Before starting the School Down Under, Headmaster Kent Ferguson piloted an innovative school in Santa Barbara, California for 20 years. Below are excerpts from some of the many letters he received from students, parents and alumni.

I can’t begin to thank you enough for helping Ryan to become the person he is today. He wrote his college application essay about his experiences at your School. He was accepted early decision to Stanford University, which was his first choice.
-Linda Laponis, Parent

The most important teachings had to do with respect. I learned to respect the school, my teachers, my peers, but most of all myself. Through that respect, I gained confidence and felt as though I could do anything if I really tried.
-Ryan Laponis, Alumnus. Now at Stanford University.

I'm grateful for what you gave me…an awareness of the human race, a deep respect for Mother Nature, an affection for music, a belief in the best of every situation, a sense of wonder, and an appreciation of leadership.
-Robin Adler, Alumna. Now with National Geographic.

A courage provoking, inspirational, stimulating, challenging, learning, happy and fun environment that brought out the best in my children, as well as taught them some of life’s hardest lessons.
-Barbara Flanigan, Parent

We are grateful that you had the courage and the love to dream, and thereby envisioned a school that works. You looked to the heart of the children and you designed a school for them. You thought big enough to break across the boundaries of tradition and conformity to create a school that met the needs of every child. You taught the children to think, to try and to take risks, to share themselves with others, to sing and laugh and to tell the truth. You taught them to be grateful. You told us every child who walked through the door would be loved, and they were.
-Wysel family

Any person who is willing, who has a little faith can be transformed here. This school is so much about faith. It is kind of a faith in humanity, in the goodness of people, in the ability to draw that goodness out of people of all ages, and to do wonderful and affirming things with it. It is a place where nearly every individual is committed to growth, to love, to openness, honesty, and self-realization. There are few things more powerful than that.
-Elizabeth Schwyzer, alumna, journalist.

Our daughter Jenna graduated cum laude from Thacher School in Ojai, and is a straight A student at Amherst College in Massachusetts. She told us just a couple of days ago that she feels her experience at SBMS was the most important educational experience she has had yet. Thank you!
-Terry and John Osburn, Parents

As I look back on my time at Middle School, I find nothing but a marvelous sense of awe and appreciation. My years there were, quite simply, the most profound days of my life. The experiences and lessons are ingrained in my heart and mind and will serve as my lighthouse for the duration of my days. How often do you find things in your life, that when looked back upon, are almost too stunning, too real, too vivid, to be believed. I achieved the seemingly impossible because of the principles and ideas built into me from my first day on campus.
-Elliot MacDougall-Weymouth, Alumnus. Now at Georgetown University.

What makes the school’s values so alive and impressive that all the students aspire to live them fully?
It is the living, day-to-day demonstration of these values that breathes life into them and makes them believable and achievable by each and every child.
-Caroline MacDougall, Parent

In such a brief period in their lives you turned them to inclusiveness, to responsibility, to independence. We see the competence, the confidence, the ability for critical thinking, the desire to live well and fully, and to make a contribution---all these things you imparted to them.
-Ed and Edi Martin, Parents

Thank you for giving our children respect, for being bold, for believing in youth.
-Theresa Weissglass, Parent

Between the ages of eleven and fifteen, I saw the ruins of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and the Hoover Dam. I rode my bike through the deserts of Nevada, California, and Arizona, and the mountains of Colorado, California, and Oregon. I swam in Lake Mead in the early morning, and clung to my raft down the rapids of the American River. I learned to love the earth, and thrive in challenges that it handed to me. I never came home unchanged.
During my years at the Middle School, I discovered how I wanted to relate to people. I learned what it means to be a contributing member of a community, how to support, elevate, and persevere with others. I learned the importance of honesty, kindness, humor, and an open mind. I learned that in the face of challenges, judgments give way to camaraderie, and the differences of individuals become the strength of the group.
The obstacles I faced on these trips forced me to redefine myself. Pushed physically and emotionally, I discovered self-reliance and the pride in feeling self-sufficient. My accomplishments empowered me, and helped me take risks that I otherwise would not have taken. The experiences I had encouraged me to approach everything I do with bravery and passion. My teachers taught me that idiosyncrasies can be strengths. This acceptance and belief in individuality allowed me to slowly discover who I was, and what my dreams would be.
-College application essay of alumna Day Rose Kornbluth. Day currently attends Yale University.

Back