I give SoR five stars and more than five if there was the option :)…read more My kids attended School of Rock in Palo Alto this summer and we had a positive experience. My kids attended two of the summer camps that the school offered. The general manager Felix helped me pick out which camps to sign up for that were best suited for each of my boys. We went for the pop rock 101 for my younger son and the one hit wonders music video camp for my older son. The camps were only five days long, so I wasn't expecting much learning wise, but was more looking for them to have a good time. My oldest son was very apprehensive about going (as is pretty normal for him) and really didn't want to attend. After the first day, my oldest son's teacher John helped it to be a fun, at ease environment and Levi was able to open up, be himself and be comfortable there. After the first day he was significantly less apprehensive and after the second day it was gone completely. On the fifth and final day of camp the boys performed at a Mexican restaurant next to the school to show off what they had learned. I was impressed that my younger sons teacher Edwin had been able to teach Toby (who's only 6) the sheer amount of songs he had in such a short time. For my older son, even though they only played a set of three songs they also put together a music video, which is a fun keepsake that I got to share with friends and family. John did a nice job putting that together. It was fun for Levi to watch. Toby's class even made a cameo appearance in it :D Basically my kids came to school of rock's summer camps with no previous music background and by the last day were playing their first show ever and had a great time.

I had the same experience as another reviewer below who was charged without receiving the…read moreagreed-upon services. Before I paid, they were extremely enthusiastic about getting me onboard: daily follow-up emails, very responsive communication, and multiple calls to make sure I paid upfront. Once payment was made, the service essentially disappeared. At my first class, I didn't receive the full 30 minutes even though I arrived early, because my instructor had to cover the front desk while the front desk staff was on break. I accepted that at the time. After class, I asked to be assigned practice drills. The instructor never responded. I followed up by email, still no response. Eventually, the front desk said they would "chase" the instructor. Then, on the day of my next class, I finally received the homework--and it was a vocal drill for a completely different student, even though I was taking a keyboard class. For my second class, I was running late and called the front desk to notify them. No one answered, I left a voicemail, and no one returned my call. I still went in person and arrived before my class was supposed to end, only to be told that my instructor had already started working with someone else because I was late. I received no notice or communication about this. When I told them I wanted to cancel, they stopped responding entirely. The front desk said there was no way to get a refund because I had paid upfront. Emails about cancellation have gone unanswered yet again. This is honestly the worst service provider I've dealt with. Be very careful, once they have your money, responsiveness and accountability seem to disappear.

Wonderful local dance studio w/dedicated teachers for the little ones through adults. Lots of…read morediverse class options. Staff are friendly and helpful. Classes are reasonably priced. Really encourage everyone to support this wonderful local business!

Not impressed. After 3 months my 3 year old charge quit taking classes here because she was never…read moreexcited about her ballet/tap class and would rather stay home and play. She typically LOVES taking classes (she still does tumbling and art/song classes and looks forward to them). Our ballet/tap classes were held in the studios across El Camino on Oak Grove. This facility is tired and not well maintained. The entire three months we attended class there, the one drinking fountain was broken. I got two different excuses when I told employees. Why not install a free standing water cooler? Each class of 10+ kids and their siblings and parents in the waiting room = a lot of thirsty people. Curiously the viewing window was just big enough for a few of us to compete for space to watch or take pictures. That makes no sense for a children's class- parents are ALWAYS going to want to watch and this set up is not conducive to that at all. There isn't adequate seating and many parents had to sit on the floor or stand for the entire class (that we cannot see). Ridiculous. The school's communication is lacking as well. During the second class they measured her for a costume for recital coming up in May, but didn't say a word to me. A parent that watched them measure and knew about the recital told me afterwards. I asked one of the employees that was there the following week and she said we needed to pay $50 for the costume they were going to get for her and that I should email her for details. Ummm...who are you? What is your email? Why didn't you email US about all of this as we enrolled online? Very sloppy.

Very nice school, the teachers are caring, the program includes art and science, as young as two…read moreyear olds they learn about what things look like under a magnifying lens and pick food from the garden plants. They also have family inclusive activities and field trips that are linked to what they learned during the quarter. At the same time the children learn Italian. Davvero una bella scuola!

We currently have two kids at La Scuola, and our 3rd one will go as well once she turns 2 next…read moreyear. Our oldest has been at La Scuola for 6 years and we couldn't be happier! Our son is a first grader at the K-8 school, our daughter is in her last Preschool year, and both thoroughly enjoy being at their school: The teachers are incredibly caring, passionate, highly motivated and highly trained regarding the RE philosophy. The classes have a great student/ teacher ratio and our kids especially enjoy learning in small groups, i.e. in the school garden, in the (digital) atelier, at music classes or in the school library. We're always impressed by the interdisciplinary learning and how much coordination it requires among the involved teacher - their collaboration is just amazing and the kids feel this great vibe. Due to the curriculum, the staff, the respectful and caring atmosphere at school the kids become very aware of the importance of a good social environment and how to maintain it. For example, my son's class developed - selfdriven - their own conflict managing rules to help other students to solve a conflict. And as a a parent we see the huge impact on our kids social behaviors and personalities in general. Creating curious learners is also a focus of the RE approach. Providing very well maintained facilities with child friendly colors, furnitures, toys, arts and crafts supplies help the kids to establish a creative way of thinking and problem solving. Helping the kids to trust their own solving skills builds up our kids self confidence - and our kids have been surprising us with their creative and caring suggestions. It's amazing to observe this! It's a warm hearted and safe place to have your kids go to school with a fantastic community. This is a very special school and we're proud and happy of being part of it!

They are working so hard to provide all the resources needed for a person to achieve their goal and…read morefind a career. They have lot of programs to meet individual career interests. Amazing staff. It is very slow to onboard but once you are selected, they are the best..

I took the CNA course with Xavier, who is wonderful! On-boarding takes a while and requires quite a…read morebit of paperwork, but once you start, the program is structured well and easy to follow. They provide great resources, coaching, and financial help for supplies on top of the fact the program is free. They even provide resume and mock interview help. It's clear everyone here wants you to succeed and get a job quickly upon graduation. This is an amazing community resource not to be missed!

My son is doing two weeks of circus camp and is loving it ! He wants to do even more.read more

My 4th grade daughter attended a circus camp session and absolutely loved it. Asking to do it…read moreagain, actually. She rotated through a few different circus-themed activities then they had a performance for parents at the end where she was proud to show off what she'd been learning. The team was supportive and welcoming; she loved her group lead. Highly recommend.

Love Aida her talent is beyond words! Amazing make Up…read moreartist she is personable And great to Talk with and knows what she is doing

Aida is a god send!! A dream to work with! She taught me to do my makeup as a little girl and then…read moreshe did my wedding makeup! She's so good at what she does! Everyone wanted natural looking makeup and she nailed it! I mean knocked it our if the park!!!

I took Tom's "DSLR/M Jumpstart" class this June. Glowing review follows…read more.. But first, a bit about me: I've been a latent photography maven since my early teens, starting with a Polaroid and quickly graduating to my dad's old Bell & Howell 35mm. As things often do, it found itself on a shelf until the advent of the iPhone and ever-present cameras. Discovering that I enjoy taking nice shots, but always knowing I could do better, I finally splurged on a "prosumer" Canon mirrorless. Not wanting to let it be relegated to the same fate as the B&H, I immediately went looking for some classes, and found Tom literally one neighborhood away. I immediately liked his no-nonsense commentary about how good photography connects us to our memories and what we experienced at the time, but also his keen level of humility; I think that's essential to being a good teacher, as hubris stands in the way of connection with students. When I arrived, Tom had a cozy kitchen table set up for three students, with brief handouts at the ready, and a table full of curios just begging for practice. Alas, one student was a no-show, but we had lively chat until Tom decided to get underway. There wasn't a single boring moment in the day; Tom immediately got both of us familiar with the controls on our fancy cameras, then started reviewing the basics of photography. It wasn't a theory class, per se, but he spent as much time as it took going over both how our cameras take photos, and how we perceive them. The room was set up for a simple PowerPoint-style presentation, but it was always in the background as we moved back and forth between our devices and discussion. Just setting expectations: about 75-80% of the class is "ground school" -- we worked with our cameras and settings indoors, practicing a bit on nearby objects, and then venturing outside for some practice. Tom made it fun, setting us up for a bit of a scavenger hunt in his back patio that's clearly designed to get us looking at the objects a little more deeply, and playing with focus and depth of field to achieve artistic effect. By the end of the day, I didn't feel like a "pro," by any stretch of imagination. But I did feel like I had the potential to get there. I haven't switched my camera back to "Auto" mode since the class. I've taken some lousy photos, and then realized what I'd done wrong. And I've taken some amazing shots. My only gripe about the class? It's too short. I left wondering, "ok, what next?" Tom offers a number of other opportunities like photo walks, and I'll be taking him up on them in the near future, but I definitely felt like there could have been a second day. That said, I think that's a good thing: the class achieves a "jump start" for new photographers, and leaves you wanting more.

It has been almost 5 years since I took Tom's DSLR jumpstart class, and the lessons I learned that…read moreday are still in use. The class really helped ignite my ability to properly set up my camera, but also how to adjust setting on the fly. Since his class, I have been published in multiple aviation books, blogs, newspapers, and magazines. Last Year I was an Editors Choice in the 2023 Aviation Week and Space Technology Photo edition Without Tom and his class I would no doubt be plodding away with my camera with the usual mediocre results instead of what I am shooting now. If you want to do more with your photography this one is an easy call. Give Tom and PhotoTrainer a try.

I can't speak for the entire school, but I had a very bad experience trying to enroll in a night…read morewood working class. I had previous experience in woodshop classes I took at Mount Tam high school in Marin, so I wasn't a novice. I paid the fee and enrolled in the class. However, when I met the teacher Ray, he decided not to let me take the class. I think he just didn't like me. Disappointed, I tried to get a refund but the school wouldn't give it to me, so I had to open a dispute with my bank. None of my calls or emails to the school or the teacher were ever returned regarding the class or the possibility of taking future classes. It felt like the class was a private club not open to outsiders. Its this kind of elite snobbery that gives rich cities like Palo Alto a bad name.

I am all about learning something new. I have taken classes from financial, to building your own…read morewater fountain to a basic sewing class. Classes are mostly held at Palo Alto High School on Embarcadero Road and El Camino Real across from the Town and Country Shopping Center. They follow the semester system. I get a hard copy catalog in the mail. You can register online, by phone, by fax and by mail. How easy is that? Classes are very reasonable and can range from $35 on up to $200 depending on how often it meets and the types of supplies you pay for. Geared toward the adult, so evening and weekend classes. They have arts and crafts, cooking, financial, computer, language, music, health and fitness, birdwatching, dancing, acting, CPR and first aid, ...you name it.