It's a normal school. Just a plain one. 90% Asians, not much…read morespecial programs, only famous in academics. And the academic excellence comes from its location, it's not like they're doing anything special to make the kids smarter. If you're fine with that, then this is the place to go. Oh yes, seagulls. They make the lunch areas outside very dirty. So. Not much advanced placement classes anymore. People there aren't scary though. I mean the students. Teachers...depends. Let's just say it's a plain normal middle school.

i got a hockey stick slammed into my fucking nose WITH WITHNESSES which left it crooked for like 2…read moremonths and the school did nothing about it since it was near the end of the year the new buildings are nice (thank god they finally replaced the deteriorating 60 year old buildings and gave us a proper gym) no one ever gets in trouble here and if they do it's for the wrong reason the counselors don't care about you somehow the 8th grade teachers are better than the 6th grade teachers some of the electives lack planning and budget and they false advertise and they're genuinely terrible the people at this school are 50/50, some are awesome and some are total jerks the school focuses more on making sure kids don't have their phones out during class rather than their grades and behavior the new principal focuses more on these performative "kindness and making an impact" speeches (total bullshit by the way) rather than actually trying to make an improvement and giving useful information to people i failed three classes in 7th grade and no one tried to help me the athletics are good, there's more bad coaches than good coaches but it's a great way to build community my first year kinda sucked, second year was, eventful, to say the least, and third year's actually pretty good so far

As a student who has gone to Bright Horizon Chinese School (BHCS) and is now a student at…read moreuniversity, BHCS was a cornerstone of my childhood and a foundational space for my friendships growing up in the Bay Area. Even outside of the after-school care provided by the school, where school buses would pick us up outside of our elementary schools, provide yummy snacks, teach us how to read, write, and speak Mandarin Chinese in class, and (though I was stubborn as a child), provide practice math and English language homework for students to get ahead. Annually, BHCS created iconic student showcases hosted at a local stage, known as "看我说中文"， where students like me would memorize important information about Chinese traditions, language, and community. Looking back, it was so funny to re-watch and see what I looked like at age 12. Although stern at times, its teachers deeply cared about our well-being, stayed communicative through me and my parents, and helped me progress in academia. BHCS has been such a foundational part of my experience in making and maintaining friendships, learning, and speaking Chinese (I can speak/read fluently, and my writing is still relatively fluent). Even after elementary school where BHCS would provide traditional children's after-school care, I still took weekend Chinese classes that would end up helping me get ahead in future AP Chinese/foreign language requirements for high school and college. In middle and high school, I volunteered at BHCS during my school breaks and would see new generations of students grow and connect with one another, which as a big sibling, was such a beautiful sight to see. My younger brother, now in high school, has followed my footsteps through BHCS's after-school care for elementary school students, and weekend classes for middle school students, and has even given back by also volunteering the same way I did in high school. All in all, as a student who has been through BHCS's whole curriculum with my younger brother following right behind me, the memories and experiences that I have had here were incredibly beautiful and are forever a part of my core memories. I still try and visit my teachers every year. 100% worth it! :)

Both my son and daughter attended BHCS, separated by maybe 6 or 8 years. The school teaches…read moreChinese speaking and writing, as well as math and supporting in school homework. Both kids had multiplication memorized before they even started elementary school, very impressive compared to their peers. The school holds performances several times a year, giving the children opportunities to develop all-important public communication and performance skills. It was amazing to watch such little children perform and speak with more poise than most adults. Beyond Chinese, math, school coursework, BHCS also had special classes in dance. (I believe the founder/principal had professional ballet background, explaining her ability to orchestrate such professional level performances annually.) CONCLUSION: 1. The boy who had Chinese exposure all his life came out of BHCS with very limited Chinese speaking and writing skills. The daughter, adopted, entered BHCS with ZERO Chinese speaking or comprehension, but emerged speaking, reading and writing perfect Chinese, with perfect accent and intonation. She can recite classical Chinese poetry and has pass ion to learn about her culture - impressive for someone with absolutely no Chinese capability when first enrolled. Conclusion- if your goal is for your kids to speak, read and write Chinese, know YMMV. Learning is so individual, and a school can only provide the teaching, but if someone resists learning, they won't learn. I can say this definitively based on my own personal experience and that of my son. 2. Regardless whether the kids learn Chinese, BHCS gave my kids an academic advantage, starting with early math, public speaking and performance opportunities, and homework time everyday. My daughter has very strong learning and memorization capabilities, which I attribute to her time at BHCS. 3. My son is now a successful corporate attorney. My daughter is very successful in high school and has the performance level to enter top universities. My son's classmates now include MDs, Management Consultants, Investment Bankers, Software Engineers, and many other successful careers. So many high performing young adults shared a BHCS history. I am convinced there is correlation between their success and BHCS. At the very least, the kids come away with an impressive network. My kids know or knew friends attending all the Foster City San Mateo schools, and out of dustruct schools. Their friends are amazed at the wide social network my kids have. These relationships seem to be lifelong friendships, as my kids continue maintaining close ties with their BHCS alumni. 4. Finally, I recognize the individuality of experience. There are many paths to success and happiness. One size cannot fit all. Some kids don't do well in a structured environment. Some parents don't want their kids to be too academic, preferring more play time. Clearly, there were many successful graduates of BHCS, yet, as the reviews show, some did not have a positive experience. I am also aware of a past member of the staff splitting off and opening her own school to compete with BHCS, employing some questionable practices. Are the negative reviews related to that? I cannot say.

I went here for 8th grade and I attended fusion academy in Palo Alto in 9th grade and all…read morethroughout the rest of high school. I had an amazing experience with both Fusion Academy in San Mateo and Fusion Academy in Palo Alto, and I absolutely loved the cafe at Fusion Academy San Mateo with all the flowers and plants as well as the awesome teachers and Cassandra and Caroline who were two of the staff members! I would say my experience at San Mateo was better regarding the staff because the staff members at Fusion Academy Palo Alto would complain about me and wrote emails home about me being "creepy" to my parents just for avoiding other students, not even taking my autism level 1 and my mental illnesses into account as well as make a fuss about anything and everything I did as well as do nothing about one of the mean girls at Palo Alto. Fusion San Mateo didn't do any of that and I'm glad they didn't! I am giving them five stars for how awesome and amazing they are. Fusion Academy Palo Alto got four stars.

My son is a student at Futures Academy in San Mateo. We enrolled him right before SIP began. It has…read morebeen a great experience. His teachers and the school have been very responsive to his needs and he engages in his learning in a way that did not happen before. I highly recommend Futures Academy. We are glad we found it!

They do very little to support new staff and everything in their power to protect tenured teachers…read morethat have no place teaching/ have teaching practices that went extinct along side dinosaurs. Punitive teaching styles across the board and an admin that will listen to the tenured teachers regardless of how out of touch with reality they are. Students with behavioral issues are always assigned with newer teachers while the ones that have been there since the invention of electricity have the gate students or advance placement students. Very shady practices district wide and very little is done to protect lgbtqa students or any student that may be bullied. This would never be the school id chose for my child.

My Son has had a great middle school experience so far! He…read morestarted off having difficulties with a few peers, but now their all friends . The staff have been extremely helpful and supportive. His teachers have been wonderful.

We love this school so much. Wornick is an amazing community for the kids as well as the parents…read more The teachers and staff actually care about your kids - it is amazing! We are also really happy with the balance of academic rigor and focus on social/emotional learning. They are building the next leaders of the world seeped in good values. We could not be happier.

I too highly recommend this school. My child has been there since Kindergarten and we knew our son…read moreneeded some 1-1 attention and support for reading and comprehension and were concerned that if he didn't get it he would be left behind. I am so glad to say that each of his teachers has taken the time to get to know our son, understand his strength and weaknesses, frame up very relevant goals, and do everything they can to help him achieve them. He is doing quite well and keeping up. The other aspects that were astounding to me being from a public school experience was that they have the "Peace Path" that they use to teach the kids how to resolve conflicts with that goes beyond just saying sorry to taking ownership of their actions and listening to the other child to see how they can make them whole. This training begins in Kindergarten no less. On top of that they take time each morning to reflect on how they did the previous day and enjoy the wins and see how they can be better today. Heck I try do all of that as an adult!! The other reasons we chose Wornick is that they stand for the kids being international citizens, learn how to stand up in front of their peers and speak and persuade, and to learn how to learn not just memorize stuff for a test. Again all things I strive to do as an adult and they start in Kindergarten. I to suggest you visit and ask to talk to teachers, parents, staff, etc. and see what you think. Mr. King is an awesome Kindergarten teacher and we felt so lucky to have a male role model to start with. Adeelee Feldman really got into what Nikolas needed and helped him gain confidence in his strengths in first grade. We look forward to what Ms. Mahoney will bring in 2nd Grade. All the best!

The moment we stepped onto Sea Breeze's campus for its open house for prospective parents, my wife…read moreand I fell in love with the energy of the school -- children's voices bouncing off of each other, the chitter chatter of parents talking to each other, to teachers and to other school children, and the central courtyards surrounded by classrooms and offices. The entire community-feel took my wife and I back to going to school as kids, being dropped off by our parents, and getting fully absorbed by a place dedicated to us until we came home. As we walked through the entrance gate, we were immediately greeted by Jamie, as if we were coming home from college for the first time -- she welcomed our daughter with the energy of the sun, making extra effort to make sure she was pronouncing her name correctly. Next, we met our daughter's future teachers -- Ms. Jessica and Mrs. Darling -- and instantly fell in love with them. We spoke with Sea Breeze's principal, Jerelyn, and felt confident in the school's mission and priorities. Fast forward approx. a year later, we're excited for our daughter's second year at Sea Breeze. More importantly, she's excited! Everything we first felt about Sea Breeze has somehow been truer -- we've learned that our neighbors kids went to Sea Breeze decades earlier and still remember their teachers (who are still there!), we've learned that the administration is just as welcoming, loving, and supportive as the teachers are, and most importantly, that our daughter's love of learning has grown deeper. When our younger daughter turns 2 next year, we'll be enrolling her as well! We're so glad we trusted the first impression Sea Breeze made!

We feel so lucky to have found Sea Breeze for our children's first school experience. Our two…read morechildren are genuinely excited to go to school each day and we know that has so much to do with the amazing staff and the environment here. What has amazed us is how much our son has learned and grown. He came into Sea Breeze with some speech delays, and watching his confidence and communication flourish has meant so much to us. We truly believe that the growth is a reflection of the patience and encouragement of the incredible teachers who show up for our children every day. We're so thankful that their love for learning has sprouted from such a young age and trust it will have a positive impact as they grow! As parents, trust doesn't come easy with who we feel comfortable watching our children, but they are truly in wonderful caring hands.

Our son joined Nueva's Upper School this year as a 9th grader (class of 2021). We like Nueva's…read morerigorous high school curriculum; a number of advanced courses can be deemed college-level. Its math sequence is very well thought out (e.g., one track for pure math and one for applied math) and allows plenty of room for advanced students to progress beyond calculus. We are pleased to see that our son has been spending a good amount of time at the I-Lab before/after school (helped greatly by his new found independence via the bike+Caltrain combination) and loves every minute of it! Nueva's Upper School teachers are helpful and highly qualified; many are practitioners/experts in their field. Our son's Japanese language teacher has a wonderful sense of Japanese humor that makes language learning so much more enjoyable. The Upper School has an advisory system that allows small groups of students to interact with their advisors, who in turn provide feedback to parents (especially new families!) on how their kids are doing at school from time to time. It's a great way to integrate incoming 9th graders (i.e., many new friends were made over a 3-day camping trip before start of school) and build strong ties between school and families from the get-go. Our son has a great start of the year with Nueva. Its Upper School is one we would highly recommend for families looking for a well-rounded STEM education and great teachers in a supportive environment for their kids.

I initially became interested in The Nueva School after subscribing to receive job postings. What…read moreimmediately stood out to me was how frequently new openings were being posted -- sometimes seemingly every week. As an educator, that naturally made me wonder about staff turnover. Eventually, I applied for a position and interviewed with someone who honestly seemed very kind and thoughtful. I left the interview feeling optimistic, especially because I was told I would hear back by the end of the week. In education hiring, timelines usually move quickly because schools want to secure teachers for the upcoming school year before candidates accept other opportunities. Weeks went by with complete silence. No follow-up, no rejection email, nothing. Wanting to close the loop professionally, I eventually emailed to thank the interviewer for her time and wish her and her team the best for the upcoming year. Oddly, the message bounced back, even though I had been communicating through that exact same email thread previously. At that point, I honestly began wondering whether the communication had somehow been compromised or whether I had fallen into some strange scam situation. I even called the school directly to verify that the interviewer actually worked there, and thankfully she did. The school then provided me with another email address associated with their official domain. I forwarded my message there as well, but once again received no response at all. Whether the message reached her or not, the overall experience felt surprisingly unprofessional and dismissive, especially after what had initially seemed like such a warm interaction. After later reading additional reviews and experiences from others, I ultimately realized this probably was not the right fit for me anyway. Still, basic communication and professional courtesy go a long way, particularly in education, where relationships and respect matter.

An amazing year at Foster City Elementary School. I my age) just left this school (5th grade) and…read moreit was an amazing year! Nice students, nice staff, And Ms Goll is super nice! I'm going to miss this school. Have a great year class of 2022.

Great school! Great teachers! But more important then both of those is the Great Families that live…read morein the community!

My daughter's second year at Audubon. I love the school and the teachers. They've done such a great…read morejob with the kids. The PTA is strong and usually covers all the supplies as well. Definitely recommend.

What, no reviews yet? Well I guess I'll be the first to review. :)…read more I absolutely LOVE this school (though I'm no longer there, due to moving out of the area). I've taught at 4-5 different school districts in my teaching profession due to moving a lot and this school is the one that stands out the most in my mind. Every time I think about my time at this school, I get a little dreamy and misty-eyed. First off, I had the most amazing coworkers. Not to say that my coworkers at my other schools weren't amazing too, but the teachers I met at this particular school are people I really enjoyed spending time with and getting to know. They're people you could see being lifelong friends with, and hanging out outside of the work day. I remember seeing everyone at the staff meetings and just thinking, what a great group of people. They even have a full-fledged vegetable garden out there! Secondly, the students are amazing. Or maybe it just happened to be my groups of students. They were SO CUTE and so intelligent. Their parents would spend so much time packing them cute little lunches and healthy snacks. Thirdly, the parents are fabulous too. When I first moved to this school, the parents were so friendly and welcoming me to the area, and I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. What a wonderful community. The PTA/PTC rocks too. The admin/principal and office staff are phenomenal as well. I love being at a school where you have a supportive principal who trusts that you will do your best for your class, instead of micromanaging and making excessive demands (as evidenced in other schools I've taught at). Plus what amazing weather they have in Foster City. I've never been to a school where the weather is so mild that students can eat lunch pretty much every day outdoors. I know we don't really come on Yelp to see school reviews (try greatschools.org) but I figured I'd come here and be the first reviewer to rave about this school. I truly had the best teaching experience when I taught at this school. Like one coworker once said to me, "Teaching at Audubon is like winning the lottery." It truly is unlike any other.