We love this school. My son has thrived here. He loves the extracurriculars and also the emphasis on whole child learning. We love the community and the special events that make this school such a special place to be a part of. Lots of great field trips and hands-on learning! read more

Golden Valley River School - Elementary Schools Near Me - Orangevale, California

My child was at Golden Valley River for 2 years. After recently going back through his 2024 IEP, meeting notes, and the emails from that time, I decided other parents of children with IEPs deserve to know about our experience. In 2024, during our first experience with the IEP process, a Special Day Class was presented to us as the recommended placement for our son for first grade. We were told to research our options and decide how we wanted to proceed. We signed the IEP believing we had options. What was never clearly communicated to us was that GV would later treat that signature as meaning our son could no longer return to River. When I realized that was their position, I objected immediately and in writing. I explained that the SDC had been presented to us as a recommendation, that we had been told to research and decide, and that neither my husband nor I had agreed our son could not return. I specifically asked them to show me where the IEP said that. I never received a direct answer to that question. Instead, GVs Director of Special Education responded in writing that River was "unable to meet [our son's] needs," that he had been "recommended for a special day class," and that because we had signed the offer, we needed to contact our district of residence. But that wasn't what I was asking. I knew an SDC had been recommended. I was asking when and where we had been clearly told that signing the IEP meant our child would no longer be allowed to attend the school he had been at for 2 years. Had someone looked us in the eye during that meeting and said, "If you sign this, Golden Valley's position will be that your son cannot return to River," we would never have signed it. And this wasn't something I suddenly decided I misunderstood months or years later. I raised it immediately. I asked for clarification. I demanded answers. I put our disagreement in writing. I asked them to show me where we had agreed to this. We had another meeting because we wanted to revisit the decision and discuss our son remaining at River. We still did not receive a straightforward answer to the questions we raised. Instead, our signature was treated as though it settled the issue. Looking back at GVs own documentation makes the experience even more upsetting. The IEP notes list multiple options the team considered, including continued enrollment at the charter school with accommodations, general education with accommodations, etc. Yet the documentation we received does not explain why the options that could have allowed our son to remain at River were rejected. His IEP also states that academic interventions had not been tried because Golden Valley's kindergarten program was play-based and formal academics were not introduced until first grade. We were never provided a separate Prior Written Notice explaining that Golden Valley's position was that our son could no longer attend River or why alternatives that could have allowed him to remain were being rejected. I still have the IEP. I still have the meeting notes. I still have the emails. Two years later, I don't have to rely on my memory of what happened. I can read what I wrote while it was happening. We were parents navigating our first IEP. We trusted the professionals sitting across from us to explain our options clearly and make sure we understood the consequences of what we were signing. They did not. But what I find even harder to accept is that once I explicitly told them there had been a serious misunderstanding and demanded clarification, we still couldn't get a direct answer about when or where we had supposedly agreed that our son could no longer return. Looking back, I feel manipulated by a process we did not yet understand. We felt pushed out of a school our child had attended, and we felt that our lack of knowledge about the IEP process worked against us once our signatures were on the document. Parents should not have to become experts in special education law before they can trust that the professionals sitting across the table are being completely transparent about what they are signing and what it means for their child's education. If your child has an IEP or may require accommodations, ask everything. Ask exactly what every signature means. Ask whether your child can continue attending the school if you accept a placement recommendation. Ask what supports and accommodations have been considered. Ask why other options were rejected. If something doesn't make sense, say so. If the answer isn't clear, ask again. And get everything in writing. I can't change what happened to our family, but I can make sure another parent walks into their first IEP meeting knowing the questions I didn't know to ask. I wish someone had done that for us. We trusted GV with our child. When he needed additional support, we were told they didn't have the resources for him. That is how our two years at Golden Valley River ended. read more

There have been many days and times our children were being bullied at this school and the school was notified and did nothing over a 2 month time frame .then as a parent to our children if you spoke up about it they would prevent you from being on the campus and events Also our children at an age of 8 could not even read a simple sentence This has drastically effected our children to be able to attend a regular school they are so behind they will not need a special tutor and school to get them up to today's standards for school Please do not send your children there do not even think about it It will be detrimental to your children and hurt there learning for the rest of there life read more

Do not send your child here. While Waldorf education in principle, should embrace the whole child, and should include the child's academic learning and guidance thereof, this school fails. Our current experience at this public Waldorf school has been lackluster (with both children, one who has already graduated and was there for 5+ years). Upon graduating from this school, our oldest could not write a simple essay as an 8th grader, because it was a skill that was not practiced or emphasized. This caused lack of preparation for high school. Our current child's 6th grade teacher is a nice human being, but a lackluster teacher: besides often making grammatical typos in her online parent posts, and misusing the posessive apostrophe, she also seems to not understand that she is the guide and leader of the classroom: not the children. She is new to Waldorf as an educational style, so there is a learning curve, but she seems unable to control and moderate the noise levels in her classroom, for example, which causes children to not be able to focus on their work and causes them to fall behind. She allows students to choose to draw and do other NONclass tasks during class (instead of expecting and guiding students to focus and complete their classwork IN class). This then results in children falling behind grossly and having to cram their work in at home, unnecessarily causing stress. The teacher does not grade or "assess" in a manner that educators typically do- it is questionable if she actually looks at their in class work to determine if the class is following her lessons. This means she does not see whether the students are comprehending the math lessons, for example (so without an assessment metric, students easily fall behind without anyone noticing, since the assigned homework sent home is very cursory and remedial, and the end-of-unit assessment can easily be failed by a student and then she moves on). Why a student and class is allowed to fumble through a unit and it is only noted at the end of the unit, is a mystery. The academic portion of learning at this public Waldorf school is disappointing at best and underemphasized grossly (in our experience), and to us this feels like a disservice to the brightness and potential of the students. Our child used to love math and now hates math- because she is lost in it. We have had our children in both public and private Waldorf, for comparison- and have friends at Waldorf schools elsewhere. When we describe the lack of academic focus and lack of expectations and lack of assessment by our child's teacher at this Waldorf school- it is very much NOT in line with Waldorf philosophy elsewhere, and seems to not serve the students well. Our eldest child had a similar experience here- and as a warning, due to "looping", the same teacher stays or loops with the students from, say, grade 3-8. Do not send your child here. read more

First, I do not want to minimize anyone's reviews regarding behavioral issues at the school, such as bullying and sexual assault. I had hoped to be a little more insulated in a Waldorf environment, but our school has not escaped such issues. The administration is growing into less tolerance, more support, and quicker action, and there is still work to be done, of which I believe the administration is acutely aware. However, I caution you regarding complaints about the pedagogy and academic pace. Waldorf IS NOT the same as other schools. The pace is very different. Reading is taught, but not as early as regular public schools - instead the focus of early education is on social development, and tactile and experiential learning. If you put a child into Waldorf and pull them out before 7th or 8th grade, they will be behind academically in comparison to their peers in public schools. Not because they don't learn, they just don't learn at the same pace and order. Our students assimilate into public high schools with no problem. Waldorf is not for everyone, and that's ok! This school, like many others, is navigating staffing, funding, and support issues while trying to create a contained space for its students. They aren't always successful, and there have been some significant missteps to be sure, but there are so many amazing staff members who work tirelessly to serve their students. My recommendation is read about Waldorf Education, then read the reviews, and then - if you think Waldorf is right for your kiddo - go on a tour, meet some faculty, and decide for yourself. Overall, I think this school has been a wonderful experience for our family - not perfect by any means - my child has attended this school for 9 years, since kindergarten. read more

Do not send your kids here. They don't believe in teaching reading which has led to our 1st grader not developing her speech properly and now she needs speech therapy. An independent evaluation indicated she will need years of additional educational support and therapy to catch up to peers her age. We need her to be able to function in society - teaching knitting all day is only preparing them for life in the 1800's. As others have mentioned, the dress code is ridiculous and they require attendance at a ton of nonsensical after hours festivals. Total waste of time and space. read more

My children have been at Golden Valley River School for 3 years and it has been such a wonderful experience. When we moved to the Greater Sacramento Area it was important to me that we find a place my children would thrive. Reading about Waldorf education sounded too good to be true with a focus on education that is developmentally appropriate and at a slower pace than mainstream school by nurturing and educating the whole child. I found that Golden Valley River School was truly different. My best example of this is with my oldest child who started in 5th grade and was not very confident in school. By the end of 5th grade, I meet with their teacher and reviewed their work, and I cried when I could see just how much they had grown. They are now going to be an eighth grader and I have seen so much growth and development. They have become more confident, found their strengths, grown in character, found their people, and grown academically as well. What I appreciate most about the school and the staff there is that I can talk to my kids' teachers openly and directly, we can work through challenges together, and ultimately work at educating and nurturing my children as a team. Navigating a classroom nowadays has become even tougher for teachers. The challenges they face are more than most of us can handle while being caring and compassionate. There is no such thing as a perfect teacher or perfect school. Teachers and staff there are human, and I would hope that anyone wanting to go to a school that offers the amount of nurturing and character building this school gives would be willing to do the work at home and offer the same caring and compassion in communicating with the staff. Golden Valley River School is a gem. read more

We were at this school for 3 years, and the 23-24 school year was downright damaging. You will stay with the same teacher from Kinder through 5th grade and 6th through 8th. My son joined in 4th grade, and 4th and 5th grades were fine if not academically rigorous (there were other social benefits that we really appreciated). For 6th grade, he got Ms. Parker, and it was an absolute nightmare. Half of the class has chosen not to continue at the school because of her, and many of us are filing complaints with the charter and with the office of civil rights. I am a teacher and teacher educator, and I am shocked at her approach to the classroom. Our experience got considerably worse when she found out we were leaving the school. The current principal, a longtime teacher at the school, is also problematic. This school seems like a good alternative to the large, impersonal middle schools in the area, but it's actually a dysfunctional, damaging mess. read more

My family's experience happened in 2018-19, My son entered in his third grade year and ended December of his 4th grade year. Sometimes, having the same teacher follow through all years, is not a good thing. I have left reviews on google, and greatschools.org explaining in detail about two incidents, one giving me no choice. In this review I will talk about respect, the value of trust, and just simply the value of the human spirit. Nothing we got from this school. When I received no true concern or any attempt at having a true teaching made, about communication, and the value of taking accountability for a mistake, it was crickets chirping and passing the buck. When staff chooses pride over true leadership, at the expense of a student in attempt to protect their image, one has no choice, if you truly value an education for your child. I happen to be that kind of parent. I pulled my son from this school and did not look back. Which is why it took my this long to write this review. I turned his education back to what this school was stripping away. We focused on the value of being heard, the value of when you are in an environment that is toxic, you don't stay. You don't shut down and put up with it, even to people who are supposed to be leaders. Even we you are scared. I pointed my son back in the direction of the value of gut feelings and not being afraid to talk about stuff that hurts or is scary. That his feelings and experiences, whatever form they arrived, just like the good, the importance of talking about ones that are painful. I focused on teaching him, that you can be wronged, have felt sad , confused and hurt, but we don't have to stay in that place, that we take that experience and grow from it, and then we lived it, again. That is what I focused on the last few years. to arrive no longer at a place of resentment and frustration. To arrive at gratitude, for our experience here, because it gave me the opportunity to teach my my son how to overcome obstacles and not be beat down by them; how important that when we you are confused on something, instead of just throwing out your opinion, the value of communicating so that you aren't addressing a situation based on assumption, because sometimes, we get it wrong, and sometimes you can get it WAY WRONG. Listening is just as important as being heard. We learned that his teacher was failing him, ignoring me, then when I reached out to other faculty to get answers, we were failed again. If you are interested in having your child experience emotional abuse, by which I mean being bullied by a teacher, well you found the right place. read more

The Waldorf approach to education includes time in nature; attention to the development of the whole child; a curriculum that celebrates and utilizes, rather than cuts, the arts; freedom from excessive technology and a return to joy in the simple things. These align with our family's values and our hopes for our child. We want our child to cultivate thoughtfulness, compassion and agency. We want him surrounded by virtues and engaged in joyful learning and service. The school isn't perfect. But there are many, many families who join the faculty and staff in committed service to bring those Waldorf ideals into our children's lives. Echoing Ally J.: Come see for yourself. Waldorf isn't the best-known educational approach, and Golden Valley incorporates a surprising number of Waldorf elements, given that it offers a free and public education. We find these elements give our child's day, and the school year, a lovely cadence and connect him deeply to his peers, the adults in his learning environment, and of course the curriculum. Perhaps you will have the same experience. Reach out to the school and find opportunities to interact with the community (festivals, Parent Information Meetings in the early spring, parents of existing kids, etc.). It is certainly worth your consideration. read more

this school sucks do NOT SEND your children here, the staff are rude, annoying, the dress codes are sexualizing girls, and there's nothing fun about this school it's just another bad school with very little education. it doesn't address bullies or problems, the sheer lack of respect for their students who attend here is little, being a student here myself, the staff get students in trouble for no damm reason as a student I SAY DO NOT SEND ANYBODY ELSE TO THIS SCHOOL. read more

My children have attended GVCS since 2009, and we've seen a lot of change during that time. What has remained consistent is a commitment to public Waldorf education for all children. Go to a parent information meeting, talk to someone who has a child there, attend a festival and see for yourself. There is lots of transparency around the philosophy, the leadership, finances, teacher training, parent volunteerism, etc. read more

I knew I had always wanted my children to go to a Waldorf school after my sister had attended one for a couple of years. When we moved right down the street from Golden Valley I have was very excited to hear it was a charter school inspired by Waldorf education. I wasn't sure how much Waldorf influence they would incorporate into the school. Once I attended the parent information meeting I was so happy to see it was set up just like a real Waldorf school. This is my daughters first year and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity for her. It is such a community of staff and parents who want the best for our kids. Thank you Golden Valley!!! read more

My son has been attending GVCS since 1st grade and he is now in 5th grade. We are able to protect him from undue influence of violent video games and television programs, though there are a few families who do not belong at the school because they don't have the devotion to the media policy and they make it more difficult for those of us who are there for a waldorf-inspired education. There is a focus on teaching virtues, and they practice kindness and gratitude, etc. which is very valuable. read more

A waldorf education without breaking the bank. An awesome school with a wonderful community of families and teachers supporting students' love for learning. read more