Applewild School

Applewild School is located west of Boston, Massachusetts. I lived near the school for 3 years and frequently visited it. Before 2020, it was a day school, but later it transformed into a US junior boarding school. The school was founded in 1957. Covering 26 acres, the school has nine buildings, including a 300-seat performing arts center, two gymnasiums, two art studios, two libraries, two woodworking studios, four science labs, and multiple classrooms. The school offers students challenging courses in English, Mathematics, and Social Studies. Sixth-grade students can learn Latin, while seventh and eighth graders can choose between Latin or Spanish. Accelerated courses in Mathematics and Science are offered starting in the seventh grade. Students enjoy a wide range of weekend activities, including ice skating, watching movies, theater, visiting museums, and shopping. The school also arranges day trips to Boston for students or organizes cooking classes on campus. We previously had students attend when it was a day school, and the feedback was quite positive. Since the boarding program launched in recent years, the proportion of international students has been slightly higher.

Principal Zhan's Review: Applewild is a school that genuinely cares for its students. It provides opportunities for every child in academics, arts, and sports. The head of school and all teachers know all 278 students, ensuring each child receives ample care, making it very suitable for children who have just left home.
Regarding cultural immersion, even as a boarding school, Applewild students are not isolated. Every Sunday is Applewild's Adventure Day, where students visit attractions across New England, including museums, professional sports games, theater and music performances, hiking, celebrating festivals, etc., helping students integrate more naturally into the community and experience diverse social life.
In terms of academic development, the school offers children numerous opportunities to try new things. Children can bring interesting, discarded electronic appliances from home to the Maker Space to disassemble, research, repair, and reassemble them. During their studies, students participate in visual arts, woodworking, drama, choir, instrumental music, sports, community service, public speaking, and foreign language courses.
For community building, carefully planned weekend activities provide many interactive opportunities for both day and boarding students. Whether it's a full-day trip to Boston on Sunday or spending a few hours at a local apple orchard on an autumn afternoon, both boarding and day students benefit from the school's ever-expanding global perspective and warm community.
For emotional support, every child has their dedicated advisor who constantly looks after their daily life, academic growth, mental health, and undergraduate college planning.

I really like how the school only introduces the Humanities (History and English) class in 8th grade, taught by both English and History teachers concurrently. Each week involves a project encompassing reading, writing, and presentation elements. Initially, I thought it would be no different from previous English or History classes, but every week brings a surprise: 1. Firstly, the reading is intensive. Students must take notes and keep reading journals, jotting down insights on specific points, key ideas from paragraphs, and expressions from sections. These are regularly uploaded for teacher feedback, where teachers offer suggestions or shared understanding. 2. The writing is even more unexpected. All topics are historical, and while grammatical and logical requirements are essential, essays must ultimately connect with the present or personal experiences to form an argument. This practice of "reflecting on reality through history and using the past to illuminate the present" is precisely what we've always pursued. This is the true purpose of studying history: to teach us holistic understanding and continuously provide nourishment for our future lives. Yet, we adults often only grasp these principles later. These 8th graders, however, are explicitly branding themselves in the torrent of history, offering their own perspectives and ideas on history, learning to extract and absorb its essence. Each piece of writing helps them grow, leading to a spiritual elevation. 3. Presentations, structured as outlines and PPTs, are not vastly different from before. However, with the preceding two stages of deep thinking, the presentations serve as the final expression and summarization. Each step builds upon the previous one, prompting children to engage in deeper analysis and critical thinking. This is just the homework; there are also weekly exams, and every item has a deadline. In 8th grade, students truly feel the school's commitment to helping them cultivate a sense of responsibility, mission, and values.

There are three aspects of the writing class that impressed me:
1. Freedom in topic selection
The teacher provided two topics: one was potentially controversial with differing opinions (e.g., 'Should there be homework?'), and the other generally pertained to personal preference (e.g., 'What is an animal you like and why?'). Students were entirely free to choose based on their willingness.
2. Impromptu Writing
Students could find useful materials on the website provided by the teacher but had to cite them. Essays had specific minimum and maximum word count requirements. They also needed to demonstrate completeness, clear viewpoints, arguments, evidence, and counter-examples. Essentially, this guided a critical thinking approach to writing.
3. Freedom in Presentation
After writing, students could choose whether to present their work. If they did, the presenter had to accept and rebut opposing views. The audience had to actively provide their opinions, both for and against, during the presentation. This felt very much like a debate class. Afterwards, if there was remaining class time, students could refine and revise their essays for submission.
In a mere forty-five-minute class, it felt like topic analysis, writing, research, presentation, receiving critical feedback, and revision were all completed. I've always said, 'The ocean embraces all rivers; tolerance makes one great' and 'A single tree cannot make a forest,' but I felt my child didn't always understand these concepts. After over a month of this writing class, yesterday they exclaimed, 'You must consider issues from both sides, pros and cons. There's no eternal right, only forever choosing your perspective...'

A while ago, my child made a small book in their school writing class. The teacher found it very meaningful and encouraged her to turn it into a slightly larger picture book to share with the younger students at school. The first time I finished reading the booklet, I was moved to tears. It showed a twelve-year-old's exploration and choices regarding individual personality integrating into the group, foreign culture integrating into local culture, loneliness and perseverance, self-identity versus conformity...
Only the school's friendly and inclusive environment and the teachers' thoughtful and selfless love allowed her to have and maintain her own ideas, and to transform these thoughts into words, creating a book with the teachers' encouragement. For a child from an outside culture integrating into the local culture, the school's respect and help were crucial. It's only then that she could develop independent thinking and values, as the teachers guided her to retain her own thoughts while also finding a way to integrate into the environment. This will be a lifelong treasure for her.
In these past few years at Applewild School, under the guidance of the principal and teachers, my child has gradually become her best self, shining her own light. For her, the school is like the fertile, nurturing soil of Massachusetts, allowing her little seed of thought to sprout and grow strong.
My recent parent-teacher conference impressions: The school's culture has always been student-centric, very friendly and warm. The school's education tailors its approach to each child, understanding their individual needs. The teachers truly make an effort to understand each child's inner world and strengths, in some aspects even understanding them better than the parents, and knowing how to handle them. It is precisely because of this that the child loves their school so much, and we can see progress every day, with her getting better and better.

Applewild School is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. My daughter studied at this school for 3 years of middle school. The proportion of international students at that time was not high, but the school's level of care for students was very good. Most importantly, the principals of both the middle school and high school had worked at this school for 20 years. The campus area is not large, and the overall community living environment is average. The campus is quiet and safe, with a total area of over 100,000 square meters.

Advantages of the school:

1. The school just changed its head of school last year, transitioning from a day school to a boarding school, opening several new STEM-related courses, and building a new dormitory.

2. The music program is the school's strength: The middle school jazz band won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal in the last four performances at the Central District Jazz Festival organized by the International Jazz Education Association.

3. The school offers outstanding performing arts programs: choir, radio drama, spoken drama, etc. In addition, Applewild also boasts its own art fund, and the Marshall Art Fund supports the organization of school events and annual artist-in-residence programs.

4. Emphasis on art appreciation experience: 6th-grade students participate in art exhibitions organized by the Fitchburg Art Museum every year.

5. Emphasis on practical skills and students' hands-on ability: There are two woodworking workshops on campus where students can master woodworking skills, cultivate three-dimensional thinking and spatial reasoning. Furniture made by students themselves has won top awards in competitions.

General Impression: I've been at this school since 7th grade, and I quickly integrated with everyone here. It's usually very difficult to find a school where teachers and classmates genuinely care and are willing to help you, but at Applewild, every teacher and staff member always cares about you. When you encounter difficulties in your studies, you can receive help immediately during or right after class. One of the things I like most is that the school integrates music, physical education, and art as part of the curriculum, rather than separating them into after-school activities.
If you are looking for a warm and nurturing school where you can develop comprehensively, then this is the best choice, and your schoolmates will also become good friends for the rest of your life.

7 buildings, with an area of approximately 30 acres, laboratories, gymnasium, art center, library, swimming pool, outdoor playground for children, etc. Open House happened to be the day the snow stopped falling, the school is nestled against the mountain, and a safe distance from Fitchburg's main road. The campus has a farm and a handicraft workshop. Students admitted to Middlesex, Concord, Groton, Cushing schools.

The school offers K-9 grade levels, with boarding grades being 5-9. One of Applewild School's strengths is its expertise in collaborating with parents to help students. Collaboration between the school and parents is essential for students who need academic support. The school is well-equipped, has a beautiful and quiet campus, and 90% of its graduates gain admission to their first and/or second-choice high schools, with most being top 50 ranked high schools.

Applewild School is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. I lived in this town for three years, and my daughter spent three years of her middle school life at this school. Back then, the school's international student ratio was not high, and they provided good attention to students. Most importantly, the principals of both the middle school and high school have worked at this school for 20 years. The campus area is not large, and the overall community environment is average. The campus is quiet and safe, with a total area exceeding 100,000 square meters.

School Advantages:

1. The school just got a new head of school last year, and it transitioned from a day school to a boarding school. It has also introduced new STEM-related courses and built new dormitories.
2. Strong music program: The middle school jazz band won three gold medals and one silver medal in their past four performances at the Mid-District Jazz Festival hosted by the International Association for Jazz Education.
3. Excellent performing arts programs: Choir, radio plays, drama, etc. Furthermore, Applewild prides itself on having its own arts foundation, the Marshall Arts Foundation, which supports campus activities and an annual artist-in-residence program.
4. Focus on art appreciation experience: Sixth-grade students annually participate in an art exhibition held at the Fitchburg Art Museum.
5. Emphasis on practical skills and hands-on ability: There are two woodworking workshops on campus. Through this program, students can master woodworking skills, cultivate three-dimensional thinking, spatial visualization thinking, etc., making them true artists. Furniture pieces made by students have won awards in competitions. During her three years at the school, my daughter made many handicrafts.

7. Grade 6 students annually participate in an art exhibition held at the Fitchburg Art Museum. Excellent student artwork from all grades is displayed year-round in the school's halls and corridors.
8. The campus features two woodworking workshops. Through this program, students can master woodworking skills, develop 3D thinking, spatial visualization, and measurement skills, among others, truly making them artists. Furniture pieces made by students have won awards in competitions.
9. The school is well-equipped with sports facilities, including three sports fields and two gymnasiums. Students in grades 6-8 can participate in interscholastic sports such as soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and cross country.
10. The school adopts an elite small class teaching philosophy, ensuring a high level of individual student attention. Many graduates matriculate into top 50 private boarding/day high schools in the United States.

1. Applewild is a junior boarding school located in Boston, with an excellent tradition of liberal arts education, providing personalized and innovative education for students from preschool to eighth grade.
2. Students have consistently achieved excellent results in national foreign language exams, including Latin, French, and Spanish.
3. The school has four science labs, two computer labs, and two libraries. The libraries house over 20,000 books and periodicals, providing students with rich educational resources.
4. It consistently achieves first and second place in the Central Massachusetts History Day every year.
5. The junior high jazz band has won three gold medals and one silver medal in its last four performances at the Mid-District Jazz Festival organized by the International Jazz Education Association.
6. The arts programs are rich and diverse, including choir, radio drama, and theater. Furthermore, Applewild is proud to have its own arts foundation, the Marshall Arts Foundation, which supports campus activities and an annual Artist-in-Residence program. Recent projects include Balinese dance, ceramics and pottery, singing and songwriting with professional musicians, a whole-school collaborative weaving project, and African dance.