Do you want your child to be challenged? Live up to their full potential? Develop great relationships with teachers who will really appreciate their strengths and work to shore up their weaknesses? Make very good friends within a “family” atmosphere? Be able to play a sport even though she’s not the most athletic kid around? Then Paragon is your school. We have two children at Paragon now and will put the youngest one in when he’s old enough. The middle school years are crucial for so many things... social and physical changes, developing academic motivation, learning study skills that will take them through high school, college and beyond. We really feel Paragon excels in helping our kids develop in all of these areas. Instead of being in huge classes/ grades with tons of kids who are “jockeying” for social position and forming cliques, our kids have enjoyed small classes with 15-20 kids. Our daughter has 29 kids in her entire grade and knows every one of them well; she considers them like her brothers and sisters at this point, with all the good and bad siblings entail! Our son has told us that the best thing about Paragon is that already, just 10 weeks into his first year, Paragon “feels like family.” Homework load is HEAVY. Middle school is a great time to make their own academic mistakes (forgotten homework, blown test, etc.) Paragon’s philosophy is allow the child to make the mistakes NOW (rather than in high school where the stakes are higher) and support the child as they learn how to “right the ship.” Paragon’s motto is Work Hard, Play Hard... and they do. There will be long nights of challenging homework that encourages critical thinking and necessitates time management skills. Expect a minor breakdown at some point. But also watch as your child does what s/he didn’t think she was capable of doing... succeeding at something very difficult. Over and over. Play Hard comes in the form of class trips that encourage bonding, competitions between “colleges” (Paragon’s version of Hogwart’s Houses) as they collect candy or socks for the homeless, Field Days, geography bees and Fall Fests. An unexpected benefit: Coach Bobby believes that everyone who wants to play a sport in middle school should do so... no one gets cut. My daughter, who admittedly is not very athletic, will have played on the basketball team for all three years, improving her play every year. If she was competing with 50 other kids for 10 spots on the team, she’d never have the opportunity. Middle school students are young enough that they should be trying new sports, being active and pushing their growing bodies in new ways. Paragon allows that to happen and our little bookworm is busting her butt this week to try to make the varsity “black” team. Very motivating! I can’t say enough about the level of commitment Headmaster Dave McGrath has to the students and their families. When we did have an issue with a single teacher, we felt he heard our issues, wasn’t defensive and handled it in a firm, fair, constructive manner. Co-founder and math teacher Mark Hathaway is wonderful as well and always has a smile on his face. They love quirky kids and work to help those kids channel those quirks into very positive, constructive outlets. My daughter will tell you that, although she wasn’t happy Mom and Dad were putting her into private school when she wanted to go to our neighborhood public school, Paragon is “the best thing that ever happened to me.” It’s hard to top that kind of praise.

My son is a new 4th grader at Paragon. Even though a mid year move can pose it's challenges so far my son is very happy with his choice. In a matter of a week he has changed to a child who comes home and does his homework right away. Shows me where I need to sign off on his homework and is showing signs if taking ownership of his responsibilities. Every morning he wakes up excited and ready for his day. He was not even close to being like this in public school. This quick change in him shows me how much he really needed and wanted this change and how wonderful the staff are at Paragon. After his first day I received an email from the head of the school checking in on my son and asking if there is anything he could do to help us. WOW! That impressed me! And then I received another email from the head of student development letting me know he would be working with my son to help him acclimate to the changes. WOW! I'm beyond impressed, I'm so grateful my son is at Paragon. It just feels right and my son is thriving and happy and excited to learn again! Thank you!!

We have sent two children to Paragon Prep and have loved it. The youngest just graduated, and I have to say that it has been VERY hard to accept that we won't be going back to Paragon. The teachers are great, it is a place where the kids can be quirky, but must meet very demanding expectations. Our oldest has had no trouble whatsoever with the transition to high school, thanks in large part to Paragon's instruction in good work habits, strong organization, and their fabulous teachers. You'd think that a school with such high academic standards and requirements (Latin being one of my favorite requirements) would be nerdy and stressful, but they also have tons of fun competitions (egg drops from the roof, catapults, etc) and themed days (Elvis Day--only fried food for lunch, Talk Like a Pirate Day, etc). I love this school, the teachers, and the way they see the diamonds in the rough that middle school students are. Wish I could give extra points--it is truly a "10".

Paragon Prep's administration has worked diligently to create a strong name with public and private schools in the area. Any class taken at Paragon Prep that can be transferred as honors is accepted by the public school as honors classes. This isn't true of all private schools transferring credits. We walked into a public high school and the moment they saw my son had attended Paragon, the counselor said, "Oh good." They know Paragon doesn't inflate grades and prepares the students well for high school work. We were transitioning from homeschool so we needed this "accreditation" of our previous years of work. The teachers are knowledgeable professionals in the subject matter they are teaching and are available. I have never met teachers that work harder than these. Work Hard, Play Hard is the Paragon motto and Paragon lives up to it.

My two sons attended Paragon grades 5-8 & had overall a good to very good experience, but the school's trend has been downward. There are some excellent teachers who are really knowledgeable, highly motivated, and very skilled at conveying the material and stimulating interest. Other teachers, however, do not nearly reach that level & have difficulty guaranteeing a good learning environment. The biggest problem is the principal, who is rather unpleasant to deal with and unreceptive to parental feedback. E.g., one year he suddenly reduced Latin instruction by 40% (from 5 to a mere 3 days per week). Most problematically, he has expanded the school so much that quality standards seem to have suffered and that logistic problems for kids and parents abound. So at this point, I am not sure I would enroll my kids there.

I wish every student could experience the academic rigor, supportive community and fun that Paragon Prep has to offer. The administration is incredible, in that every detail, for both parents and students, has been thoughtfully considered. The academics are challenging and dynamic, with the work hard; play hard culture permeating throughout. Paragon's advising process on how to approach the work load, and use a planner is phenomenal. If you are considering a private school education in Austin, Tx, you will be hard pressed to find a better alternative.

We have sent two daughters to Paragon Prep beginning with the 5th grade. Mr. Cash is the American version of "Mr. Chips". He is a wonderful influence on these young minds in terms of forming them both from an academic and ethical perspective. My eldest daughter and I had the amazing opportunity to experience a school trip to Greece with many faculty and students and their parents. It was a trip of a lifetime that we will always cherish. This is a boutique middle school that offers a modern educaton with a nod to the classics.

We had 2 kids in the Paragon primary 2011-12 (3rd and 4th grader)... We loved the ways the school day was organized. Their average day covered wide range of topics from academics, music, art, PE, interest group, trips to library/farm/parks, current events. Commend the maturity and the level of thinking that has gone into setting a challenging environment for the kids... It brings me great joy to see our kids eager to get to school and talk about everything they did at school that day...

Our daughter started here in 3rd grade and so far we are loving it. She is about to finish her 4th grade year and all of her teachers have been motivating, caring, yet demanding at the same time. She has matured in ways we never expected and yes the work load is intense at times, she loves it. The teachers and Mr. McGrath are always available and we have such respect for them all. We love it and plan on her attending through 8th here!

Paragon Prep & Primary teachers are SO engaged. my kids love going to school - and even enjoy their homework!! (most of the time :)) And they are learning to THINK and form their own opinions about all kinds of topics. AND the size and focus of the program forges this community of tight deep relationships. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!

My daughter transfered in the middle of her fifth grade year and the teachers were amazing and she automatically started making friends!!!

Great school! Creative, individualized attention geared toward excellence while having fun.

Mr. Hathaway I can be a pain even if I'm not here. 5 stars

Awesome education and character development, to boot!

i gotta transfer. i love my friends

Good luck my son with middle school

Mr. Benton is the bomb

awesome