My son has joined Harker High School in 9th grade. Through the word of mouth, I knew that this…read moreschool will be academically challenging in spite of him being a very strong student in middle school. He was prepared to work hard. But he was not prepared that while working like he has never worked before, he would enjoy himself so much in the process. Both, he and I were touched, when more than one of his teachers sendt him encouraging emails, noticing that he worked hard while trying to adjust to the new school and find his own rhythm and method. His Chemistry, Chinese, English, and History teachers were cheering him on, knowing he wanted to take Honors classes next year and were always available for extra help. I have read reviews of Harker, where parents (or their friends) complained about the quality of teachers. In our first year at Harker, I only saw teachers who want their kids to excel, who are experts in their areas, who know how to motivate kids, and help them realize their full potential. When he started at Harker, my son joined DECA club and fell in love with all things marketing and business because of the two teachers and DECA team. He traveled and competed within a few months of joining DECA. He enjoyed his time with the students and made lots of friends. He was happy that he could talk finally with kids about politics, history, as well as other teenage topics. Harker Dance and Theater programs are very impressive. The new theater is beautiful and their boy hip hop dance team is really top notch. I love it that the school with such strong academic emphasis is developing the whole child, offering arts, sports, and really wide variety of activities. Choosing what to spend time on is hard. But it is a good problem to have. I have not heard any complaints from him about unhealthy competition or lack of friends at school. Based on our experience so far, Harker created an environment where kids who love learning get to do just that, learn, and enjoy themselves in the process.

This place is great but the parking sucks . Your literally stuck at the round about they need…read morepeople to conduct traffic .

What a wonderful school! My son finished Kindergarten here, and is now in 1st Grade. He loves…read moreschool and always impresses me with what he's learned. We've been particularly happy with the emphasis on deeper conceptual understanding of material, so it's not just rote memorization and regurgitation. Word problems were a significant part of Kindergarten math, and I'm positive I wasn't doing word problems that early when I was a kid. The teachers and administration are very receptive to feedback and concerns that inevitably crop up during the school year. We've been happy with the way they've handled issues, and clearly customer service is an important part of their philosophy. Tuition is on the higher range of private schools, but in this case you truly do get what you pay for.

Our daughter has gone to Harker since their inaugural preschool class started . She loves it and so…read moredo we . Teachers are great and after school programs are plentiful . Even though it takes an hour to get to school we think it's worth it.

I graduated in 2008 from Archbishop Mitty High School…read more I had attended private catholic school from K-8, and most of my Middle School class ended up at Mitty. There were plenty of familiar faces, and also plenty of new faces. My sister also attended Mitty, although she was a Junior when I entered as a Freshman. It's been a decent amount of time since my years at Mitty, but I do remember certain things about the place: 1) The senior parking lot was a pain. I was always getting to campus an hour before school started just to snag a spot in the lot. I would bond with my friend who did the same while we put on make-up in her car, listening to music. 2) The dress code was strict, even though it did not have a uniform. I was never cited, but I had friends who were! The 'Temple' was always on the prowl for her next victim -- plastic flip-flop wearers and bare-midriffs beware. 3) The library was always full on rainy days, especially during the lunch hour. 4) I thought off-periods were the best thing ever, especially when you had ones that let you leave campus early (although nobody could leave before a certain time), but not so much when I had them first thing in the morning (since I always wanted a parking spot in the lot). 5) I never once met a teacher I didn't like. In fact, some of my favorite teachers were the ones I had at Mitty. 6) Finals were torture. Seriously. Fortunately, they never dropped one's final grade too much. 7) Mitty was big on school spirit, and it showed in several cases: from spirit week to Monarch Madness to the sports matches. This last part will be important for parents of potential or current students, I imagine: 8) I never encountered any run-in's with drugs or alcohol. These factors just didn't make it into the circles I ran in, although I heard (yet never saw evidence of) that others encountered it. Mitty is very strict about zero-tolerance. 9) I was never bullied or had my 'feelings hurt' by my peers. Mitty is a very close-knit community. Even the 'outsiders' -- like the 'goths' and 'nerds' had a tight-knit bunch of friends. By senior year, the original social cliques had crumbled and everyone was friendly to everyone. 10) This school will prepare you for college. In some cases, it will over-prepare you for college. I went to San Jose State University, and I realized soon into my Freshmen year that Mitty had been, and would ever be, the most academically challenging years of my life. Mitty is expensive. It's prestigious. You'll make good friends, you'll get a great education, and you'll do so in a school that works towards providing the best environment for its students. If you were fortunate enough to attend here, I'm sure you'll attest to the fact that Mitty is really one of those great schools -- even if you won't admit to it at the time.

Wonderful school and community for our two children. Feel so very blessed for the experience. Tim…read morewas the BEST! Thank you all! - Warm regards from Terry, too- Valerie Houghton

We have a first grader at Tessie and we started this past year. My daughter has been thriving at…read moreTessie and loves going to school each day to experience a unique education model where the emphasis is on learning through hands on projects and well laid out journeys that are integrated into the curriculum. Due to the low student teacher ratio, my child's teacher has been able to tease out my child's strengths and areas for improvement and challenge / support her accordingly. The school is definitely not a 'one size fits all' model, thereby making it interesting for students each day. We moved from an academic group of private schools where monotony had set in and my child did not have an opportunity to look past academics and perceive the broader context of topics. This past year, she has learnt so much across various topic areas and seems to have developed a more holistic personality. The school has also supported with SEL topics and strategies to work on accepting failures, addressing perfectionism and other such challenging areas for gifted kids. The specials like theatre, music, innovation and nature are not just blocks in the schedule but times of the day when my child is able to have new experiences and learn from them and build her skills in those areas. With the new leadership and management change, revision of schedule and curriculum, I am confident the school is heading in the right direction on its mission to offer differentiated learning for gifted students. I strongly recommend this school to other interested parents!

First, there were 75 reactions to my original post plus I received many messages from families who…read morefelt mistreated. I just want to express my deep sorrow for every family who has been mislead and mistreated by this school. It has been devastating to get a glimpse of the dark reality. Final update: this school is even worse and more corrupt than before, in my carefully considered and humble opinion. We had a deeply concerning and disturbing set of interactions with the new director, Luthern. I remain proud of the way that we handled our interactions, and very bothered by the way he treated us. Furthermore, we undetstand that they are removing and/or drastically reducing the nature campus component of their program which was a huge part of the draw in the first place. We are thrilled that this chapter is permanently closed for us. We finally found the most outstanding school for our children, and we will never look back. Good riddance to a poorly run institution with what we believe is an unethical and corrupt administration. And by the way, the "Gifted Qualitative Assessment" is manipulable. It's largely based on parent surveys, and which parent searching for a school for gifted children won't see their kids as gifted? We all do. Your best bet if you're not a founding family is to make sure you have a ton of money and that you are willing to part with in their capital campaign, and always tread cautiously when it comes to expressing yourself authentically.

Teachers really care for the kids. The curriculum is at a higher level than the public curriculum…read more Yet, the low student to teacher ratio means the teachers can see and help each child. Tuition is also less than other private schools. This is also a mandarin immersion school that teaches traditional bo po mo fo which we love. The parents do not need to speak the language at home and there are many families that do not speak Mandarin. Overall, great place for kids to learn and grow.

We are absolutely thrilled with our experience at Mandarin Academy, and we couldn't be happier with…read morethe progress our son has made since starting Kindergarten this year. One of the most remarkable aspects of Mandarin Academy is the speed at which our son has started speaking Chinese at home. We are a non-Chinese family. Within just three weeks of starting, he was already bringing his newfound language skills into our daily conversations. Another key factor that sets Mandarin Academy apart is its small class sizes. In these intimate settings, every student has the opportunity to actively engage and participate in the learning process. This focus on individual attention and participation is invaluable when it comes to mastering a new language, and we've seen firsthand how it has benefited our child's language development. We also got a spot offered by Cupertino Union School District (CUSD), but after experiencing what Mandarin Academy has to offer, we made the decision to withdraw and stay with Mandarin Academy. Main reason was the big class sizes at CUSD (20+ students) which makes it hard to learn a language. The higher standards, personalized approach, and dedication to language education at Mandarin Academy were simply unmatched, and we believe this is the best place for our child to flourish.

Old orchard school is a small school with incredible leadership. We're regularly impressed by the…read morequality of the curriculum, the events they organize for students and teachers and the flexibility and professionalism everyone displays. Our children are in amazing hands.

My son recently graduated after attending Old Orchard from K-8th grade. He and his classmates…read morebenefitted from teachers who challenged them, a culture of excellence, and a diverse, tight-knit community where students felt comfortable bringing their whole self to school. Very different than what I remember from my large, public middle school experience! He and his classmates were all accepted to their top choice high schools with placement in honors and advanced classes, and I have no doubt that they're all very well prepared to succeed in high school and beyond. We loved everything about the Old Orchard experience from the school's seamless response to Covid, the inclusive sports program, investment in arts and language, and diligent preparation for high school admissions process.

Update 2018: 4th year here. School improves every year. Teachers are better every year. Fewer…read moreannoying parents. Best middle school education in the country IMO. The reputation of the school as very hard is well justified. Some kids have left mid-year due to performance. Annoying parents that are still here are generally less vocal since other parents started pushing back on their crazy demands of the school...or they left to spread their cheer elsewhere (thank goodness). My son has some friends with these parent and those kids HATE their parents already as tweens...karma I guess. Update 2017: School has just gotten better and better. The Head of School (Mr. Walker) is exceptional. The worst complaint my son has is that one of his teachers is "kinda boring". There were a lot of really negative parents the first two years that complained about EVERYTHING, but many of them seemed to have left. It's really a great place to learn. It's challenging, but my son really likes it...especially having separate Chemistry, Biology, and Physics classes. Update 2016: Still happy with the school. They have continually improved on most aspects of the school. Poor performing teachers have been moved out quickly. Kid loves it. *** So far so good. The teachers are amazing and the best part of the school. There were certainly some facility issues with the new building at the start of the year but that's smoothed out now. Granted, the school is not for the academically weak. But after 5 months at the school our son really loves it. He's in a rigorous program, is challenged, AND he enjoys it. We are very lucky to have this school in our community. The downside isn't the school but all the tiger parents...never happy with anything. They put incredible pressure on the school and their kids. It's disappointing that two of the negative reviews here are from people whose kids don't attend the school. It's like walking by a restaurant and then reviewing their food! Obviously a competitor.

Do you want to send your child to an office building with half a basketball court and a patch of…read moreastroturf for 7 years? Join BISV today! For only 41k tuition that will increase every year! WOAH such a good deal right? Ok the education is pretty good especially STEM but still

Stratford Winchester has been an amazing experience for both my kids. My daughter has been here…read morefrom Pre-K to 2nd grade and my son was here for preschool. All of their teachers have been amazing, caring and made sure the right values were passed on to all the kids. We loved the small family feel in this campus where we know all the teachers and the leaders of the school know every family and genuinely care for the well being of all the kids!

Our family has had such a wonderful experience at the Winchester campus. My daughter has been here…read morefor two years now from Pre‑K, Summer School, and TK, and the experience has been consistently positive every step of the way. It is a small school with a true family feel. Every teacher knows the students by name, and that sense of care is felt daily. The office staff is very responsive. Any time there has been a question or issue, we have always received a quick response and prompt action. The elective teachers deserve special recognition as well. Ms. Jeannie (Science), Ms. Edith (Spanish), and Ms. Zoe (Music) have all done an amazing job creating hands‑on, engaging lessons that truly keep the kids excited and involved. Most importantly, we cannot say enough wonderful things about my daughter's TK teacher, Ms. Weiss. My daughter absolutely loves her, and when I asked why, she said, "Because she listens to everything." That alone speaks volumes about the level of care, respect, and attention Ms. Weiss gives her students every single day. She is incredibly engaging, warm, and thoughtful, and she goes above and beyond to make learning fun by celebrating all kinds of occasions, decorating the classroom with her own amazing props and costumes for all the children, and going all out to make the school year special. Ms. Weiss is truly one of a kind. We have seen tremendous growth in our daughter under Ms. Weiss's guidance. Academically, she is excelling in reading and math, and her writing and reading skills have made huge strides. Even more meaningful is how genuinely interested she now is in reading and writing outside of the classroom. We have also seen amazing growth in her interpersonal skills such as confidently greeting others, engaging with new friends, and learning how to reason and communicate thoughtfully. All of this is thanks to Ms. Weiss and the strong foundation she has helped build during these critical early education years. We are incredibly grateful for the lasting impact she has had on our daughter's growth. While we are so sad to be leaving Ms. Weiss's class soon, we know the lessons, confidence, and love of learning will stay with our daughter for life. I also want to give a special thank you to my daughter's Pre‑K teachers, Ms. Sonal and Ms. Gauri. They did an incredible job setting a strong foundation in phonics and helping her transition from daycare into a more structured school environment. The early support was crucial to her confidence and success at the school in the beginning, and we are so grateful for the role they played in shaping her learning journey. Lastly, we are also so grateful for the extended day teachers who have been such a big part of our daughter's experience. Ms. Holly during Summer School and Ms. Hibah during TK have been absolutely wonderful. They keep the extended day program fun and engaging with creative arts, activities, and fresh ideas, which makes it feel less like "extra hours" and more like an extension of the school day. As parents, it gives us so much comfort knowing our child is in caring, creative hands even after regular school hours.

Villa Montessori has been an incredible experience for our kid. The teachers have been patient and…read morethoughtful in helping him build structure and routine, and we've watched him grow so much since starting here. The classrooms are always clean and well-organized, and the parent volunteer program is something we especially appreciate, it gives us a real window into the classroom and keeps us closely connected with the teachers. A special shout-out to Mrs. Lin, who is truly exceptional at what she does. She's warm and kind with the children while also being firm in the best way, gently guiding them through the Montessori approach. You can tell she genuinely loves the kids and the work. If you have a 2-5 year old, this is such an enriching environment. We feel lucky to have found Villa Montessori and would recommend it to any parent looking for a nurturing, thoughtful preschool. Five stars!

Villa Montessori is the best thing that has happened to our family. This is my 4 year old's second…read moreyear at Villa and he started as an extremely shy and sweet kid with no previous day care or school experience. In the past year, he has blossomed into an independent and assertive child, and he has learned a lot both academically and socially. Villa has an amazing ratio of 1-8 (3 teachers per classroom of 24 kids) that sometimes falls to 1-6 or 1-7. They are a true Montessori school, and the child stays with the same teachers for all the years. My son's two main teachers, Mrs. Fan and Mrs. De Silva, have been with the school for over a decade. My son has received a lot of individualized attention and loves his teachers. I think he would like to live with Mrs. Fan if given the chance. :) The teachers at Villa are extremely good at what they do and very passionate about Montessori education. When I went in for "observation day," each child was doing a different "job," so the teachers were managing 24 different activities, but everything was still very orderly. Even the tiny 2.5 year olds knew the rules and everyone knew to clean up. We really appreciate how diligent our son has become with washing hands, tidying up spaces, and wiping surfaces! Director Lin's leadership is also really exceptional. She is extremely organized, responsible, and sets clear expectations for the kids and parents. I love that the handbook, documents, twice-a-year report cards, and paperwork are all in good order. She is also very hands-on and I have seen her consoling a crying child in her lap, spoon feeding another child during lunch, and taking the time to talk with the kids individually. I am so impressed that she takes the time to get to know every one of the forty-some kids at Villa. She works many many hours at Villa and commutes from an hour away. Villa is not just a job for her - this is her life's purpose. Everyone at the school is very responsive and excellent with communication. Karen (who manages most of the administrative tasks) and Director Lin will usually respond to messages on Brightwheel within a few hours. We really appreciate how they take parent concerns very seriously. The flexibility of programs at Villa is also great - they have AM program (9-12 pm), PM program (1-4 pm), PM plus extended care (1-5 pm), full day (9-4 pm), or full day plus extended care (9-5 pm). I feel very lucky to be able to enroll my child in a half day program so that he gets a few hours of school every day, and we still get enough hours to go on an adventure together outside of school. One really brilliant and unique thing about Villa is that their after-school program (school ends at 4, there is another hour of after school until 5 pm) teaches the children Mandarin Chinese! I enrolled my son in the after school hour just for the Chinese class - Mrs. Fan and Mrs. Liu are both excellent Chinese teachers from Taiwan. I sat in on one class to see what it would be like, and was astounded that all of the kids had excellent pronunciation. Chinese tones are very difficult so it was really surprising to see a room full of non-Chinese kids speaking perfect Chinese! Lastly, the other Villa families also makes this place special. Villa is a non-profit with a governing board that is made up of parents. We really appreciate the parents that have taken on this responsibility. We have also made many friends at Villa, and really appreciate the sense of community. We truly couldn't have asked for a better preschool experience and will definitely miss this school when our son graduates!

As a BASIS parent for years, I'm glad I've finally stopped sending my child to this school. Here…read moreare some reasons why. 1. Environment - The school itself is built like a prison with no outdoor space whatsoever. My kid also reported a lot of bullying that occurs on a daily basis. Overall, the building is bad, and the environment inside isn't much better either. 2. Faculty - The school faculty could care less about you or your student. As long as they get their money, they don't care. The whole system is entirely money based and extremely greedy. 3. Stress - According to my child, BASIS makes it seem like good scores are the only way you'll be successful in life. And if you can't achieve that you'll be shamed for it. These are my 3 main reasons why I highly recommend you to not go to this school, among many others.

My son loves this school. He comes home with a smile on his face every day. The curriculum is…read moreundoubtedly challenging, diverse and taught by fantastic teachers with real subject matter expertise. He's learning a lot and enjoys it. Administrators have also done a terrific job bringing the new Sunnyvale campus to fruition. I can't ask for more than that.