miseries!

As a typical mother concerned about children fitting in and finding kind peers, I would often inquire, ‘are you still friends with so and so?’ Year after year their exasperated response was, ‘Mom, everyone is friends with everyone.’ What more could a parent ask for?

During a recent walk after school, in an offhand attempt to start a conversation, I asked my son what he had learned at school. He replied, “Oh, we don’t really learn at school. We play and do activities. Like today… Mommy, have you ever heard of the artist named Georgia O’Keeffe? She does paintings of nature really, really, very close-up. Today we made drawings like Georgia O’Keeffe.” He proceeded to share his observations of a pinecone and how he drew a teeny tiny little spine at the end of each scale.

I could not dream of a better education for a five-year-old, to expand his perspective, appreciate the arts and sciences, engage hands-on with new ideas, and take so much pleasure in exploring that it doesn’t even register as learning. I am so grateful for TDS and our truly talented teachers who excel at understanding and nurturing students.