Welcome to Blandford School (6)

Welcome and thank you for choosing GRPS and Blandford School. Our staff is dedicated to helping each child reach their fullest potential and become independent, self-driven learners. We are fortunate to have Blandford Nature Center in our backyard which invites our scholars and staff to explore learning and use nature as their classroom. 

If you are interested in learning more about the rigor and zeal of Blandford School, please contact us directly at 616-819-2555. We'd be happy to show you around the school!

Erin Shadowens
Principal

School Apps

Blandford School

3143 Milo St. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534
Phone: 616-819-2555 Fax: 616-819-5243
Erin Shadowens
Principal
Nicolette Ferguson
Head Secretary

School Hours

Breakfast 7:50 a.m.
Start Time 8:10 a.m.
Dismissal 3:08 p.m.
Half Day Dismissal 11:20 a.m. 

At Blandford, nature is your classroom! 

Blandford is a 6th grade program that offers outdoor learning experiences and a rigorous curriculum. The school is designed to heighten an awareness of the environment, stimulate creative thinking, develop leadership, promote intellectual growth, and increase self-esteem. Our Blandford staff is committed to fostering your child's potential to learn and achieve through a learning environment that values hands-on, project-based learning experiences. Scholars are provided with exciting challenges and opportunities for a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience that focuses on nature and the great outdoors. 

The Blandford "classroom" consists of over 100 acres of ponds, streams, woods, and fields along with a more traditional classroom that supports the outdoor theme. Attracting students from public and non-public schools throughout Grand Rapids, as well as a handful of students from nearby cities, the student body at Blandford is a heterogeneous mixture of ethnic, economic, and social backgrounds. 

While we have too many special projects and programs to name them all, a few highlights include:

  • chicken adoption
  • International Night dinner
  • performance of A Christmas Carol
  • fall and spring camp
  • Wildflower Tea
  • BEEP Bazaar 

Blandford School is located in a state of the art, LEED certified facility on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids. This building, along with Blandford Nature Center’s 143 acres of ponds, streams, woods, and fields, offers students an unparalleled learning environment.  Scholars will enjoy their collaborative learning experience by sharing two classrooms and a large meeting space both indoors and outside in nature.

Blandford School Photo Tour


  • 29 Apr
    • Citywide Art Show - Open To The Public (8:00am - 8:00pm)
      Date: Apr 29
      Time: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Western Michigan University, 200 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
    • Ridgemoor Park Montessori FMP Open House
      Date: Apr 29
      Time: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
      Location: Ridgemoor Park Montessori School, 2555 Inverness Rd SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
    • School Budget 101: A Parent Workshop About School Funding
      Date: Apr 29
      Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
      Location: GRPS University, 1400 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
      Join us for an educational workshop designed to help GRPS families better understand how school funding works.
  • 30 Apr
    • Citywide Art Show - Open To The Public (8:00am - 8:00pm)
      Date: Apr 30
      Time: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
      Location: Western Michigan University, 200 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
    • North Park Montessori FMP Open House
      Date: Apr 30
      Time: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
      Location: North Park Montessori Academy, 3375 Cheney Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
  • 14 May
  • 18 May
    • CA Frost Middle High School Graduation Ceremony
      Date: May 18
      Time: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
      Location: Houseman Field, 162 Houseman Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
    • Union High School Graduation Ceremony
      Date: May 18
      Time: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
      Location: Houseman Field, 162 Houseman Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
      Calendar: GRPS District Calendar
  • 19 May
Senior Showcase: Time at Southeast helped Diana Calderon get ahead

Meet Diana Calderon, a senior at Southeast Career Pathways. 

Three Ottawa Hills athletes sign to compete at next level

Three Ottawa Hills Bengals will continue their playing careers in college.

Two GRPS seniors awarded prestigious, full-ride Gates Scholarship

Two Grand Rapids Public Schools seniors have been awarded The Gates Scholarship, a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship that covers the full cost of college.