Why PLP

When our oldest was entering kindergarten, we applied to Pine Lake for the small class sizes, focus on STEM, the academic and athletic reputation, and high parent involvement. We searched for a school where we could become part of a community and a place where our children would have a variety of ways to nurture their interests as they grow. When we won a spot in the general kindergarten lottery in 2022, we could not be more ecstatic. Our son Brycen, now in 1st grade, has thrived at Pine Lake. He has teachers and staff members who welcome him every day by name, classroom instruction that is fun yet challenging, Spanish classes that excite him, an after school program that he never wants to leave early from, enrichment programs that enables exploration of new interests such as karate or playing instruments, but most importantly he has a welcoming and inclusive environment that he enjoys going to every day.

As parents, we are impressed at the kindness we have seen by the Middle and Upper students, the constant communication and responsiveness from both teachers and administration, the openness to new ideas to continue to improve Pine Lake. But mostly, we are so grateful that we can call ourselves a Pine Lake family and excited for our daughter to start kindergarten next school year. It brings us peace and joy knowing that our children will be able to remain at the same campus for their entire K-12 experience while building deep friendships.

We have applied to PLP since 2018 when our oldest child became school age. We sought after PLP because of its sterling reputation for high academic achievement, low teacher turnover, variety of opportunities in athletics, arts, science, smaller school feel and amazing, inclusive community.  

This year we were fortunate to join the PLP family when our son, Oliver, got a spot in the lottery for first grade. He was placed in a classroom with a teacher that is experienced, kind and fun. Thanks to his teacher’s instruction and awareness of how he learns, he has grown so much in his reading and math skills. The STEM experiences and daily Spanish instruction have been new, amazing additions to his education this year too. He has made friends quickly and loves going to school. 

What we have been most grateful for at  PLP is the special attention Oliver has received from his teachers, the staff and administration through the year. They have  watched over him to make sure he is adjusting academically and socially. As a result, he is thriving. We look forward to Oliver’s younger brother joining him next year for Kindergarten!

Our family has been at Pine Lake Prep for three years now and we have a current 9th grader and 7th grader.  We chose Pine Lake Prep over other public and charter schools because we felt that Pine Lake brings together the best of both worlds.  Pine Lake has the resources of a large school including state of the art athletic facilities, fine arts programs, STEM programs but also brings a sense of community by maintaining small class sizes and allowing students to develop life long friendships.  We are lucky to have some of the best teachers, staff, administration supporting each student with their individual needs. We moved to Pine Lake from a gifted charter school and immediately felt assured that our children would be challenged through a rigorous curriculum.  They transitioned well into the school and are now thriving socially and academically. It has been a fantastic choice for our family and we are truly thankful for the support and guidance of teachers and administration.

"We were fortunate to get accepted into PLP when our daughter was in kindergarten at public school. Our family chose Pine Lake Preparatory because of the smaller learning environment, the ability to excel through 12th grade and the family culture we felt during our orientation. We were impressed by the caliber of teachers, administration and the strong focus on academically preparing students for college.

We now have a 7th grader and 4th grader at PLP and it brings us joy to see them flourishing in this environment. We love that the school not only stresses the importance of academics, but also the importance of community and personal responsibility."