As a parent of a child with learning disabilities and anxiety, finding the right middle school was…read moreone of the most important decisions our family made. Looking back on the past three years, I can honestly say that this school exceeded our expectations in every way. From day one, the teachers and staff created an environment where my child felt accepted, understood, and valued. Their patience, compassion, and willingness to meet students where they are made an incredible difference. Rather than focusing on challenges, they recognized my child's strengths and worked tirelessly to build confidence while providing the support needed to succeed. What stood out most was the school's commitment to inclusivity. My child never felt singled out for needing accommodations or extra support. The teachers fostered a culture of kindness, respect, and understanding that allowed all students to feel like they belonged. Whenever anxiety became overwhelming, there was always someone willing to listen, encourage, and help navigate difficult moments. The growth we witnessed over these three years has been remarkable. Academically, my child developed stronger skills, greater independence, and a genuine belief in their ability to succeed. Socially, they formed meaningful friendships and became much more comfortable participating in class and school activities. Emotionally, they gained resilience, self-confidence, and coping skills that will benefit them far beyond middle school. We are deeply grateful to the teachers, counselors, and staff who invested so much time, care, and dedication into helping our child thrive. Their support helped transform middle school from something we feared into an experience that prepared our child for the future. I cannot recommend this school highly enough to families seeking a nurturing, inclusive, and supportive environment for their children.

We are so grateful for the positive experience our daughter has had at Noble Learning Academy this…read moreyear. She transferred from a large public middle school where she often felt lost socially and overwhelmed by the large class sizes and disruptive environment. Looking back, we only wish we had made the move sooner. At Noble, she has found a nurturing and supportive community where she truly feels seen and valued. The small class sizes have made such a difference, both academically and emotionally. She has made meaningful friendships and has really been embraced by both the students and staff. One of the things we appreciate most is the hands-on learning and enriching field trip opportunities that simply were not possible at her previous big public school. We have also been so impressed with Principal Cassie and how involved and hands-on she is with the students and families. Her leadership creates a warm, welcoming environment where the children genuinely feel supported and cared for. The change has been incredibly positive for our daughter. We now plan to send our son to NLA when he enters middle school.

Please note: Many positive reviews on yelp were written under previous school and parish…read moreleadership. Our children attended this school for 11 years, and there is now new administration and church leadership. Our experience with the current leadership has been dramatically different. We considered this school and parish our second home. We volunteered, supported school events, raised our children here, and trusted the community to reflect the Catholic values of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and human dignity. That trust was shattered when our family faced its first and only significant disciplinary issue. We expected accountability, guidance, and an opportunity for our child to learn from a mistake. Instead, we experienced exclusion, fear-driven decision-making, and we felt increasingly unwelcome by the school and church leadership. It became clear that the current leadership lacked the experience to handle the situation and, more importantly, the humility to recognize its shortcomings. We believe their actions fell short of standard education requirements and practices and caused significant and lasting harm to our children and family. Catholic education should emphasize mercy, redemption, reconciliation, and the belief that a child is more than a single mistake. Instead, we experienced what felt like judgment, exclusion and institutional self-protection. The decisions felt punitive and disproportionate, with little meaningful dialogue, transparency, or compassion. Despite many families advocating on our behalf for a different approach, leadership ultimately turned its back on our family. What remains most painful is the disconnect between how we were treated and the values this school and parish claim to teach.

I wanted St. Perpetua to be a great fit, but our experience was disappointing…read more The school may work well for families looking for a very traditional Catholic environment, but if strong academics are the main priority, I would look closely before assuming this is a better option than the local public schools. In our experience, the administration seemed much more focused on uniforms, skirt length, Mass, and rule-following than on whether students were actually being challenged. There are some genuinely good teachers there, and I don't want to take away from them, but overall the academics felt inconsistent. It also feels like the diocese does not invest enough in teacher pay to consistently attract and keep top talent. And unfortunately, that shows. I'll also just say that the overall leadership of the parish/school gave us an uncomfortable feeling at times. The pastor in particular gave off a strange vibe that made the environment feel less warm and welcoming than we had hoped. For what families pay, I expected St. Perpetua to feel meaningfully stronger than the public school option. For us, it didn't.

We truly cannot fully express the amount of joy, comfort, and confidence we feel leaving our…read morechildren in the loving hands of Meher Schools. When searching for the perfect preschool, we had very clear priorities - and White Pony/Meher Schools was the only preschool that checked every box after extensive research, visits, and interviews. After falling in love with White Pony preschool, we decided to stay for The Meher Schools elementary school - also, one drop off for kids if you have one in preschool and another in elementary?! Yes, please! The Meher Schools met our top priorities in choosing aas did the White Pony Preschool: 1. Teachers who genuinely practice kindness, patience, and love, creating a safe, nurturing environment that mirrors the care we provide at home. 2. A strong focus on kindness, emotional and spiritual development alongside academics, using the Nurtured Heart Approach to teach leadership, right from wrong, and strong values - something that truly matters in today's world. 3. A calm, organized, clean, and open learning environment inspired by Montessori/Waldorf principles, filled with music, dance, art, nature exploration, and joyful activities that spark curiosity and a love of learning. 4. Low teacher-to-student ratios with consistent, dedicated staff and minimal turnover. 5. The ease and convenience of reliable daycare availability and consistent school hours, which is invaluable for working parents and provides tremendous peace of mind. Our children have grown into calm, patient, loving, socially and emotionally intelligent individuals. They come home happy - singing songs, performing dances, and confidently demonstrating leadership skills such as speaking up, standing up for others, self-regulating ("resetting"), appreciating nature, and truly loving life. We are incredibly grateful for the dependable, efficient, and communicative staff and teachers. Watching our children's growth, confidence, curiosity, and joy throughout their time at Meher Schools has been nothing short of amazing. We wholeheartedly and highly recommend Meher Schools to any parent looking for the very best for their child.

I want to start by saying this is a long time coming, and this is just my experience…read more We first looked at Meher after learning our son's previous preschool prioritized moving kids up to open seats, over real development. He was three, and his old school, though called Montessori, felt like just unstructured play with no guidance. We wanted better for him, so we applied to Meher. When I spoke with the administrator, she was initially hesitant to transfer him but ultimately accepted our application but in hindsight it felt influenced by where we live and work more than our child's needs. On our tour, we learned about the school's "legacy" tradition: multiple generations attend, and one teacher is even an alumna. It struck me as both odd and charming--I wondered if our son's future children might go there too. They want you to stay on his first day (and as long as needed) to help him adjust. Since we both WFH, one of us could be there until he settled in. We appreciated the school's structure: clear work time and play time, unlike his old school's laissez-faire approach. Fast-forward to his transition: he struggled with the new routines, having mini-meltdowns when he couldn't do things his way. On day one, another child cried for an hour over a forgotten jacket. Day two, the same child sobbed over his beanie. Then our son had his first major meltdown screaming and crying. Concerns arose when a parent complained her son was negatively affected by our child's outburst, even though her child had cried extensively before our son had any issues. We were also told one of the girls in the class reported the meltdowns to her principal father. During one episode, the teacher scooped our son up facing her; he flailed and knocked her glasses off. I don't think what he did was right, but at age three, kids sometimes lash out in fear or frustration. After just four days in class, the school questioned whether Meher was right for him. They cited the legacy parent's complaint, the report to her father, and the incident with the glasses. This happened just before Founders Day; a big celebration we didn't know about and weren't part of. When I picked up his things, I saw the pomp and realized the decision had more to do with "show" and pleasing established families than supporting all students. In the end, I learned two things: 1. In the school, legacy families hold sway, and compassion is in short supply. 2. The administration cares more about appearances for legacy parents than the well-being of every child. They promised to "follow up" and welcome him back, but we never heard from them again. If you're new to the area (we moved to Saranap in 2021) and lack connections, think twice before choosing Meher. Your child won't get the same grace as those with legacy ties, and the school won't invest in you as much as you'll invest in it.

Our family has been incredibly pleased with Growing Light Montessori in Lafayette, and would highly…read morerecommend it! The teachers are extremely skilled, patient, and nurturing. Since our child started we've seen a dramatic increase in her social development, creativity, and engagement in group activities. Class sizes are small with multiple teachers, and allow for a level of personalized attention that you can directly observe during drop-offs and pickups. Our child even talks about her teachers and asks after them on weekends. Communication with parents is also great. The school keeps us informed with regular updates, progress reports, and pictures of the kids engaged in class activities. The communication is two ways as well, they always respond quickly to feedback or questions, and they're very accommodating to any life circumstances that may come up. The campus and classrooms are well organized, spacious, and have multiple outdoor play areas. The school also organizes regular social events, educational workshops, and seasonal celebrations for families. We can't recommend Growing Light highly enough. It's absolutely worth it, and we feel lucky to have joined!

Both our son and daughter attended this preschool, and we couldn't be happier. The staff is…read moreattentive, warm, patient, and always accessible--you can tell they truly care. The environment is nurturing and thoughtfully balanced between learning and play. Our kids came home happy, confident, and excited every day. We really have nothing but positive things to say. It's been a fantastic start to their learning journey.

What a special school, led by outstanding director Holly and her truly incredible teaching team!…read moreI've been a middle/high school teacher, and my kids previously attended two different preschools in the area, so suffice to say I've met a lot of teachers and seen a lot of schools, and I am just blown away at the quality of Michael Lane. The teachers are genuinely warm, kind and loving with every kid, calm and professional in every circumstance and interaction, authentic and kind with parents...I'm not sure how they do it, other than they are just really special people, with a remarkable director, and they have a ton of experience. Great play-based program with thoughtful activities and opportunities every day/week for the kids. Inclusive and non-religious, though it's connected to a church. Hands down best decision we made was to switch to Michael Lane!!

With our first kid, we toured three preschools and got lucky getting accepted into MLP. Our…read moredaughter loved being there from the first day to her last , so it was a no-brainer sending our second one there. The teachers are amazing, the facilities are amazing, plus the snack calendar that's published every month is amazing. You'll get to know other parents and get integrated into a very welcoming community.

I have had a very positive experience with Buena Vista as both a parent and an employee. Both of my…read morechildren, one with special needs, attended BV from K-5. They received excellent educations and support at the hands of very caring and experienced teachers and support staff. It was and still remains a "family" with parents and staff working together to achieve the common goal of top notch education for each and every child. As an employee, I see everyday the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes especially by the principal, Amy Espinoza. With 560 students, you will never be able to make everyone happy. But Mrs. Espinoza handles all situations with fairness and all students and parents with respect. Unless you have walked in her shoes and done her job, you have no idea what it takes to run a school like BV with all its complexities and diversities. Having worked with other principals, I can tell you, she does an amazing job and it shows in the education the students receive. It is unfortunate that individuals such as David C. choose to make unsubstantiated statements and that he sees his child as "disabled". Perhaps if he was involved in the school as a volunteer and in the PTA he could be a positive voice for change instead of sharing his negative, hurtful opinions (oh, and remember what they say about opinions . . .). It's really too bad. Thank you for taking the time to read this review/rebuttal. I know it's long, but I am very passionate about Buena Vista, it's teachers, staff and administration. Any student would be fortunate to attend.

Pretends they are a private school and will deny your kid if they can. Never responded to my email…read moreabout a follow up.

It's movie night at Los Perales Elementary School tonight. It's a big night with all the students…read moreof all ages participating. First big event of the school year. Last year was Despicable Me. Tonight, looking forward to what it is this year. It's a wonderful tradition for students annually, the kickoff to many events ahead in the new school year, including field trip to Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley Botanical Gardens, and more.

Lisa B. The Moraga…read moreSchool District is proud of its schools, staff, parents and especially of our students. The District strives to create a positive learning environment for its students - and we've had great success over the years - especially with our Character Education program. We also recognize the importance of feedback and constructive criticism. I invite you to contact me so that I may understand your concerns in our on-going efforts to improve our schools. I can be reached at 376-5943. Please ask for Bruce.

My son doesn't attend high school at this school but we've been here at least 20 swim meets over…read morethe last 10 year! Having said that I am at minimum, qualified to publish this five star review! This school has many many more resources that a lot of other high school. One of the things they have is the swimming pool. Not just any swimming pool but one big enough to host a USA swim meet event which a thousand or more people attend. My uncle's 2 kids attended this school and went on to do well in life! That's all I know!

Campolindo and Miramonte have two of the best Water Polo programs in the San Francisco Bay Area…read more These two crosstown rivals are well matched up. Love that Campolindo has 3 swimming pools and a strong aquatics tradition. Many of the famous swimmers from UC Berkley settled in Moraga and send their kids here. So starved for competition they play at Bellarmine's NorCal Tournament as well as taking trips down to SoCal to play top teams down there. Littlebit of trivia: - Grateful Dead played at Campolindo High School back in 1969. - The name Campolindo is Spanish for Cute Countryside - The school almost burned down after a recent hillside brush fire came up to the school fence

We truly cannot fully express the amount of joy, comfort, and confidence we feel leaving our…read morechildren in the loving hands of White Pony Preschool. When searching for the perfect preschool, we had very clear priorities - and White Pony was the only school that checked every box (for context, I'm an Excel-spreadsheet fanatic and a serious researcher - I visited many schools, observed classrooms/teachers, analyzed environments, and spoke with current and former parents across 15 preschools in Walnut Creek and Lafayette before choosing Meher Schools). Our top priorities were: 1. Teachers who genuinely practice kindness, patience, and love, creating a safe, nurturing environment that mirrors the care we provide at home. 2. A strong focus on kindness, emotional and spiritual development alongside academics, using the Nurtured Heart Approach to teach leadership, right from wrong, and strong values - something that truly matters in today's world. 3. A calm, orga, clean, and open environment inspired by Montessori/Waldorf principles, filled with music, dance, art, nature exploration, and joyful activities that spark curiosity and a love of learning. 4. Low teacher-to-student ratios with consistent, dedicated staff and minimal turnover. 5. The ease and convenience of reliable daycare availability and consistent school hours, which is invaluable for working parents and provides tremendous peace of mind. Our children have grown into calm, patient, loving, socially and emotionally intelligent individuals. They come home happy - singing songs, performing dances, and confidently demonstrating leadership skills such as speaking up, standing up for others, self-regulating ("resetting"), appreciating nature, sharing their finished "projects" from school, and truly loving life. We are incredibly grateful for the dependable, efficient, and communicative staff and teachers. Watching our children's growth, confidence, curiosity, and joy throughout their time at White Pony Preschool has been nothing short of amazing. We wholeheartedly and highly recommend White Pony Preschool to any parent looking for the very best for their child.

White Pony Preschool literally changed our lives- not just for my 4 year old son but for our…read morefamily. Prior to attending White Pony Preschool, my son experienced behavior difficulties. After the first day of school, he told me he loves White Pony and that he is so happy. We saw an immediate shift in his overall mood, a decrease in negative behaviors, increase in social skill development, an improvement in cooperative play and an increase his interest in attending school. White Pony preschool offered parent training in the nurtured heart approach and helped us as parents focus on the positive qualities within our son which in turn changed his behaviors at home. In less than a year our son went from a child who was bullied, who cried and did not follow instructions to a warm, empathetic, helpful boy with loving and kind friends. He developed compassion, empathy, a love for art, music and gardening and well developed manners of which I can take no credit for (I'm from New York). White Pony's teachers are experienced, loving, kind and dedicated to the growth of their students. The school's dedication to multi-cultural and diversity teaching has encouraged us as a family to learn and grow. This year my son was so excited to tell me all about Chinese New Year including a beautiful red lantern he made as well as festive art and music. Since my son has attended White Pony preschool he has expanded the foods that he will eat since White Pony serves healthy snacks as well as vegetables and fruits from the preschool garden. They also involve the children in making food as part of the learning. Thanks to White Pony preschool my son will now eat vegetable soup, berries, cucumber, and more. While this may not seem like a big deal to some parents, it meant the world to use as we had such a picky eater. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted my son to attend a mixed age classroom until I saw how it impacted him. He loves mentoring the younger students and acting as the "helper" in guiding them to follow the teacher's instructions. The mix of ages helped him develop his self esteem and also develop a gentleness with children younger than him. I can go on and on but this is already a long review so I will end it on saying that we will be continuing with the Meher school and our son will go to Kindergarten. Lastly, we would like to publicly thank the teachers and staff at White Pony Preschool for all they have done for our son.

I've had at least one child attending Indian Valley Elementary School since 2002. For a smaller…read moreschool in a chronically underfunded small school district, the teachers and staff here do an awesome job. It's a clean, safe school with experienced and caring staff, and a lot of parent involvement.

Indian Valley Elementary has surpassed any expectations I had coming here. My family has moved…read morehere from another state and the staff and teachers here have made sure that my children are feeling welcome, safe and adjusted to our move. Trude (office manager) has been the best! she has even called after a few weeks to see how we were all doing. Beautiful setting and great kids. I have been very pleased with our decision to go here.