Reviews of Shambhala School (School)

Laura Snow

Our daughters have been at Shambhala School for the last 5 years. The teachers and students are very welcoming and the outdoor, science and arts programs are fantastic. Being at Shambhala has also allowed us to take some extended family vacations and we have made some wonderful friends in the school community. We couldn't be happier with our choice to move our girls to Shambhala where they have had so many opportunities to thrive in their education. We highly recommend this school for both acedemic reasons and for the mental health and confidence of our youth!

Sandra Murphy, ND

The magic of Shambhala School can be demonstrated by the trajectory of my eldest daughter. Painfully shy as a 4 year old we were drawn to Shambhala School for their gentle pre-primary program with low class size and emphasis on mindfulness/creative learning. She was so shy she was unable to speak for months but her teachers honoured where she was, never made her feel ashamed of her quietness and instead comforted her in the way she needed. By primary she was able to fully participate in class and thrived! The primary program is play-based/creativity-based with a focus on Grade One readiness. French is introduced with physical actions to help stimulate the language part of their brains! Their reflexes/balance/interpersonal skills are fully assessed and re-mediated as required. It ensures that the child is actually ready for focusing on their academics when the time comes. Because of the early focus on her physical/emotional and interpersonal development it meant my daughters academic side was completely supported when she reached Grade One. Grade One was amazing as she quickly took to math, science and reading with zero effort. By the end of Grade One she was reading chapter books like Roald Dahl with zero mistakes. By the end of Grade Two she can spell, write cursive and read at a Grade 4 level with zero hesitation. Interestingly, her class recently put on a play in which our previously painfully shy daughter could be heard front and centre and was even helping her classmates with their lines! I cannot recommend heartily enough.

Jason Alexander

My son is seven years old. He describes the Shambhala School as a place of “kindness and light.” Since moving to the school in March of 2019, I’ve witnessed the most amazing transformation in him. Yes, he’s more confident, but it’s deeper than that, like a rooted sense of calm — like he’s finally comfortable with who he is as a person. What I appreciate most, however, is pretty simple: my son is happy. He loves his school, loves expressing himself through art, loves to read, and loves his classmates. Without a doubt, choosing to send my son to the Shambhala School has not only vastly improved the quality of my son’s life, but my life, as a parent.

Felicia Guitton

My son Sasha loves playing at Shambhala School playground so much with its wonderful 400 hundred year old trees and his great friends, that he says, "Don't pick me up Mommy till the school is locked and all the lights are off!"

Crunked

Don't send your kids here if you want them to come out normal. 2/10

Rylan DeCoste

Shambhala School Has The Best Decorated Cubby In All Of N.S.! I Really Love Seeing Such Beautiful Cubby's All Lit Up!

Andrew Cranmer

We've had our two kids at Shambhala School since my daughter entered pre-primay. The combination of child focused learning, an amazing school community and wonderful teachers have kept us there. At first, it was the smaller class sizes that attracted us, once there I can't imagine our kids attending a different school. Highly recommended!

Roger Nugent

We have two children at Shambhala School and couldn't be happier with the results. They are engaged in learning in a positive, supportive environment every day. Our eldest regularly says "I love my school"! The staff are very dedicated, and truly make the learning environment what it should be - supportive, engaging, often fun, and inspiring. When the lockdowns occurred the school didn't miss a beat with quality online learning beginning immediately. We looked at a lot of private schools before choosing Shambhala, most would surely offer an excellent education, but none seemed to share the high quality academic environment along with such a positive culture.

N T

This school is an incredible community for our daughter. She loves it so much better than the other places she’s been!

Amanda MacDonald

The best decision we have ever made for our daughter! The teachers have renewed her love of learning and self-confidence. What a gift!

Aaron Hallink

very neglected facilities.

Chelsi Ferguson

My 4 year old son has been attending the Pre-Primary program at Shambhala School this year and I cannot say enough about our positive experience. My son has blossomed this year in this wonderful space with his 3 excellent instructors. Absolutely everything has exceeded my expectations; highly recommend to anyone looking for a good PP program.

Sebastien

I left grade 2 not knowing how to read and had to rely on the public school system to catch up. This school does not prepare you. People I knew personally, also had difficulty adjusting to the academic levels of public schools when transitioning. Many who graduate here have more difficulty with post-secondary and becoming self-sufficient adults. If you are interested in sending your child to a private school, check out the others Halifax has to offer. I hope things have changed but I doubt it. Take your money and children elsewhere.

Sara Haynes

We have two children at Shambhala and have experienced both the upper and lower school. The lower school does a phenomenal job of balancing a Waldorf-type sensibility with academics, so you know your child will be prepared for the next stage of their education. For example, my grade 4/5 child writes complex book reports and memorizes weekly spelling words, but on Friday afternoons, the kids sit in peaceful circles working on their knitting projects. Similarly, the upper school introduces more yoga and meditation practices, while deep-diving into ancient Rome, or practicing their Shakespeare performance. What a lovely combination.

Zayn X

(Translated) porch (Original) balba

Renae Quinn

Both of my children attend Shambhala School; my daughter is in Grade 3 and has been at the school since her first day of Pre-Primary, my son is in Pre-Primary. The extraordinary teachers at Shambhala create a safe, caring and highly performing classroom community by focusing on the strengths and successes of each child. For example, the teachers incorporate The Virtues Project into the classroom culture by highlighting a virtue, such as love, kindness, justice, service for each child and encourage them to strengthen their virtue by using it. Through the teachers’ gift of truly seeing each child as a unique person and offering positive recognition, Shambhala is a school full of children who feel comfortable with who they are and confident in their contributions to the classroom. I appreciate that the teachers make an extra effort to cultivate an enriched learning environment, where each child is primed for success.

Charlie James

Good school but go to Oxford instead - it’s free

joseph andres barra gelvez

hello from Chile ellen page There is an excellent study actris

Erin Ferguson

When our family began considering private schools in Halifax, four years ago, we hoped to find an educational environment that wouldn't necessarily teach our children what to think, but how to think and apply that to the world around them. We wanted to immerse them in a school that balanced hands on learning with theory, combined art and music with science and math, and focussed on how our history and geography affect present day. We found this, and more, at the Shambhala School. The middle school years at Shambhala are nothing like what we remember from middle school. Students are encouraged to listen and respect each other and be who they are without trying to fit a mould. The respect that teachers clearly have for the students makes our children more confident. This confidence was apparent in many instances - through memorizing and performing Shakespeare's plays, building a water purification system, constructing a Rube Goldberg machine (and presenting it to peers and parents), and pitching their own tent while on a school camping trip. Whether our children decide to become doctors, chefs, entrepreneurs - we are confident that the education they receive at Shambhala will give them a strong base to draw from. We only wish we had sent them to the school sooner!