My cousin is moving to San Diego and looking to live in the University City area. She needs a…read morereally great special education department, so I dropped in here and observed Ms. Hunter's room recently. I remembered Curie Elementary from a few years ago when my own son attended an autism socialization program after school, I really liked the campus and the area. I was really impressed with how Ms. Hunter setup her classroom and how the children had bonded to her, especially after finding out the short amount of time she's been there. She's very personable and funny, imo kids on the spectrum respond to that. It seems like a great school, and it might be a great fit for my cousin's son, the only thing that bothers me is that the teacher that would be a awesome fit for him won't be there in the fall, she got laid off. If she were staying I would definitely recommend this school to my cousin without hesitation. I think Joshua would love it here! The reason I'm giving 5 stars is because of the great experience I had meeting Ms. Hunter, thanks again for opening up your classroom to me, I really appreciated it!

My family has just started our 6th year with kids at Curie and every year has been a fantastic…read moreexperience. It's a very tight-knit community of parents, students, teachers, and staff all working together for the kids. The teachers are remarkably dedicated and the PTA is heavily involved in supporting the school. Definitely recommend!

Ms cazary is super cool but sadly she moved to different school I went here for elemerntry and it…read morewas pretty good but I think recess should be longer and it is better then curie veri easy to make friends only problem is they are sometimes to strict like no running on playground

I've had two of my kids go through Spreckels. It has been a great school, I highly recommend it…read more Principal Michelle Cazary is wonderful; she cares about the children and is skilled at selecting high quality staff. Teachers have been great although there are one or two that are just average. The seminar program is excellent too, although your child must test into that. The PE teacher that they added a couple years ago has been a great help too; he really gets kids excited about PE. They also have before school & after school programs available. The school is in the middle of a huge renovation that will add a two story classroom building and remodel all of the existing classrooms. If you can get into Spreckels then I highly recommend the school for your child.

Torrey Pines (TPES) is one of the best school in San Diego, and La Jolla. My children have attended…read morehere for several years and they are happy to go to school each day. Each has excelled and been so supported and cared for by TPES Teachers and Staff. Every Teacher has been so knowledgeable and great in helping our kids progress and grow each day. The before and after school care program, run in conjunction with the YMCA across the street, is Character Builders. Ms Sherry and all the Character Builder Staff are top notch. Our kids do not want to leave at the end of the day. The VAPA and PE programs are also very supportive and great opportunities for children. Great Teachers, great TPES community of families, and great location. TPES is the best!

Cannot say enough great things about TPES. Teachers are top notch, Support Staff are so beneficial…read moreto learning, and the front office staff is friendly and caring. Our kids have excelled here. There are so many different positive programs as well, including before and after school care- YMCA Character Builders, who's staff cares so much and really provides an amazing place for kids after school. TPES is one of the best schools around

We are very happy with the experience we've had during our daughter Elena's first year at the…read moreschool. Her growth has been remarkable in every way -- academically, emotionally, and socially. From the very beginning, we felt welcomed and part of a true community, which made all the difference for us as a family. Principal Dena Stoneman is always attentive, approachable, and thoughtful in every detail. Secretary Sara Sinclair is a kind and loving person, always willing to help with warmth and efficiency. We are also deeply grateful to Elena's teachers -- Ms. Chu, Ms. Delgado, and Ms. Andy -- for the care, dedication, and love they've shown throughout her learning journey this year. We fully trust the school and are excited to continue this journey with you all in the upcoming school year!

It has taken me months of reflection to write this review because our experience with MMS was…read moredeeply confusing and upsetting. Our 3-year-old daughter started at MMS in January 2024. We really loved her primary teachers, and initially, she seemed to be doing well. There were a few incidents of misbehavior (hitting, biting, not listening--maybe three times?) but overall, it was a positive experience. She made friends, spoke happily about school and her teachers, and seemed engaged. From the beginning, I found Dena to be condescending and sanctimonious, but I tried to overlook it. After summer camp, she returned to the same class with many of the same students. But from the start of the new school year, we began receiving frequent calls and incident reports about her behavior--hitting, biting, disrupting nap time, etc. Over the next few months, things unraveled. Our daughter no longer wanted to go to school. She became hysterical every morning at drop-off. We received daily incident reports and multiple phone calls from the school. At home and in other settings, playdates, gymnastics, family events, her behavior was very different. She wasn't perfect, but she was typical for a 3-4-year-old. It began to feel like the school had completely lost control of the situation. She was regularly sent to the office for "breaks" or timeouts, but she would just sit and color, so it didn't feel like a consequence to her. The school called us to pick her up early several times, saying they couldn't manage her and that she was essentially a danger to others. She also began saying things like "I'm bad" and "I'm mean," which was a major red flag. We took her to the pediatrician, an occupational therapist, and had her evaluated for ADHD and other potential concerns. Everything came back within the range of typical development. We had multiple meetings with the school. Dena assured us they were trying everything, but their actions didn't reflect that. Eventually, they asked if we could switch her to half days. Although it was a major challenge for our full-time working household, we agreed, hoping it would help. It didn't. The daily calls continued, and we were still asked to pick her up early. They assigned an aide to shadow her, but the behavior didn't improve. Our daughter started coming home saying no one wanted to play with her, that she had no friends, and that she was bad. Our OT was confused--if she had a one-on-one aide, how was she still getting into so many incidents? We tried sticker charts, calming strategies, every tool recommended by professionals. And yes, our daughter is emotional and sometimes struggles to keep her hands to herself, but again, not in a way that felt outside the norm for her age. We received two to three detailed incident reports each day. It often seemed like the school was spending more energy documenting her behavior than actually helping her. Over time, it became clear we weren't welcome. Dena and some of the teachers began giving us cold looks. Dena even told us that other parents didn't want their kids playing with ours. The whole environment felt hostile and out of control. After another unproductive meeting with Dena, we were told our options were to find a new school or pay for a full-time aide, on top of tuition. We enrolled her in a new school the following week, and the difference has been incredible. One of the strangest parts came when we decided to withdraw our daughter. Dena asked if we would bring her by for "closure." I declined, as I didn't feel that would be appropriate. I went to pick up her belongings, and while the students and teachers had made her a goodbye card, which seemed sweet at first, the messages inside were deeply unsettling. Things like "We know there's good in you" made it sound like she was evil or broken. Again, she was THREE. And she really is a sweet, loving kid (who gives the best hugs). At her new school, she has many friends, and in 7 months, she's had one behavioral incident. We still recognize that she is an emotional and spirited child, but she is thriving in a supportive environment. I only wish we had made the switch sooner. Looking back, it's shocking to realize that for the entire second half of the school year at MMS, we didn't hear a single positive thing about our daughter. I feel heartbroken thinking about the constant negative feedback loop she was caught in. no wonder she thought she was "bad." I'm not saying MMS is a terrible school for everyone. Clearly, some families have had positive experiences. But it seems that if your child doesn't fit a certain mold, they are unwilling or unequipped to support them. I still struggle to understand how things got so bad, especially considering the immediate change we saw when we moved her. Even at home, she was noticeably happier. she now runs into school every morning and i have so much peace of mind.

This is a magical place filled with incredible educators. My children have received a priceless…read moreeducation that has instilled a love of learning in them that is truly remarkable.

It is a fantastic community to be a part of! A lovely campus, supportive staff and great teachers!read more

I worked at this school as a PrimeTime staff and I gotta say that this is a good school. They have…read moregood teachers and good faculty. I really enjoyed working with the kids after school during PrimeTime. The kids are wonderful!

Wish I would of seen some of these bad reviews before sending my kid here. She got into the gate…read moreseminar program and hawthorne was the only available school for it in our area. Needless to say the principal said they don't allow bullying but she is a bully herself always yelling at my kid even when me and my wife are present. The principal doesn't have any children of her own but acts like she knows everything about disciplining kids, i'm sorry but yelling at kids with autism doesn't accomplish anything. The new teacher they have running the seminar program doesn't know how to teach these kids or handle them, she is always taking personal days and having substitutes and she cancelled all the future field trips for the rest of the year because she said the kids are out of control. We brought up to the teacher that she has trouble learning math, and they didn't help her. I've also noticed a change in my kids study habits she used to read 2 grades above and do good in math. Now she reads average and is failing math. She also picked up bad habits from her classmates she never used to fight or argue with us but now its everyday. I will be making a complaint with the superintendent about the school and the principal it is not a safe place for neurodivergent kids they should move the seminar program to a school that actually cares about these kids and wants them to learn. They also make you pay money out of pocket for the seminar program since the state doesn't cover it anymore. The principal also shamed our daughter when my wife was carrying her backpack. There was also a incident when a kid brought a gun to school and the principal was yelling saying i'm so mad your kids i could kill them. The tone of voice an approach when talking with the kids is very agressive... our new school the principal and teacher are the exact opposite and our child is thriving again. we figured out over summer when we got a tutor what the math issues was. She is back to having good study habits and isn't yelling all the time