My children started school at Hawthorne in 2015 this is our neighborhood school and we decided to…read moregive it a chance. As a parent we all want the best for our children and one of my biggest concerns for me is safety. Second, I wanted them to be around well behaved kids (no bullies). As far as their education goes, I decided from the very beginning that I would take an active role in my children's learning. Teachers and staff are faced with a difficult job daily and really don't get enough support. Almost 5 years at that school and I am very proud of what they have accomplished. They made it to the 2020 list of California's Distinguished schools!! The campus is always secure, they believe in building character and this foundation is important in preparing our kids for their future. It's a small community which encourages a it's members to have fun and to get involved. I am most proud of our Principal Miss Lauren Robinson. Her passion and dedication truly is heartwarming. She is extremely hands on and is easy to talk to. She's often in front of the school before and after to ensure all is going well for drop off and pick ups. You'll even meet her parents mom and dad Robinson; they are so supportive and helpful and it's always a pleasure to see them on campus. Remember I was concerned about safety? Every morning a staff member is at the drop off zone and the front gate is secured as soon as school begins. After school the staff stays out front until each student has left campus. If any student is left waiting, that staff member walks them to the office. This school was rated a 4 in 2015. Today it's now an 8! Education requires a ton of support and so do our schools. Give Hawthorne Elementary a chance.

I worked at this school as a PrimeTime staff and I gotta say that this is a good school. They have…read moregood teachers and good faculty. I really enjoyed working with the kids after school during PrimeTime. The kids are wonderful!

Silver Gate Elementary is a wonderful school! It is inconspicuously placed in the middle of a…read moreresidential area right between Ocean Beach and Point Loma. At one time when my son was younger, it was a science magnet school but I don't think it is anymore. My brothers and I are all alumni of Silver Gate so of course, there will be a soft spot in my heart for this school. I haven't been to Silver Gate in a while but I dropped my neighbor's daughter off there for school not too long ago. The campus is still the same. The big auditorium next to the cafeteria; the large play field sandwiched right in the middle of the school. The Kindergarten located right above it all and the very convenient drive-thru alley that goes right down the side of the school. That alley is perfectly adapted for parents to just cruise down and drop their kids off at the end. No hassles with traffic or crosswalks or school cops! Simple and clean. As for the academics of Silver Gate, I think the school is just a few points behind nearby Sunset View Elementary School when it comes to test scores. I read that it is among the few public elementary schools in California to receive a distinguished GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10. I also know there is a lot of community spirit around the school. The parents are very supportive and turn out in large numbers for school events.Silver Gate Elementary School hosted a inaugural Holiday Tree Sale on Dec. 4 of last year to raise money for the Silver Gate Foundation. The Silver Gate website is full of notices for jog-a-thons, bake sales, restaurant fund-raisers, and silent auctions-all to raise money and benefit the school. With the School Choices program that San Diego Unified allows parents to take part in, there is absolutely no reason that any parent should shy away from placing their children in the best possible educational environment. Even if you are not as prosperous economically as some of the fine folks whose kids go to Silver Gate, it is not a snobby school by any means of the imagination. 5 YELP STARS (and not just cuz I went there!)

It's universally felt by students, parents, and staff, "School is Great at Silver Gate." If you…read morelive in Point Loma, do your best to choice into this wonderful school. You and your kids will feel an immediate sense of community and school pride. The education is way better than I expected from the public school system. The parental fundraising provides an enhanced computer, science, PE program, plus a brand new sports field. The after-school activities are varied (Spanish, sports, STEM, etc). There is also after-school "Character Builders" program hosted by YMCA until 6pm. My one and only complaint is that the 7:40am is too early of a start for my family-this originally had me more interested in Sunset View for the 9am start time, but now that we feel the love of Silver Gate, we would never switch schools.

Ms cazary is super cool but sadly she moved to different school I went here for elemerntry and it…read morewas pretty good but I think recess should be longer and it is better then curie veri easy to make friends only problem is they are sometimes to strict like no running on playground

I've had two of my kids go through Spreckels. It has been a great school, I highly recommend it…read more Principal Michelle Cazary is wonderful; she cares about the children and is skilled at selecting high quality staff. Teachers have been great although there are one or two that are just average. The seminar program is excellent too, although your child must test into that. The PE teacher that they added a couple years ago has been a great help too; he really gets kids excited about PE. They also have before school & after school programs available. The school is in the middle of a huge renovation that will add a two story classroom building and remodel all of the existing classrooms. If you can get into Spreckels then I highly recommend the school for your child.

My children go to this school and I can not say enough great things about it. They speak, read and…read morewrite in Spanish. Sure they learn English later than other kids (it is 100% Spanish until 2nd grade) but by 4th grade my son had passed his English only neighbors! As it is a magnet school you have to apply through San Diego Unified to enroll. The school only accepts new students in K &1st. A magnet school attracts students from diverse areas of San Diego and makes for an even richer learning experience in my opinion but some may have issues with it. If that is the case then this is probably not the school for you. Another bonus is that Longfellow is K-8. There are a wealth of great magnet school to look into in San Diego and Longfellow is one to keep in mind if you are looking.

The new principal laughs at after school tutoring. She ended it after years and is refusing to help…read moreto get our children the help they need after being online for so long in an immersion school along with multiple after school programs ending. If I knew the school was going to be so against parents helping their children I would have NEVER sent my child here. It is really sad what is happening at Longfellow since her taking over.

We love St. Charles Borromeo Academy. We have been there 3 years now and came from another…read morecatholic school. We moved to St. Charles as it was closer to our house, just a mile away. We know this past year has been challenging. The administration and teachers did an incredible job over this past year. I was impressed with the school before the pandemic, but they have really done a great job with the online program, hybrid and then back to full time in classroom scenarios. St. Charles does a great job instilling the catholic faith and teachings on a daily basis as well as providing a challenging academic environment. They do have sports teams but the school is small so sometimes it can be hard to form teams and/or find coaches but they have several sports at the school. And if you haven't attend mass there, Fr. John Amsberry is incredible. We are blessed by the best!

My child has had problems here like racial discrimination and bullying. Teachers also do not take…read moreinitiative of these problems either

This school is a very good school in our neighborhood…read more Teachers are awesome, has a clean and safe environment. Highly recommended.

If you volunteer at this school for a little while, you will see that a lot of the teachers are…read morequite racist.

We love St. Andrew's Preschool! Our daughter started in the Tiny Tots Program, and while we were…read moreinitially nervous about transitioning her to a new school at such a young age, we knew from the moment we attended the open house that we had made the right decision. Meeting the Tiny Tot teachers, touring the classroom, and learning about the curriculum immediately put our minds at ease. The teachers and staff at St. Andrew's Preschool are incredibly kind, caring, and attentive. If our daughter ever has a difficult drop-off, there is always a teacher ready to give her extra love and attention until she feels comfortable. We also love the variety of crafts, activities, and learning opportunities they provide. The daily photos shared through the preschool's app give us a fun glimpse into her day and reassure us that she is happy and engaged. Looking back, enrolling our daughter in the Tiny Tots Program has been such a positive experience for us. We've seen her grow so much in her social skills, confidence, and excitement to try new things! We feel so lucky to have found a school where we know our daughter is safe, loved and having a great time with friends. We highly recommend St. Andrews Preschool and the Tiny Tot Program!

My older daughter, now 48, began preschool there in 1979. It was a wonderful, caring place with…read morekind teachers who worked tirelessly to educate the children. Back then they brought in a PB institution, Janie Cushing, to teach tap and ballet. Our daughter loved it and continued with Janie for several years. The best memories of the great education my girl received. I'm so glad it's going strong.

The education there is very good. My daughter likes going to school this year, not so much years…read morepassed. More on that in a moment. I like the style of teaching but am concerned if it will change due to common core. The 8th graders have ipads they can bring home with a cdma internet access. The pads are secured so the kids cant use them for games. The number of field trips is great! I feel some things are not learnable sitting at a desk. My peeves are as follows; Lack of action take by staff to eliminate a bulling issue. Several parents complained and yet it went on for 3 years. That student. did not return this year, and for the first time in a long time my daughter enjoys going to school. The pick up and drop off is far to chaotic, parents are constantly blocking residents from their driveways and I have know idea how we get away with completely blocking the bike lane twice a day. All and all a 4 out of 5 is a good score to me.

Families considering Old Town Academy, especially for middle school, should speak with current and…read moreformer parents before enrolling. Our experience was very different from the school OTA advertises itself to be. My son entered OTA earning A's and B's. Within a short time, his grades fell to D's and F's. Instead of receiving meaningful intervention, he was often treated as though he was the problem. After leaving OTA, his grades improved to B's and C's, which reinforced our belief that the environment played a major role in his struggles. We also experienced sarcastic, dismissive, and demeaning interactions from middle-school teachers. When students tried to advocate for themselves, those concerns could quickly be reframed as behavior issues. Repeated concerns raised with the Executive Director/Principal were often met with promises to investigate or follow up, but meaningful responses frequently never came. OTA promotes full inclusion, strong student support, and an "extensive" enrichment program. In our experience, there was little meaningful transition support for students coming from other schools, and aside from music and robotics, we saw nothing close to the range of extracurriculars advertised. The parent community was the bright spot. Unfortunately, for our family, OTA did not live up to the academic, social, or supportive environment we believed we were choosing.