Our son was attending a large public high school when the COVID-19 pandemic started. This highly…read morerated public high school quickly transitioned to an online learning environment, but only provided one synchronous lecture per week for each class. As our son, and many of his classmates, fell further and further behind in their online classes, we repeatedly reached out to the school administration, including the principal, as did the parents of our son's school friends. However, the school's administration was uniformly unresponsive to our concerns. So, we decided to take our son out of the public school system, and place him in a private school. Our son transferred to Pacific Academy during his junior year of high school. I really can't say enough good things about our experience at Pacific Academy over the past almost two years. Everyone from the principal to the teachers and administrative staff have all been amazing. They are all very passionate about their mission to educate their students, as well as to help their students grow and develop into well-rounded young men and women. The small class sizes allow for a very personalized approach to teaching, and both the teachers and the principal are very interactive and collaborative with parents. The quality of teaching in all of our son's classes has been exceptional, and all of his teachers have welcomed engagement with us. (Unlike at the public high school our son previously attended.) I would especially like to recognize the principal at Pacific Academy, Keith Corpus, and the Director of Student Affairs, Jasmine Hsu. Their dedication, compassion, and empathy towards their students, and their families, has been extraordinary. They have both also been tremendously supportive as students, parents, and teachers have all worked together to manage the enormous (and ever-changing) impact of the pandemic. Honestly, we have come to view Mr. Corpus and Ms. Hsu as if they were part of our family, and we are so grateful to them for their dedication and commitment to their students, including our son. My only regret is that we did not transfer our son to Pacific Academy sooner. We love this school, and its faculty and staff, and we are so grateful that our son has been able to attend Pacific Academy!

This school hired unprofessional teachers like Ms Kuo in 4th grade who wasn't a certificated…read moreteacher and was very mean to kids. It is unacceptable that they allow their teachers to use language abuse on our kids! Principal didn't even care about the issue. Very disappointing.

Renascence is an excellent school both academically and for language immersion. My son attended…read moreRenascence International from preschool to 6th grade (ages 4 through 12). Based on the quality of the instruction, my son excelled academically and is tri-literate in Chinese, Spanish, and English. My son speaks Mandarin at home with his mom and attained the global seal of literacy for Spanish. The only reason my son no longer attends Renascence is that he wanted to experience a school with a larger class size and more students. (He now goes to a school with over 100 classmates just in his grade.) Based on the instruction my son received at Renascence International, my son was one of 25 out of 500 students out of district that tested and were accepted at Oxford Academy in the 7th grade. The quality of the teachers and curriculum are excellent and without this instruction, my son would never have made it into a public school that is rated #1 in California and #19 in the United States. Currently, he is taking advanced math and is the only non-hispanic child taking advanced Spanish in his grade. Thank you Renascence International for giving my son the tools and instruction to succeed.

Renascence School International (RSI) has been an incredible place for our daughter's education and…read moregrowth. She began attending kindergarten in 2012 and graduated from high school in 2025, and we could not have chosen a better school. From the administration to every teacher, the team at RSI is outstanding -- supportive, caring, and completely dedicated to each student's success. Academically, the school is exceptional. Students consistently learn up to two grade levels ahead, and through RSI's dual-enrollment program with a local community college, our daughter earned two associate degrees, along with her IGETC certification, which fulfills general education requirements for both the UC and CSU university systems -- all at the same time she graduated from high school. RSI's language program is equally impressive. Our daughter earned perfect scores (5s) on both her AP Spanish and AP Chinese exams and received the Global Seal of Biliteracy at the Working Fluency level in both languages -- a highly prestigious distinction that reflects advanced proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Only a small percentage of bilingual students nationwide reach this level, making it a truly exceptional achievement. Because of the strong foundation RSI provided, our daughter received multiple university acceptances with generous academic scholarships. We love this school so much that even after she graduated, our family continues to volunteer and support RSI because it truly feels like family. Renascence School International has been one of the best decisions we have ever made -- a school that challenges, inspires, and prepares students for success in a global world.

When our family joined Harbor Day School four years ago, we hoped for a strong academic foundation…read morefor our children, but what we found has been so much more. Harbor Day has become an extension of our family, a place where our three children are not only challenged intellectually but also supported emotionally and socially in every way. The teachers here are extraordinary. They know each child deeply - their strengths, quirks, and potential, and they truly want every student to become their best self. What stands out most is how intentionally the school focuses on the whole child. Academic rigor is balanced with lessons in kindness, citizenship, and community. My sons have learned to think critically and act compassionately, skills that matter far beyond the classroom and that we see demonstrated when we travel and encounter different societies and cultures. The breadth of experiences offered continues to impress me. From science and technology to wood shop, Spanish/Latin/Mandarin, art, and beyond, the curriculum encourages curiosity and hands-on exploration. Every day, my children come home excited to share something new they've discovered or built. As a parent, I've also found a meaningful sense of belonging through volunteer opportunities and parent enrichment programs. Although we don't live in the immediate neighborhood, I've found that volunteering and participating in parent enrichment opportunities have made me feel deeply connected to the school. The families and faculty are warm, welcoming, and united by a shared commitment to helping children thrive both academically and personally. We are so happy with our decision to have our children at Harbor Day School. It's a place where children are seen, valued, and inspired, and where families feel truly at home.

Harbor day has been wonderful for my children 's growth both educationally and as people. The…read moreteachers care about the students both in classroom and outside the classroom. The Harbor day community has been very welcoming and nuturing . It's been wonderful for our family.

We've been incredibly fortunate to be part of the LePort community for over ten years. My son has…read moregrown up at LePort--starting in the Mandarin program, then Westpark, and now the Spectrum North campus. With just a year and a half left before he graduates, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the amazing teachers and administrators who have guided him along the way. My son has truly grown up a happy child who loves school, and I attribute so much of that to LePort. I'm constantly told what a wonderful young man he is, and I believe the character-building foundation at LePort Montessori has been exceptional in shaping who he is today. At LePort Spectrum North, he has had the most caring and thoughtful teachers--Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Masha, Ms. Cassandra Kolacinski, Ms. Lauren, and Ms. Robin. We are thoroughly enjoying the middle school program: it blends Montessori principles with strong academics and emphasizes helping others, self-discipline, time management, and critical thinking. During alumni night, every graduate shared that they felt extremely well prepared for high school after completing LePort's middle school program. Thank you, Ms. K, Ms. Lauren, and Ms. Robin, for everything you do! I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the phenomenal administrative team--Head of School Ms. Krista, Business Manager Ms. Karyn, and Admin Support Ms. Jen. You make the school run seamlessly, and I love the new subjects, events, and programs you bring to the community. Thank you--it has truly been a joy to be part of LePort.

This review is for the South campus…read more Both of my daughters started at LePort in the Spanish Immersion when they were 18 months old. My older daughter did great in the toddler program but we started to see issues when she moved to Primary. I met with Ms. Ana many times where we tried bringing in books from home or I sent her pictures and Ms. Ana made a special work item for my daughter to keep her interest. Eventually we found out that my daughter is Autistic. At that point I asked Ms. Ana to work with me to have a Behavioral Therapist in the school with my daughter. Very long story short, this Montessori environment is not the right environment for my neurodivergent child. But over the last 2 years I have spent upwards of 50 hours on the phone and in Ms. Ana's office trying to find ways to help my daughter succeed. Ms. Ana never gave up trying to help us. I love the Montessori curriculum and LePort was able to nurture my daughter's intelligence where she has just turned 5 and is reading chapter books and learning division. My younger daughter is currently having a blast in Ms. Ivette's classroom. A word of advice for parents experiencing behavioral issues - get your child assessed. My relationship with my daughter improved infinitely once I had professionals helping me understand how her mind works and how to speak to her in a way that she understands.

Just such a terrible experience for my family. A few nice staff members. The rest are rude…read more Parking, pickup, and drop off are super difficult. We're always treated like second class citizens.

This review is for Sarah McIsaac, a 2nd grade teacher at Alderwood. She did an amazing job…read moreconsidering she had to teach 30 children and considering public school teachers are bound by illogical policies. Sarah is one of those rare teachers who worked during her personal hours to make sure she was prepared for every class. My kids greatly benefitted from being her students.

My daughter has been struggling her whole life in school and we finally get her into Mardan School…read moreand she's having an amazing time. She's finally getting the support she needs and the education she deserves thank you to her teachers Mr. John and Mr. Zack thank you so much erin! You are so kind and helpful. Thank you Bonnie for everything thing you do thank you so much

I can't say enough about how amazing Mardan is. This school and the staff forever changed my sons…read morelife. Prior to coming here , he hated school , had a ton of behavioral issues and was so unhappy and school was just awful for him. We have been here for 4 years now. He loves school , he's thriving and it's absolutely remarkable to see how much he's changed and grown. The staff is amazing and I'll forever be grateful to have found this school. They truly do care about our children and they go above and beyond every day to make this environment a positive one for my son. I highly recommend Mardan if you're needing an alternative to public school , especially for children with special needs.

3 stars because our son is much better off than he would have been if we had kept him in public…read moreschool. His communication skills are fantastic as are his abilities to relate to people and make friends. What we've come away with, now that he has been out of the school for some time, is that the administration at New Vista teaches a lot of shame. Our son apologizes and feels shame for every little thing which we did not teach him at home. Stuff happens and yet, the administration makes the student write apologies for it all whether it's warranted or not. The person at the top will literally yell at you (the parent) if you don't comply with their wishes. If you send your child here, just know you'll have to stand up for yourself and your child at all times.

I was once a student at New Vista, and even though the school was extremely strict they did it for…read morea reason. Th reason being is because they cared so much about me and strived to see me succeed for my future. If it weren't f New Vista, I wouldn't be where I am today. I made countless allies that I'll never forget. All I can say is, Thanks for everything New Vista, and for making me into a kind, gentle and successful young adult. I hope you will continue to support students like me for many generations to come!

We are so grateful for the wonderful experience our son - Robin had at this school. Mrs. Anderson…read morehas been an absolutely amazing kindergarten teacher -- caring, patient, encouraging, and truly passionate about teaching. She made our son feel safe, loved, and excited to learn every single day. We have seen tremendous growth in his confidence, academics, and social skills this year. One thing that really stands out about this school is how genuine and personal the environment feels. It is incredible how the teachers and staff remember every child's name as well as the parents. From morning drop-off to pick-up, they always greet families with warmth and kindness, which makes everyone feel welcomed and valued. That level of care and attention truly means so much to parents. The entire school staff has been supportive and dedicated throughout the year. It is clear that the teachers genuinely care about each child's development and well-being, not just academically but emotionally too. Thank you, Mrs. Anderson and the entire school team, for making kindergarten such a memorable and meaningful experience for our family. We will always appreciate the love, dedication, and positivity you bring to your students every day.

Miss Basrur, Miss Dokovic, Miss Frost, Miss Anderson, Miss Izabel, and Miss Natalie have been such…read moreincredible teachers for our two kids who attend Stratford. The entire school staff are so dedicated to the kids and families at Stratford in helping them succeed and become leaders. We could not be happier with this amazing school community who values every child and family that walks through their doors!! We highly recommend this school and are so excited to be part of this wonderful community!!!

I came here yesterday for a football game with the Seahawks league. Beautiful location, clean and…read morewell maintained. I was so impressed as it sat on a hill with trees everywhere surrounding the driveway path to the school. Gate guard. Impressive. Security was on top of everything, she was awesome with a warm, friendly smile. Truly a gorgeous school.

The front desk lady is very unhelpful and sarcastic for no reason. Even a normal question is…read moreanswered with a sharp tone and an unhelpful attitude. I've been at the school for 4 years and I havent and ONE good interaction with her. Even when in very polite and did everything correctly she's still rude and disrespectful. And it's even worse when you're wrong, she's just criticizing and berating you the whole time. Even worse, it's only to students and never teachers or parents. The faculty here doesn't respect students. I hope she gets fired.

A Truly Wonderful Montessori School -- Highly Recommended!…read more My daughter went to this Montessori school since she was an infant, progressing through the toddler and preschool classrooms, and we couldn't be more grateful for the experience she's had over the past three years. The growth we've seen in her socially, emotionally, and academically has been remarkable. The teachers, especially Ms. Shelby, Ms. Chloe, and Ms. Sal, have been nothing short of amazing. They create a warm, nurturing environment where the kids feel safe, encouraged, and excited to learn. My daughter absolutely adores them. One of the things we appreciate most is how the school follows a thoughtful Montessori curriculum that helps children learn independence, discipline, and responsibility through hands-on activities. They sing, explore new materials, and learn to manage things on their own all of which has supported our parenting at home, too. My daughter loves going to school every day and enjoys spending time with her friends and teachers. We truly miss this wonderful community created by Ms Richa and Ms Prerna and wholeheartedly recommend this Montessori school to any family with an infant or young child in Lake Forest. It has been such a positive and meaningful part of our daughter's early years.

I chose this Montessori over others because of the loving environment (not corporate as other…read moreMontessori's and the staff have been there for years if not decades). The cost was very reasonable as well! My daughter was in the infant room age 6 months to 2 years. They took all of my concerns seriously and fostered her learning as much as I could ask for. I'm very happy I sent her here :)