“My family and I are grateful to have found Spectrum. Our daughter absolutely loves it! We even signed her up for Compass (Spectrum’s great after school program) because she wanted to stay at school longer. The teachers, principal, and the rest of the staff are all wonderful. They truly make a difference in her academic life.”
“We found Spectrum at a time when our daughter had lots of school-related anxiety. After a brief tour of Spectrum, she said she’d like to try Spectrum and we decided to make the change. It was a great change for us! The teachers create a real community where she feels included and accepted, both within the classroom and between the classes. Her teachers have helped her take control of her learning and develop her strengths in creative ways. Our daughter has re-discovered her love for learning and enjoys going to school again!”
“We love Spectrum’s nurturing learning environment. Teachers focus on social development as well as academic growth. Spectrum fosters curiosity and a joy of learning. Their Plan-Do-Review process is a cornerstone for engaging children in taking ownership of their projects and developing critical thinking skills. We have seen the progression from preschool to middle school with planning projects, students diving into topics they are interested in and developing confidence in giving presentations. The amazing outdoor space is well utilized by teachers and staff for learning and outdoor play.
We were so impressed by the amazing job the teachers did with switching to remote learning in the spring of 2020. Spectrum’s safety protocols ensured that children were able to attend school in person for 2020-2021. We are grateful for the many ways that Spectrum School enriches our son’s life and for the Spectrum community.”
“Never could I have imagined the amount of positive life experiences my child would gain by becoming a student at Spectrum. This school has helped foster a deep love for learning and exploration in my child. My child understands the learning process and knows that anything she puts her mind to, she can do, or figure out thanks to Spectrum! The teachers are all truly invested and hard to create a unique learning environment that allows for every child to learn in ways that are individualized for them. Spectrum makes learning a process, an adventure, that naturally brings the light out in every child that attends. I am so thankful for this school!”
“When one visits Spectrum you are able to see the age interaction between all of the students and their smiles. The atmosphere is one of learning but sharing that love among all. Their Compass program is one that reminds us of Bloom Academic Focus Program. The staff demonstrate a care and desire for all to succeed which is a very important key for a child’s love of learning.”
“Spectrum has been an absolute blessing to our daughter Lilah. The smaller class size and amazing teachers are just one of the many things we love about Spectrum. Lilah learns best doing things hands on and she definitely gets to experience this on a daily basis at Spectrum. Her creativity is encouraged and she is lovingly supported to become her own person. Lilah’s confidence has grown exponentially in both her class work and emotionally. She loves that when weather permits Spectrum utilizes the outdoors for play as well as learning and loves to discover more about the plants and animals right in Spectrum’s back yard. The staff at Spectrum have had a huge influence on Lilah and we are so so grateful for this school.”
“As both a veteran educator of 25+ years and a mom, I was thrilled to find a progressive school in our area. Spectrum’s philosophy supports hands-on, individualized learning that you simply cannot find in most public schools today. The low student-teacher ratio combines with project and interest-based learning experiences to create an environment second to none. Within weeks of his arrival at Spectrum, my son, Cameron, was shocked and thrilled to discover that not only was he allowed to work and collaborate with his peers, but it was encouraged! Spectrum Progressive School educators value the learner diversity in classrooms and work tirelessly to meet each student where he/she is at to help support individual learning styles and perspectives. We just couldn’t be happier to attend this wonderful school.”
“It’s hard to imagine our child learning anywhere but Spectrum. We transferred from a preschool whose curriculum was too rigid for his learning style, and when we toured Spectrum and realized what we were missing, we could hardly wait to get him started. He has now been a Spectrum student for 7 years and we have seen his creativity flourish, his social-emotional life blossom, and his academic skills and interests grow and expand. Most importantly, Spectrum is a place where everyone, including our child, can be their best and truest self. The classroom teachers have chosen to come here to pursue their own interests in progressive pedagogy, the subject specialists in music, art and language help provide a varied and comprehensive curriculum, and the staff members know each child and family so well. We feel lucky that the Rockford community is able to support a school like Spectrum, something you might only expect to find in larger cities. We honestly don’t know what we are going to do when he finishes middle school…is 3 years enough time for Spectrum to get a high school program off the ground?”
