Our daughter is in Kindergarten with Ms. Perez and Ms. Umanani, and we absolutely love Challenger…read moreSchool. The teachers do a fantastic job of tailoring their approach to kids with different personalities, making learning both highly effective and incredibly fun. Our daughter loves everyone there, from her classroom teachers and Extended Care staff to the administrators. It is a wonderful, supportive community where kids truly thrive!

I am delighted to recommend Challenger School - Middlefield to any parent seeking an academic and…read morecaring environment for their child. My child attended Preschool since he was 3 years old and our experience has been nothing short of outstanding. The teachers ( Miss Jia and Miss Aboli) are compassionate, patient, and highly skilled in early childhood education. The curriculum is a perfect blend of academic learning, social development, and creative play, all within a safe and nurturing environment. Since attending Challenger, my son has grown in confidence, developed important social skills, and discovered a love for learning. I am grateful for the wonderful foundation the Preschool has provided, and I highly recommend them to any family.

A huge shoutout to Miss Ella and Miss Jahaira! You are the main reasons our daughter wants to keep…read moregoing to school (and returning for a new school year). Looking through our daughter's portfolio made our day, it shows how much you (and other teachers such as Miss Karen) have done for her. Thank you for introducing them to artists like Mondrian (so inspiring!), for your endless patience when she didn't want to nap, and for always being so open and honest with us about her development. It means the world to know she is in such caring, dedicated hands.

Ms. Zhang is an exceptional teacher and educator. She has shown tremendous patience, kindness, and…read moreprofessionalism while working with my child, who can be very energetic and strong-willed. She has been instrumental in helping him stay focused, build confidence, and develop important behavioral and learning skills. It's clear that she genuinely cares about her students and is dedicated to helping each child succeed. We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact she has had on our child and highly appreciate the support and guidance she provides in the classroom.

My child and her friend attended the WriteNow! summer writing camp focused on "creative" writing…read more The teacher Chuck Bernstein, who is also president of the Early Learning Institute at the school, was harsh and punitive to both kids as well as to other students in the class if they didn't do exactly what they were told, down to including very specific story elements in their stories. Even if they did do the assigned writing, but finished early and then worked on something else, they got in trouble - Chuck crumpled one of their poems and nearly threw it away because he thought they were off-task, rather than asking. Every day he had students present at the end of class, always running overtime into pickup time, and then angrily shushed both students and parents who made ANY noise (even just entering at the door, whispers, or rustling papers). An easy fix would be to do these presentations earlier so they didn't run over-time, especially for parents picking up multiple kids at different camps or otherwise on a tight schedule - but he did not react well to this feedback. On the first day of the program, the person at the front also was angry that we were dropping off at the time we did, even though we had paid for the before-care. On the second day they had a sheet of who had before-care and after-care, but did not on the first day. But to get angry at us for dropping off, rather than asking about before-care, is also baffling. The program's flyer boasted that kids would love writing after this. My child went in loving writing and came out disliking it much more than previously, and her friend started out hating writing and ended the same. Since Chuck also teaches at the school, I can only imagine that this harsh approach is one he takes with full-time students during the year, too. We will certainly never return.

We enrolled our son in the WriteNow! Summer Writing Camp with high expectations because he enjoys…read morewriting and we hoped he would be challenged and receive meaningful guidance. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. I spoke with the teacher, Chuck (Charles) Bernstein, and was told that he cannot judge students' writing because they have to judge themselves. That approach is completely nonsensical to me, especially in a writing camp where students should be getting instruction and feedback from an experienced teacher. My son spent about six hours straight writing, yet he was not given any comments or constructive feedback on his work. As a parent, I believe feedback is one of the most important parts of a writing program because it helps students understand what they are doing well and where they need to improve. Without that guidance, it is hard to see how students can truly grow. Don't waste your money enrolling to this camp as you kids will be wasting time here.

We've had such a positive experience with Living Wisdom School. From the beginning, our family was…read morewelcomed with warmth and genuine care, and our son transitioned from public school far more smoothly than we could have hoped. He quickly felt included, made friends easily and has truly enjoyed going to school each day. What stands out most is the balance between strong academics and personal growth. The students are not only challenged academically, but also given practical tools to build confidence, emotional awareness, responsibility, focus, and resilience that they can carry with them throughout life. The teachers and staff are thoughtful, engaged, and clearly care deeply about each child as an individual. We've also been impressed by the sense of community throughout the school. It feels supportive, intentional, and uplifting for both students and parents. We're very grateful to have found a school environment that nurtures individuality, creativity, well-being and a genuine love of learning alongside academics.

The schools focus on holistic education shaped our sons personality in ways that we were really…read moresurprised and happy. The curriculum, method of teaching and even small things like starting the day with a meditation calms the kids to drive more focus. The annual play is a great exercise in getting kids to be more independent and work together as a team on something that is larger than themselves. Would highly recommend!

This is just for their pick up process. They are extremely strict in their rules. I don't mind…read morebeing strict, but the lady enforcing the rules was very very rude. I would say snappy and aggressive. We all want to get in and out, but there is no need to bite someone's head off for asking a question.

Walter Hays is one of 12 great elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District…read more Wonderful staff & dedicated, talented teachers. Great programs in music, art, technology & science. This school is located on the corner of very busy Middlefield & Embarcadero streets. Its nice that there is always a crossing guard during peak school times when children are going to and from school in the mornings & afternoons.

First of all the German is bad, second a Chinese teacher in 4th grade was too strict but taught 1st…read moregrade math, because the Chinese teacher taught math in Chinese. Last The food service is really bad.

Never pressed submit so my review is dated but still accurate. - I just have to give a shout out to…read morethe staff at my children's school during such an insane time in the world. I feel incredibly fortunate that we are part of this community during such trying times. Many people have been so negative and I believe that is primarily due to the fact that this is obviously a terrible time for so many people. INTL is doing everything in their power to provide the best education possible during a world wide pandemic. We have to keep this in mind. My children's teachers have been exceptional considering the challenges of the world right now. We are lucky they even get to go to school. They are excited everyday, I feel like they are safe onsite and that the school is doing everything to the best of their ability. Teachers have found unique ways to share what happens at school with parents online. Pandemic aside- my children are only exposed to Chinese at school and come home singing to themselves in the mirror in Chinese. The program is IB which focuses on creativity and questions. They learn through discovery. The school is as international as you can get in the Silicon Valley which was really important to me having grown up internationally myself. Thank you INTL for working so hard to make such an unreal time in our lives as good as humanly possible.

I know this school is built for people with learning disabilities and ASD, but I feel like the…read morestudents here don't reach their full potential. This is not necessarily the faculty's fault, but I think the curriculum here is way too slow and dumbed down for students. My daughter struggled in this school because it was too slow for her, and she was way ahead of her classmates despite having ASD. The accommodations were great, but I believe the school didn't provide my daughter education she actually learned. She would come home and talk about how much she played on an iPad or a device, which is just unacceptable. Why are kids playing video games in class? This is school, they need to be learning different subjects. My kid talked about how their classmates were playing mobile games on their iPads that they brought to school. I think this school can be better if they focused more on pushing kids beyond what is expected, because if we keep holding our children's hands throughout life because they have autism, it invalidates that people with ASD are actually extremely capable of succeeding. I pulled my daughter out of this school, and I believe it was the best decision. She is now an undergraduate and researcher at the University of California, and I notice that no one from Hope Technology school attends the University of California, nor do any of the staff members graduate from there.

Out son had a wonderful experience at HTS that helped prepare him for public high school…read more Incredibly dedicated staff.

DO NOT send your child to Ohlone…read more It is a well kept secret that there aren't many applicants to the lottery. So if you apply, you will get in. That's because, the academics are sub par and most importantly... Principal Elsa Chen and the teachers fail to create safe environment for younger kids. There is little playground supervision and kids continue to be bullied and physically assaulted despite complaints. They will gaslight you and your child and not respond to emails for the fear of creating a paper trail. And you will be guilt ridden for sending your child to this horrible horrible place. STAY AWAY!

I want to post this review to summarize our experiences at this school…read more This isn't a criticism of the school administration (we like principal Elsa) but rather the school's philosophy and its application, which sound great on paper but are in fact huge problems. The school coddles its students. Their every whim is catered to. If they want to fold origami or sit on their desk while the teacher is speaking, that's ok. Indeed, even returning to class after recess is semi optional. No wonder students have difficulty adjusting to regular school life after they graduate. We saw our child (who was in a different elementary school prior to Ohlone) fall further and further behind academically. There's a reason these faddish, project-based learning schools are not the norm and traditional curriculums predominate worldwide. It's because traditional learning generally works. Parents who went through strict traditional schools are in some cases rebelling against how they were raised and think that enrolling their kids at Ohlone helps them. It doesn't - they're ensuring that their kids fail to develop fundamental skills (math, science, etc.) and equally important non-academic skills such as discipline, perseverance, and resilience. Then there is the parent community. There is a lot of groupthink and the community is rather cult-like in how parents reinforce each others biases. Using one-word terms to describe the parent community is easiest: a. Hypocritical b. Pretentious c. Sanctimonious d. Shallow e. Snobbish f. Vapid (mindlessly spouting diversity and equity slogans while doing the exact opposite) The book, "Coddling of the American Mind" by Jonathan Haidt could have been a field study of this school, so accurate are the issues highlighted there. I think the best way to judge the school is, if the methods work, then graduates should be better adjusted than graduates of other PAUSD elementary schools when they enter middle school. Are they? No, many experience significant adjustment difficulties, feeling disoriented and lost, etc. That's a sign that the school is failing at its most basic goal: to prepare students for what comes next. Was this school not a good fit for us and our kid? Yes. Are our negative experiences unique? Emphatically, no. I've spoken to other parents who are very dissatisfied - some of whom have pulled their kids out and enrolled them in private school - but feel too cowed to say anything. Could the school be a good fit for your kid? It's hard to see how if you agree with even 20% of what I wrote above.

Palo Verde Elementary is an outstanding school that truly stands out for its commitment to creating…read morea nurturing and effective learning environment. From the moment you step onto the recently improved campus, it's clear that this is a place where education is taken seriously and where every child is given the opportunity to thrive. The staff at Palo Verde are genuinely caring, going above and beyond to ensure that every student feels supported and valued. Their dedication is palpable, and it's evident in the positive atmosphere and the smiles on the students' faces. Leading the charge is the hardworking principal, whose leadership and vision have not only enhanced the campus but have also fostered a sense of community and excellence throughout the school. The principal's efforts to engage with students, staff, and parents alike have truly made a difference, creating an environment where everyone is motivated to give their best. Adding to the school's appeal is its vibrant international community, which enriches the educational experience by bringing diverse perspectives and cultures into the classroom. This diversity is celebrated and leveraged as a strength, preparing students to become global citizens with an understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Palo Verde Elementary is not just a school; it's a community where children are nurtured, challenged, and prepared for the future. With its caring staff, hardworking principal, and a recently improved campus that supports learning, Palo Verde stands as a beacon of educational excellence. I cannot recommend it highly enough to any parent looking for a place where their child can grow, learn, and succeed.

Its pretty much your typical Palo Alto Elementary school. Its one of the smaller in the district…read moreand it does have those trailers that have sprung up at every school like mushrooms. It does not offer any of the "Emersion" classes so its mostly local kids so it has a much more intimate feel to it and the kids generally keep the same friends as they go through. The teaching staff is top notch and the school has high scores.

Hoover is one of 12 great elementary schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District…read more Wonderful staff & dedicated, talented teachers. Great programs in music, art, technology & science. Hoover is adjacent to J.L. Stanford Middle School and Mitchell Park.

Amanda Ferreira is such a wonderful teacher here so good with children and communication with…read moreparents thanks Amanda