The O'Neal School

As a student who is a few short weeks from graduating, I can say that The O'Neal School has been a major influence on my development as a student and as an individual. In the classroom O'Neal has challenged me to push myself beyond where I am comfortable. All throughout my experience at O'Neal the teachers have been a major source of inspiration and challenge for me. My teachers have always pushed me to do better than I believed I could and to stretch myself to study material in areas that I wasn't comfortable in. At times the heavy workload in combination with your commitments to outside activities and school sports can seem daunting, but there are always teachers, administrators, and friends to support you. At O'Neal you are expected to test your limits and grow as an academic, but also as an individual. In addition to being the source of much of your work teachers are inspirations. All of the teachers that I have had at O'Neal have had a true passion for the material they teach and choose to teach because they genuinely seem to love it. I believe that the atmosphere at O'Neal, where learning is valued for its own sake, has enabled me to grow into a lifelong learner. Reflecting on my experience at O'Neal, I realize the love of learning that has developed through my time here and am thankful as I prepare to adapt to learning at university and beyond. Outside of the classroom O'Neal excels in offering many opportunities for students to become involved in their school as well as the larger community. This is often done through service organizations such as O'Neal Volunteers and Key Club as well as a variety of varsity level sports. In addition, I have had many opportunities to travel with my school and classmates including a two-week trip to France to stay with a host family as well as a more recent trip to China to act as ambassadors to our sister school Nan-fang High School. At O'Neal the students, faculty, coaches, and administration have a shared goal of student enrichment.

We have two children at O'Neal and our third will be attending the school next year. The PreK and Elementary programs are the best in the area. With small class sizes and great teachers that show how much they love and understand your child each day, our children love going to school here. In many subject areas the O'Neal School has helped our children move well beyond their grade level because the teachers have the time, training, and motivation to do so. And in those areas where our kids have struggled, the attention to helping them improve has been amazing to watch. We feel very lucky to have found the school, and are very happy with the eduction our children have received to this point.

My education at the O’Neal school began in the fourth grade. I graduated in the class of 2015 and was accepted into the honors college at the University of Mississippi. My teachers at O’Neal were incredible educators. Each of them was interested in me as a person as well as a student. They prepared me in every area for my first year in college. I excel in math and science and find english to be a challenge, but the background that I received at O’Neal enabled me to perform at my fullest potential at Ole Miss.
My parents chose to send me to O’Neal because of its reputation for outstanding education in our area. They believed that the financial cost would be well worth it. The small classroom environment allowed me to have a more intimate relationship with each of my teachers and classmates. I chose to stay throughout high school not necessarily for the social interaction but for the education that I knew I would receive. My freshman year in college was an easier transition from high school because of O’Neal.

O'Neal is a spectacular private school that both nurtures and educates the whole child. Our children have learned through experiences - one highlight is the greenhouse and gardening that the children do especially in the lower school. Mainstays like math, science, english and history are very strong at O'Neal but the specials like art, music, language and sports allow the children to explore and excel in all aspects of life. O'Neal works hard to keep curriculum current and challenging and they select the best faculty and continue to invest in their continuing education. I love that from pre-k, all three of my children knew students in almost every grade - O'Neal is the only school in Moore County where kindergarteners and seniors are buddies, and that is really awesome!

O’Neal offers a quality education that gives our family peace of mind. With an easy, thirty-five minute drive down Highway 1 from Sanford, it is well worth it! O’Neal’s great classroom ratios, supportive teachers and administrators, and the opportunity to participate in multiple sports, are what attracted me to the school. As a parent and educator, O’Neal is special because their small class sizes offer students daily opportunities to develop verbal and written language skills. Students are also expected to read beyond the standard and frequently practice formal written responses to develop their written language skills. The development of these skills are often underachieved in settings with larger classroom sizes. With this positive, interactive learning environment, I am confident that my children will have bright futures because of the exceptional education they are receiving at O’Neal.

We have 3 children at O'Neal and are extremely pleased. They are receiving an excellent education that I believe will truly prepare them to succeed as they move on to college and careers. So far the school has met and exceeded our expectations when it comes to meeting the needs of each child and pushing each one to do even better. We willingly make the drive from Lee County every day and even though we do not live in Moore County we all feel very much a part of the O'Neal Community.

Both of our children attended the ONeal School from kindergarten through 12th grade and my husband and I cannot imagine having provided a better school experience for them. The nurturing family environment along with a strong academic program and the opportunity to participate in athletics helped them become well-rounded independent adults. The devoted and supportive faculty prepared them for college and its challenges without skipping a beat. Currently, both are happy and successful in their chosen fields and we are indebted to O'Neal for starting them out on a solid life track.

Our family relocated last year from Lake Forest, Illinois to Pinehurst, North Carolina. One of our greatest concerns in this move was the education of our son who was in 7th grade at the time. We are so happy to have found The O'Neal School for him. The O'Neal School has proven to be a safe, active, fun and academically rigorous school. Our son's transition has been well guided by an active and energized Faculty and Administration. He is both challenged and supported academically, socially, and athletically at O'Neal, and we love the school!

One of the best & most important aspects of our time at O’Neal has been the 1 on 1 relationship that our daughters, my husband, & myself have been able to establish & maintain with O’Neal’s teachers, year after year. Our daughters (9th & 8th grade) have been here since Pre-K. The small student-teacher ratio, together with the fact that the parent-student-teacher relationship persists even after the kids graduate from each division, has allowed us unparalleled access to all of O’Neal’s instructors, many of whom have either a masters or doctorate. This access is one of the reasons why our daughters so far have achieved such great academic success. The fact that we can login anytime & track our daughters daily progress, from daily homework grades, test & quiz grades, to their current averages in each subject, makes this access even better. It lets us as parents nip any issues in the bud quickly, before they become bigger issues. Because the teachers stay on top of adding grades to the website, this very simple act of being able to track one’s own progress empowers our daughters too. They login to their own O’Neal account, immediately know where they stand in each course, & plan accordingly. However, O’Neal’s academic excellence is only the start. Although my husband & I feel that we are our kids best teachers when it comes to their character development, having O’Neal focus on this aspect of their lives as much as we do has been priceless. This foundation began in lower school, learning values like being thankful & giving back through activities such as donating to those less fortunate; and the value of creativity through art & music. It continued through middle school with O’Neal stressing values like tolerance & kindness through its anti-bullying campaign, and values like self-discipline, teamwork & responsibility through a variety of sports & extracurricular programs. By the time my oldest daughter entered O’Neal’s Upper school, expression of these types of attributes had become second nature. This has allowed the Upper school to also focus on much more complex values like teaching the skills needed for kids to increasingly become self sufficient, reliable, & independent, to as teenagers, be able to consistently organize themselves & their time and get their work done (without the need for a great deal of parental prompting). At O’Neal our daughters are happy and are thriving. All these things might seem small at first but the older our daughters get the more we realize that these are the very traits that are required for their continued success at O’Neal, in college, and in life.

I have an 8th grader at O'Neal. This will be her 10th year having started in Pre-K. Every year, we are more and more convinced that she is receiving a differentiated education and experience. The varied curriculum and small class sizes have allowed her to develop into an independent and critical thinker, motivated and excited about the challenges and support that the school provides in the classroom, in the arts and in athletics. O'Neal believes in each and every student allowing each one to experience a great education, develop their interests and go on to college to pursue whatever they'd like. The O'Neal School provides a friendly and supportive community for both students and parents. HIGHLY recommend!

We moved our three children to The O'Neal School from the public schools two years ago and we have not had one regret. The students are held to a high standard and are not allowed to "fall through the cracks" as they tend to be in larger school communities. The teachers are always willing to give a student extra help if it is needed. I know that when I email a teacher with a question or problem, I will get an answer that day. The faculty and staff at O'Neal truly make the school a close knit, safe community. I would highly recommend this school.

We really lucked out finding this gem of a school! My 3 children have been attending for over a year now, each in a different division, and they all agree it's the best school they have ever attended. Being a military family, my children have attended so many schools already in their short lives, this is my eldest 7th school. Even though The O'Neal School is small in size, it has a vast array of clubs and sports activities that all my kids have found their favorites to participate in. All three of my children have unique learning styles, and the teachers there not only got to know my kids better than any other school has ever done, right off the bat, but they have a way of making learning fun! My high achiever who has never been really challenged before in school until now, is excited to show what she can really do! My reluctant reader now says English is his favorite subject and my youngest tells everyone who asks that he goes to the best school in the world and can't wait until he gets to see all his friends every day. I love that it's a very welcoming and inclusive community. The communication from teachers and administrators has been wonderful. The quality of education my children receive is excellent. The curriculum is aligned with what they will need to know to be successful in college. They have a Parents Association that all families are automatically included in which is a great way to meet each other and get involved in the school. We never thought we'd settle in North Carolina, but The O'Neal School has made it completely change our minds. I can't imagine a better school for my children.

Our children have attended The O'Neal School for four years, beginning with Pre-K 3. The level of instruction and education that they have received is excellent. They are consistently engaged in learning. Our children have been given the opportunity to succeed in a wider variety of subjects at a much younger age, including Spanish, art, and science.

The small class size allows the teachers to focus on each student and enables them to progress quickly. As a parent, knowing each of the other families and children in the classes is also very beneficial.

Our kids are excited to go to school every day, and it is wonderful to see how much more they learn as a result. Highly recommend!

Best Private school in Moore County; great scholarship opportunities for military. The staff is passionate about education; the parent and teacher partnership is phenomenal. Each student is prepared and challenged to perform at their best.

Best school south of Cary

Great easy to find

Attending O'Neal for the past four years made my high school career so much more memorable. The relationships i created with my teachers and friends will last a life time. I love O'Neal!