Shambhala School

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

My two grandsons go to Shambhala School and I continue to be impressed with the level of commitment shown by the teachers, administration, other parents, staff and the students to make this the best school it can be. I wouldn't want my grandsons to go to school anywhere else.

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.

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

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.

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.