Transition to High School
When Kazoo students finish 8th grade, their families make decisions about where they head next. There is not a 9 - 12 school like Kazoo (independent, secular & progressive) in the Kalamazoo area. This means that families weigh their options carefully. Whether they decide to enroll at Kalamazoo Public Schools (and receive 65% of the Promise upon graduation), attend another local public school, go to a religiously-affiliated private high school in the area, or seek out a boarding school nationally, Kazoo students and their families report positive transitions. Kazoo alumni describe feeling that they are well prepared and able to meet the demands of high school classes. They tell us that moving to a larger setting can be surprising at first, but that they are socially-emotionally ready, and are able to initiate a connection with their peers, teachers, and school counselors. Because students develop a love for learning at Kazoo, they are able to bridge any gaps in knowledge by seeking out information needed to succeed. Alumni mention that the biggest challenge that comes with a change to a larger public school include managing their time with a larger homework load.
We are happy to work together with families through this important process to have as smooth a transition as possible.
“At Kazoo I learned how to find the support I needed, but also how to work independently and manage my time and projects. It was a lot of responsibility, but it was a lot of one-on-one attention, too. For me, Kazoo was a place where we could talk with teachers and ask questions, not just blindly accept information.”
High Schools Attended by Kazoo School Graduates
Leelanau School
Loy Norrix
Mattawan High School
Parchment High School
Paw Paw High School
Plainwell High School
Portage Central
Portage Northern
St. Paul’s, Concord, NH
Schoolcraft High School
Three Rivers High School
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Battle Creek Math and Science Center
Bangor High School
Comstock High School
Cranbrook Schools
Delton High School
Galesburg High School
Gobles High School
Gull Lake High School
Hackett Catholic Central
Kalamazoo Central
Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC)
Lawrence High School
“My time at Kazoo gave me the confidence to pursue what really matters to me, and to be able to take on the challenges that come in life with positivity and creativity.”
Beyond Graduation
Colleges and Universities Attended by Kazoo School Graduates
Michigan Tech
Middle Tennessee State
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
New College of California
Northern Michigan
Northwestern
Penn State
Rose Hulman Institute
School of the Chicago Art Institute
Stanford
Suffolk Univ Law School
Tufts
UC – Riverside
Univ. of Chicago
Univ. of Colorado
Univ. of Iowa
Univ. of Maryland
Univ. of Michigan
Univ. of Pennsylvania
Univ. of Toronto
Univ. of Wisconsin
Valparaiso
Virginia Tech
West Point Naval Academy
Western Michigan University
Wooster College
Alma College
American University – Cairo
American University – Paris
Aquinas College
Bates College
Brown University
Cal Tech University
Carnegie Mellon
DePauw University
Denison University
Duke University
Earlham College
Eastern Michigan
Ferris State
George Washington Univ.
Harvard Business School
Hope College
Illinois Institute of Technology
Indiana
Kalamazoo College
Kenyon College
Lehigh University
Lewis & Clark
Loyola
Maine Maritime Academy
Miami (OH)
Michigan State
“What I took from Kazoo School after 9 years was more than an education, it was a perspective. I learned the merits of tolerance and open mindedness as well as how to be an honorable competitor and the value of equality. I was emboldened with the courage to be myself and try incredible things.”
Ross as a Kazoo Kid
Ross
Careers of Kazoo School Graduates
Pharmacist
Photographer
Physical therapist
Physician
Psychologist
Poet
Political consultant
Political researcher
Registered Nurse
Rehabilitation nurse
Software engineer
Teacher
Nutritionist
Writer
Actress
Artist
Attorney
Bio process developer
Book buyer
Computer engineering
Dance studio owner
Electrical engineer
Environmental engineer
Environmental attorney
Episcopal priest
Fitness instructor
Human rights attorney
Head of School
IT manager
Lobbyist
“I carry Kazoo School into my classroom every day. Kazoo shaped the way I learn, the way I teach, and my steadfast belief in the potential of student centered learning. ”