We love bethany! My son started here pre-k summer camp and now hes going to be in 2nd grade…read more Bethany has become our family/community.

Leaving Bethany School was the most rewarding decision for our family. Many parents are naturally…read moredriven to private schools given the perception of superiority, impression of additional resources as compared to public schools, and the idea that teachers are better trained/educated. However, this is far from the case at Bethany School. Fortunately, we didn't waste too much time there and have successfully moved on to better opportunities for our children. Our kids are now happy, thriving and actually being challenged. As a parent, it is in your best interest to strongly consider the public schools within the Long Beach system. The LBUSD has staff with bachelor's degrees at a minimum, many with master's degrees/other secondary level education and ALL are fully credentialed (not the case at Bethany). In addition, LBUSD focuses on emotional intelligence, empathy, diversity, equity, inclusion and welcomes/accepts kids that learn differently. Bethany School admittedly prefers "obedient," cookie cutter kids due to their "limited resources and staff training." Although, these repeated statements were concerning given the high cost of tuition and continuous (often daily) pleas for donations. Bethany School prides itself on being "Future Focused," however, the curriculum, operations and staff training do not support this statement. For example, the utilization of "Clip Charts" as a daily behavioral management tool is widely known to be outdated and the theorized benefits have been refuted by studies and research (perform a simple Google search on the "Clip Chart Method" for your own assessment). Also, the end of the week "prize boxes" (and other extrinsic motivators) at Bethany are outdated and actually cause more harm than good to children. Prize boxes decrease a child's long-term ability to develop intrinsic motivation, an organic love for learning and the natural desire to be kind and compassionate. I question how Bethany labels such deeply outdated tactics as "Future Focused." In addition, there was an over-emphasis on the recitation of Bible verses and other religious content that created a gap with what the kids should be learning. In fact, many parents needed other educational content to supplement the Bethany School curriculum to ensure that their students would remain on track. Overall, we were thoroughly disappointed by the pipe dream that was sold to us via their website and during many on-campus tours, especially given the amount of tuition that we were paying. This has been an eye-opening experience about the educational system in the city of Long Beach. Private schools in LB, whether religious/Montessori/other are not superior, do not challenge kids, do not welcome kids with learning differences and have an alarming lack of emphasis on emotional intelligence (which we all know should truly be the focus of the future). Choose your children's education wisely. Don't ignore the red flags. Pass on Bethany.

This is a phenomenal school. From the teachers to the principal they all work very hard to teach…read moreour children more than what is expected. Both of my children transferred from a school in Inglewood and this school has been an amazing experience for my children. The subpar education in Inglewood was holding my children back. The advanced education in Kettering has propelled my children's knowledge. Everyone is kind and courteous as well. My kids are also part of CDC which helps my wife and I work until 4:30pm. Once we pick up our children they have completed their homework and have eaten a snack as well. I recommend this school to anyone that is looking for their children to be advanced in their studies.

They love to hang up on parents especially the principal. When you talk nice to the principal she…read moregives an attitude back and thinks her personality doesn't stink. You would think having special needs students at her school she would have some sympathy she doesn't. Wouldn't recommend sending your child here. They barely contact the parent too if a child is sick. They just send them to the nurse then send them home just for a stuffy nose. Even when the childs covid test comes negative they still think the child shouldn't be in school for weeks smh.

Do not put your child in the school try to find another school the kids are getting bullied. The…read moreprincipal doesn't care it's in a beautiful area. You would think the students would be as pristine as the area but I think they get them bus from south Central my child came home every day crying because he was getting picked on Principal doesn't care talk to her numerous times put your child in another school.

I go to that school and the teachers are cool and Ms Vega is really nice and lovely! I loved being…read morea student of hers!

We are not year-round family at Westerly, but we consistently return for their summer camp…read more Our eleven-year-old son had attended all the local summer camps in Long Beach--JCC, 49'er camp, the city's parks and recs--over the past few years, and he ranks Westerly the highest among all camp experiences. The staff is accommodating, the hours are flexible (7:30 am to 5:30 pm), and he has a great time.

What can I say. Our family loves Westerly! Our eldest started at one of Long Beach's blue ribbon…read moreschools, but with the huge classes we decided to take a look at Westerly and we couldn't go back. Since then all our kids have thrived in their Westerly experience. It starts with a sizable campus with a beautiful grass field for sports and activities, newly constructed learning studios and the amazing arts village. What a great place to learn. Then the passionate teachers and staff deliver a whole child program, with a better than 10:1 student/teacher ratio. The Westerly program includes: Curriculum and instruction - Enthusiastic teachers with a well thought out curriculum and small class sizes enabling teachers to adapt the curriculum to the needs of your child. Technology/STEM - Westerly recently hired a full-time Director of Instructional Technology to enhance an already strong technology/STEM program throughout the curriculum. Think coding in class, 3D printing, science and engineering fairs, etc. Visual and performing arts - Incorporated in the curriculum is an annual school-wide play lead by the folks at TKTC. The visual arts program is second to none with the kids being exposed to public arts projects, ceramics in the new ceramics studio, mixed media, painting, photography, etc. I wish I could take the classes myself. Wildcat, the after school program is a blessing. Our kids beg to go to Wildcat to play with their friends, work on yearbook, take film, dance, music, robotics and other after school enrichment activities. Athletics - A legitimate, well-run PE program with enthusiastic instruction and basketball, volleyball, football teams throughout elementary and middle school. Music - Every child takes both general and instrumental music as part of their Westerly experience. Spanish - Kindergarten through 8th grade all the kids get introduced to the Spanish language through a dedicated Spanish instructor. Leadership - This is quite possibly one of the most amazing parts of the curriculum. Continuing on the theme of whole child education the Director of Student Affairs leads an amazing program that goes so beyond student council, creating leadership opportunities for so many children. Programs like student council, district representatives, green team, etc., start in Kindergarten and the kids grow in responsibility as the children grow themselves. Each child also gains leadership responsibilities as a student mentor, where each older student is paired with a younger student as a mentor. Service learning and field studies - As the kids grow in maturity so do the service learning and field studies. Our children have enjoyed trips to Catalina and other local camps, but the highlight of the program is a one week trip in 8th grade where the whole class travels to Nicaragua to conduct a service learning project, practice their spanish, and are exposed to a different culture and way of life that they are used to. Community - Westerly is a place where without question every family places a priority on securing a great, well-rounded education for their children. Being in an environment like this is so fantastic. Independent school is not cheap, but in our minds it's the best gift we can give to our children. Westerly also offers significant financial aid support, so if that is an issue be sure to discuss your situation with the school to see if they can make something work for your family. P.S. This may sound like a paid ad, but it's our true feelings about this place. It's really special.

I used to go to this school and it's probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. The…read morestaff is great, so great that the lunch ladies have gotten to know my grandma and have talks with her after school. The teaches here are great and I've never had a problem with any of them. Love this school and I'd definitely recommend it for your child

I went to elementary school here way back when. I was in the gifted program, so I had classes with…read morethe same students every year from 1st through 4th grade. I hated that we had to wear uniforms, especially at a public school, but I must admit that it did make choosing an outfit for school much easier. I'm sure the school has changed a lot since I went there, but I really loved my time at Mark Twain Elementary. Overall, I met some great teachers here, and Mrs. Seaton (my first grade teacher) has remained my favorite teacher ever to this day.

My daughter is in 7th grade and very happy here. I have been so impressed with IVA since my…read moredaughter started last year. The communication from the school and the inclusiveness has made it a great experience for us. Students are respected, their voices are heard and they are made to feel like their opinions matter. The virtues are there to make them feel empowered as students. The weekly advisory meeting they have once a week for all students is great because it helps them understand and know the virtues and how to apply them to their work. Sixth grade is a learning curve and IVA gets that. One thing to know about the school is that since kids are coming from all different schools and school settings it's easier to make friends. There are no clicks in place. This year they also made it phone free. No phones at school. However, they can use them after school. I have read past reviews that said the school is not diverse and not for people of color. This from our experience is not true at all. Maybe in past years this was the case but it is no longer this way. IVA is very racially and socioeconomically diverse. It is a true representation of Long Beach in that regard. If you are a parent who wants to volunteer and see what is going on at the school there are plenty of opportunities, field trip opportunities, dances every year, a chili cook off, and family breakfast/lunches hosted by the school. There is a weekly newsletter, outlining all events coming up. How you can get involved, sports info, field trips etc... They make it very difficult for you to miss something. My daughter loved the dances last year. They are more like a fun party. There is no pressure to have a date or anything like that. They make them very low pressure like come in your PJ's etc... It's just an opportunity to hang out with friends outside of school. The staff and teachers will all know your child's name. I think this matters to my daughter. We live in Belmont Heights and had an opportunity to send her to Rogers as well. It's not quite our home school but it is a lot closer to us than IVA and I wanted her to go there. She would have had friends closer and I wanted that for her. However, after my daughter toured IVA in 5th grade, she made her mind up that she wanted to experience the smaller school and smaller class setting. She loved seeing students laughing in class with the teachers and sitting at little tables. The teachers were young and they didn't look miserable. The principal, Mrs. Bryant who led our tour was very dynamic and genuine. My daughter noticed these things and pushed for us to let her try IVA out. Her experience so far has not disappointed her. She has liked or loved almost all of her teachers. This is so important and this is coming from a student who struggles in school. She has an IEP for a reading disability. School is not easy for her. This is another reason I was hesitant on IVA. I wanted to her to have more options concerning her IEP and a bigger school can provide this. So far, her accommodations at IVA are working for her. She has also made friends with a great group of girls who are from all over Long Beach. In truth this is something I was also dreading but it's ok! She is happy! The parents of her friends are the type of parents who want the best for their kids. They will drive. This is how most of the parents are at this school as well. When volunteer sign ups come out for some event, the list gets filled up fast! Most of the parents at the school care. So far my daughter has joined Track and Cross Country. She also wants to play soccer this year. They do have team sports at IVA but it is on a smaller scale than a larger school. It's great for kids that want to try sports but might be intimidated at a bigger school with a lot of talented athletes. Not to say that there aren't some talented athletes here but it's not the focus of the school. If you're wondering about academics. I have heard wonderful things from parents who have had older siblings that graduated from IVA. One parent in particular shared with me that when her son started at his private High School (Bosco) after IVA, he was placed in honors classes which surprised her because her son was a B/C student at IVA. She felt the education he received at IVA was top notch, taught him how to be a student and actually engage in what he learned. Lastly, I just want to give a shout out to Mrs. Gordon, the dean of students and Mrs. Bryant the principal. These women care about your student. The love and dedication they put into their job is truly impressive.

its not the best school in the world but not the worst. The students are sort of rude to my child…read more If you really want your kid to go there so be it they have really good state teat results though. Try it for ur self

Our son started at OAP as soon as he turned 2, and he adjusted very well. They provided potty…read moretraining and their program was effective - he was potty trained in 1 week! They provide a lot of activities for the kids to enjoy such as petting zoo, bubble party, and field trips. They have a structured routine and program. All staff members take the time to know each and every child. Their 6 am to 6 pm hours are very helpful especially for all types of working families and is already included in the tuition! We definitely recognized the amount of growth our son has made while at OAP to the point where he has been complimented on how good of a student he has been in TK at his new school. We decided to enroll our son to TK at the elementary school closer to home and when it came to our surprise that he was able to enroll asap, I immediately consulted with the preschool director to determine potential next steps. She was very supportive and genuinely wanted the best for our son. I was literally crying and more sad that our son was leaving OAP sooner than we had planned! We still keep in touch with the staff there and they will forever hold a special place in our hearts! Thank you OAP for laying such a strong foundation on our child's academic journey!

Our family recently disenrolled our 2.5-year-old toddler from Oakwood Academy. As an African…read moreAmerican parent, I want to share our experience because feeling welcomed, respected, and heard by our child's school is important to our family. Before making our decision to disenroll, I read all available reviews. Notably, multiple African American families described experiences that were strikingly similar to ours, including concerns regarding communication, behavioral responses, and feeling unwelcome. While I cannot independently verify the experiences of other families, the consistency of these accounts, including reviews spanning several years, raises serious concerns for me about an unresolved pattern of implicit and, in some instances, explicit bias. Our primary concerns involved safety, supervision, communication, and collaboration. Our toddler was given no grace as this was a new environment and had attended the school for less than one month. Our toddler exited the classroom, and we were told that two staff members were assigned to the classroom. There are two classrooms separated by a partition. Our toddler crossed the partition and entered another classroom. We understand that leaving the classroom is a safety concern. At the same time, we wanted to understand the circumstances surrounding the exit and the supervision in place at the time. The immediate decision to have our toddler removed from school was difficult for us to understand and, given his age, felt punitive rather than educational. Our toddler crossed a partition and was subsequently removed from school. Our concerns about the overall environment also came from our direct observations. My child would say hello to staff and was sometimes not acknowledged. I observed his teacher look at him when he arrived without speaking to him. On other occasions, staff either looked at me without speaking or did not make eye contact. When my hands were full, an elementary school student helped me open the toddler gate while staff members were only a few feet away and talking among themselves. We also had difficulty with some relatively simple requests. For example, we asked for adjustments to our individual access codes and requested that staff use our child's shortened name, which he was able to pronounce. We did not feel these requests were met with the level of flexibility or collaboration we were seeking. I am sharing our experience so prospective families can make an informed decision. I deeply regret entrusting our child to this school. Families should be able to expect respectful communication, appropriate supervision, and meaningful collaboration when concerns involving their child arise.

I love this school and it was very great years. I love my fourth and third grade teachers they were…read morevery nice to me and It's a very great school, and I love that school.

Great school love ms Deedee she's very helpful with the kids…read more great diversity school were really gonna miss it here