If I could give this a lower rating I would. Leaders definitely do not know how to do anything but…read moreplay on their phones and let kids jump all over them. Simultaneously there are kids on the other end of the grass field playing and often times lying on top of each other. SAFETY is NOT a priority! Never heard of a school where everyone is expected to pack out what they bring in. This includes any sort of food item. YES, they are serious about this as there are no trash cans located anywhere except the bathrooms. Parking conditions at the conclusion of classes is a crash waiting to happen. No clue why they do not use the front of the campus when there is a LARGE CLEARLY MARKED area for loading during hours of operation. If this place does not ever get used for that purpose it should be turned into every day parking and not a NO PARKING location 24/7.

This place has been around for over 100 years. I'm not kidding. If you know anyone who grew up in…read moreManoa, chances are they went to this school. The school is one of the greatest bargains on island. I think it was $90 pay period... I started my daughter in the school when she was in first grade. If you don't know, it's an after-school program where your child goes and learns Japanese for an hour each day. My kiddo's mom is training to be a Japanese linguist for the Army, and knowing that they'd be moving to Japan, I wanted to make sure my daughter knew some basics. The teachers are very caring and very experienced. She speaks a ton of Japanese now and I've got the school to thank.

One of the very few Chinese school on the island. Sui Wah School was started over 30 years ago by…read moreMrs. Chee Ping Lee. The school's primary focus is Cantonese, however, due to the popularity and rising importance of Mandarin as the international language, the school started offering conversational mandarin as part of the curriculum. The school is a 501c not-for-profit, year-round school, running on Sunday from 9 am to 12 noon. They start accepting students from ages 3 and up. Based on age and the child's assessment, your child will be placed into the appropriate class. Through out the year, the school also have programs or celebration ceremonies to showcase the excellence of their students. My older daughter has attended the school since she was 3, therefore, I am an avid parent and supporter of this school. They also have conversational mandarin classes for adults. The school is well organized and structured, lead by a great principal, teachers and parent volunteers.

Excellent Chinese school offering both Cantonese and Mandarin. The school promotes not only the…read morelanguage but also the Chinese culture. The school also offers fun and festive activities like Chinese New Year celebrations, annual school open days, mini carnivals, Christmas craft sales, and outings once in a while. The principal and teachers are very experienced and patient. Most of them are certified education professionals. Our two sons started when they were 5. They learned nursery rhymes and simple Chinese characters when they were young. They gradually learned to compose simple sentences and paragraphs. Having attended the Sunday school for 13 years, the boys were able to do Chinese composition and translation between English and Chinese when they graduated. Location is extremely convenient. It's right at the Chinese Cultural Plaza. Lots of free street parking on Sunday. Parents can also enjoy good restaurants around the school and grocery shopping in Chinatown after dropping off the child. Overall, it's the best Chinese school on the island. We love it and highly recommend this to everyone who's interested to learn Chinese.

I wanted to do this program…read more I interviewed with Judie Hudson. She was inappropriate throughout the course of the Skype interview Judie: What are you wearing? Me: Is the camera working ok? Can you see me alright? Judie You're wearing a T-Shirt, aren't you? Me: Ah, good; glad the camera's working. Judie: We have a dress code... Judie: How do you get money? Judie: What kind of medication are you on? Judie: Are you taking any medication? Me: [silence] Judie: Are you taking any medication or anything else? ... It's not her business what personal medical conditions I might or might not have! What does this have to do with the interview! Judie's corrections for the entry quiz | "She managed to do it". Judie: "Manage" implies struggle. Me: I don't infer that from the context of this sentence. Where are you getting that meaning? Judie: [Provided a new, completely different sentence: "She managed to unlock the door".] Me: In that example, OK, but in the original, I don't see how struggle is implied. Can we look it up on... Judie, interrupting loudly: Anyone can put up anything on the internet. Look, you need to know who to listen to. I've been doing this a long time and I learned from books. -- I never say such things to a student! I don't "teach" like this. I always encourage students to look things up online. If they have questions in class, great! If there's no time, we can talk after class. If there's something they know that I don't, great -- let's learn! While Judie was interrupting, I was looking up on etymonline and learned that "Manage" comes from latin and has to do with horsemanship, from the mane. I told Judie, who was not amused. Judie concluded the interview with a long monologue that can be summarized as: I have to state this now: If you're going to disrupt class with questions, you will be asked to leave. If this becomes a problem, you won't complete the program. The preemptive threat to remove me, should I challenge her authority, was unacceptable. I asked to talk to Joel Weaver about this and he refused. Joel suggested I take the CELTA program in Thailand. Why wouldn't he recommend the other CELTA program in Hawaii, at ICC? I don't know. Maybe they badmouthed me behind my back and let Judie know how bad I was so that they would then sabotage the interview thereby guaranteeing that I would not apply. I believe Judie's threats to remove/expel me or anyone for asking questions. I believe she is sincere and would not care or even hesitate to remove anyone she dislikes (me). I'm very disappointed by the way that I was prevented from taking this course. If I am not qualified, then I understand. But if I am not liked, I should not be talked down in the interview. Judie may try to respond to this comment to say that I am not qualified but it is not true. I meet the CELTA qualifications.

The Hawaii English Language Program (HELP) is a wonderful program for foreign people who are…read moreinterested in learning English! The Director of the school is Joel and he's awesome! The teachers love their job and their students! This school is small, but you feel like an ohana here!

McKinley Community School for Adults offers the community great courses at a reasonable price. The…read morestaff cares about their students and show it on a daily basis. You can take special interest classes or obtain your GED. Either way if your looking at learning a new skill or bettering your education McKinley Community School For Adults is the school for you.

I have been to McKinley for various trainings for the Department of Education. Mainly for one…read morewelcome orientation and several computer applications classes specified for my job. I think I have one more class coming up, a lab to practice and that's it. Maybe more in the future as I expand as a secretary. The parking is great, sometimes packed like a can of sardines but they usually do open more parking areas beyond the chain link gated areas. Park on gravel always otherwise you risk being towed. Classrooms are clean and evenly spacious between computer stations. There are bathrooms located on the 1st and 2nd floors and you need a key for both (men & women's)

I attended Rainbow from Sakura to around fourth grade. Some background: I was raised in Hawaii and…read morespoke both English and Japanese with my parents. During my time at Rainbow, I made friends both from Japan and Hawaii. There were some students from Hawaii who would speak English to each other even though there was a loosely enforced rule not to do so. I found that those who chose not to follow the curriculum naturally fell behind their peers in terms of their Japanese abilities. I think that this is because the school is not super strict. You'd get reprimanded for speaking English but not in serious trouble. Ultimately, your child gets what they put into it. Rainbow Gakuen is modeled after a traditional Japanese school day, with subjects taught all in Japanese. Furthermore, the institution follows typical customs such as undoukai (field day), Hinamatsuri, etc. Although I have not lived in Japan, I am now connected to my heritage thanks to Rainbow. I highly recommend this Saturday school for kids who already have a background or an interest in Japanese language and culture, but for those who do not it will be difficult. I only went to Rainbow until the fourth grade, but when I eventually decided to study Japanese after taking a seven year break, I found myself breezing through N3-level Japanese. This is a great place to build foundational Japanese language skills while learning about traditions.

My children graduated from this school. It was tough for them to go to school every Saturday and…read morethey had a lot of homework to catch up with Japanese but now they are able to read and write Japanese. They also learned the Japanese math, culture, history and Japanese way of discipline like cleaning after school for example (a little strict.) Well they kind of hated to go there but now they feel fortunate to have the opportunity to learn Japanese.

We love Hola Keiki Spanish School! I'm from Chile and I can't teach Spanish to my kids. I don't…read moreknow how and we all get very frustrated. But with Hola Keiki my daughter has so much fun while learning, so we prepare the classes before hand and then we keep repeating during the rest of the week and now my daughter is learning and also enjoying and being more curious about Spanish language. Thank you Mariel! Can't wait to next season!

We utilize a spring class session (2021) for my 7 year old. My daughters class was virtual via…read morezoom. Seño Mari is very interactive and wonderful with the children. My daughter gained so much confidence, as well as, understanding of the Spanish language. She truly looked forward to and enjoyed the class. We will definitely be continuing lessons with Seño Mari!

The BEST tutoring place on the island! Forget about Kumon, go to Intelleyou for actual help. The…read moretutors are super patient and actually assist you with any difficult homework problems. I received tutoring here when I was in high school and it helped me tremendously. I believe they also have worksheets to teach you new concepts in various subjects if you don't have homework to work on. The owner, Mr. Miyamoto is a tutor himself and really tries to help the students understand any difficult problems! All of the tutors are extremely friendly, patient, and helpful. If you or your child needs tutoring, I would definitely recommend this learning center.

Great tutors. Very patient. They have helped my child with various subjects. I would highly…read morerecommend them.

Pali Preschool has been a wonderful experience for our son and us as parents…read more Initially, Pali wasn't even on our radar, we were considering a different preschool. A friend encouraged us to apply after all three of her children attended Pali, and we're so glad we listened. It still surprises me that Pali isn't more widely known. I don't even know where to begin. The hours are much more reasonable than other schools we looked at, with flexible drop-off and pick-up options that made a big difference for our family. The campus is well-maintained, with a relatively new playground. They have fun field trips and school events! Ms. Sara (director) and Ms. Carol K. (admin staff) are friendly, helpful, and most importantly, responsive. And every single teacher our son has had has been amazing. Starting with Ms. Ashley and Ms. Mele, his first teachers in the 2-year-old program (fyi his class was the pilot class), they were seriously incredible. They created such a safe, warm, and fun environment that our son never struggled with drop-offs. At that stage, communication with parents is everything, and they always kept us informed with messages and quality photos. They were also incredibly patient and kind every step of the way! Next were Ms. Jenn and Ms. Jamila in the 3-year-old program. They did a fantastic job helping our son grow more independent. They were always approachable, answered our questions thoughtfully, and offered helpful suggestions for his development. Finally, our son had Ms. Sandy and Ms. Kacey for his last year of preschool. Before he was assigned to their class, I had heard a lot of hype, and I'll admit, I'm usually skeptical of that kind of thing. But in this case, the hype is absolutely real. Their dedication to the kids is incredible. Ms. Sandy, the lead teacher, is exceptional, especially in how she follows through. When we had a concern, she didn't just respond once; she checked in consistently until the issue was fully resolved. We worked together on a potty-related challenge, and her partnership meant a lot to us. Ms. Kacey is especially great at helping kids work through emotional challenges. When our son had a few moments, she took the time to talk him through it and also kept us informed on how she handled it. With Ms. Sandy and Ms. Kacey, our son would come home excited to share what he learned. The concepts they teach can be surprisingly complex, yet they make them engaging and understandable through hands-on projects and experiments. The staff truly makes the school. If you're a parent looking for a preschool, I highly recommend checking out Pali. After three years, we couldn't be more satisfied with our experience.

I chose to send both of my boys to Pali Preschool and don't regret it at all…read more One has attended since 2020 and is about to enter Kindergarten. During his time at Pali, he has had some amazing teachers that have literally been role models to my husband and I and have even taught us tools and ways to nuture our kids both in and out of school. I honestly wish I could hang out in Ms Sandy/Ms Kacey's class all day and learn myself because they truly teach the kids not just academically, but they teach them tools and mentality to continue using as they move on. We were constantly wowed during the school year of what our son came home and told us he learned at school-- it extends beyond just your basic ABCs and 123s. During COVID, they were really diligent about protocols and keeping classes separated to manage exposures-- in comparison to other schools where our mutual friends sent their children, we definitely noticed a lower level of disruption. My younger child started at Pali for the 2023-24 SY and went from crying every day at drop off with another local daycare to barely saying by to me before running off to play with his equally amazing teachers, Ms Ashley & Ms Mele. They worked together with us to get him potty trained only a month after the school year started at about 2.5 years old. They also perform miracles like getting him to nap on his own with minimal interaction needed, cleaning and going potty without whining, and eating snacks and lunches without roaming around (all struggles we have at home...). Generally speaking, the administration are very engaged from a parent perspective, and you see them also being hands on and helping in classrooms when needed. The hours are very convenient for us and the additional before-/after- school care options are reasonable and great for working parents as well. Curriculum is well rounded and they focus on not just education but exposure and experiences to field trips and activities that keep things interesting and educational for the kids.