The Leelanau School

09/04/2026

We asked our team what they're most excited for this year. Short answer: everything! We're ready for a joyful school year beginning next week. We'll see you then!

09/03/2026

Here at The Leelanau School, we think outside the box. This week, our team connected with each other, met new faces, and shared strategies about how we can all best support our incoming community of learners. We’re so excited to welcome students to campus next week, and we have a feeling 2026-27 will be the best school year yet!

09/01/2026

When families consider a new school, distance can feel like an obstacle. But for some students, a meaningful change of setting creates the space for a genuine fresh start.

Northern Michigan offers more than beautiful surroundings. It offers a different rhythm of life—and a small community where students can feel deeply known, supported, and free to imagine themselves differently.

Sometimes growth requires a change of landscape.

Read more:
Why Choose a Michigan Boarding School?

Discover how a Northern Michigan boarding school can give students the space, community, and fresh perspective they need to grow.

08/30/2026

Is your child excited to go to school each morning?

Or has every morning become a struggle of avoidance, negotiation, and stress?

Perhaps there are frequent stomachaches, sleepless Sunday nights, missed buses, or pleas to stay home. You worry. You push. You accommodate. But school keeps becoming harder rather than easier.

School refusal is rarely about laziness or defiance. More often, it signals that a student’s current environment has become overwhelming—or simply is not the right fit.

Sometimes the answer is not more pressure, another reward, or a better morning routine. Sometimes the environment needs to change.

A smaller, more relational school can offer a fresh start: teachers who know the student well, predictable routines, meaningful support, and a community where belonging comes before performance.

At The Leelanau School, we help students rediscover that school can be something to look forward to.

If this sounds familiar, perhaps it is time to consider a different setting.

Learn more at https://bit.ly/47dCfuY

08/27/2026

From a small classroom in the 1940s to the streets of Málaga, Spain, the way we learn at The Leelanau School has evolved quite a bit. However, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to offer the best educational experience possible.

Decades ago, students learned together in a simple classroom, building knowledge through conversation and curiosity. Today, our students take that same spirit of learning beyond the campus by exploring new cultures, walking through historic cities, practicing language, and experiencing the world firsthand.

At Leelanau, experiential learning means turning the world into a classroom. Whether it's a scientific investigation of the local wilderness or an unforgettable adventure across the globe, we believe the most meaningful learning happens when students can live it.

The classroom may look different now, but the adventure of learning continues.

1940s Classroom 📷: Michael Huey

08/26/2026

Not every student needs a bigger school or a more conventional one. Some need a place where they are known, understood, and encouraged to become more fully themselves.

If a student comes to mind, please share Leelanau with their family and encourage them to connect with our Admissions Office.

https://bit.ly/4cliUfI

08/25/2026

As the first day of school gets closer, some families are watching school-based anxiety return. The worrying. The dread. The difficult mornings. The Sunday-night anxiety. The quiet question: “Are we really going to do this all over again?”

We shouldn’t simply accept that as a normal part of adolescence.

School can be a place where students feel safe, connected, challenged—and genuinely excited to learn.

If your child is already dreading the school year ahead, perhaps it is worth asking why.

To learn more, read our latest blog linked below.

Addressing Anxiety and Looking Forward to School

School anxiety and dread don’t have to define high school. Discover how schools can help students feel safe, connected, and excited to learn.

08/24/2026

Mark your calendars! We look forward to hosting the Glen Arbor Players for another wonderful production. This time, they're taking us down south to Savannah, Georgia for a heartfelt comedy about friendship, love, and life. We wish the Glen Arbor Players a successful run, and hope you can join us for six shows' worth of fun!

08/21/2026

Last chance to catch some entertainment by the fire! If you'd like to end the summer with some poetry, music, and stories, come on down to the beach by The Leelanau School tonight. Call (231) 334-5800 for more information. We'll see you there!

08/20/2026

Here's a glimpse of some iconic places around the school while we get ready for everyone to rejoin us for another great year! What's your favorite spot on campus? Let us know in the comments!