Phebe Anna Thorne School of Bryn Mawr College

We have sent all three of our children to Phebe Anna Thorne School, and our experience has been incredible. It is difficult to overstate how special this school and community are.

What has always stood out to us is the thoughtfulness and expertise of the teachers. They truly understand young children and create an environment where kids feel safe, known, supported, and excited to come to school each day. The play-based approach is not simply about having fun. The children are constantly learning how to communicate, solve problems, build friendships, become more independent, and develop confidence and curiosity.

Across three very different children, we have watched Thorne meet each of them where they were and help them grow in their own way. The individual attention is remarkable, and there is a genuine sense that the teachers know and care deeply about every child.

The community is also a huge part of what makes Thorne so special. It is warm, welcoming, down-to-earth, and filled with families and educators who genuinely care about one another.

Preschool (and K) is such a formative stage, and we feel incredibly fortunate that Thorne has been the beginning of our children’s educational experience. It has shaped how they think about school, friendships, learning, and being part of a community. We could not recommend it more highly.

This play based school nurtures the whole child and is a warm and welcoming place. I couldn’t be happier with the education my son receives there. It is a truly unique and special program.

Thorne has been such a nurturing, caring and welcoming community to be a part of. We have seen our daughter thrive here and receive individualized and thoughtful attention to her development. The teachers and school director truly care about each and every child’s individual needs and meet them where they are. We couldn’t be happier or more proud to be a part of the Thorne family and look forward to watching our daughter learn, play and develop in the coming years with this amazing group of educators!

The Phebe Anna Thorne School is deserving of the 2024 LOVE Award because of their exceptional play-based learning philosophy that is implemented by an outstanding teaching staff who are experts in early childhood development. If you visit Thorne on any given day you will find children engaged in joyful and meaningful, age appropriate play that enables them to explore their social, emotional and physical worlds. I have had three children attend Phebe Anna Thorne and their experience in preschool provided the foundation of their positive understanding of what school is, what friendships should be, what it means to be a part of a respectful and caring community, how to communicate effectively, and how to take risks to ask questions and explore their environments. My 7th and 4th graders will look back to their times at Thorne to inform how they approach situations they encounter today and their understanding of how to be good friends and what good friends should be to them. Thorne has a lasting and positive impact on children that will remain with them and their families for a lifetime. I cannot think of a more deserving school or community than The Phebe Anna Thorne School.

Thorne is an exceptional kindergarten in the beautiful surroundings of Haverford College where every child is nurtured and encouraged to be a kind and empathetic friend.

A true hidden gem of a school– all our kids have or are currently attending Thorne (located on Bryn Mawr College’s campus). We’ve loved their learn to play and play to learn philosophy and warmth of the community.