I've never seen so much trash on a school campus. It's disgusting . Some of it is so old it's…read moregreying which shows they don't ever pick up the litter or enforce any kind of littering policy with the students. Very concerned for our next generation of earth stewards. Not what you'd expect in a city where the average home price is over a million dollars.

Sierra Madre Middle School looks new and shiny from the outside, especially situated in such a a…read morequiet lovely town. But make no mistake. The bullying and racism by the students, and by some teachers is rampant and uncontrolled. The administration has no control over the student body and issues few consequences for really, seriously bad behavior. That empowers and develops the worst parts of kids' characters because they know that they can get away with almost anything. Even worse, when the kids get in any kind of trouble at school the parents are seldom, if ever, notified so they don't have the opportunity to parent their kids. If their kids are bullied the parents aren't notified so they can support their kids. Everything is about keeping up appearances and placating concerned parents. If a parent does find out something concerning and brings it to the administration's attention, they will be kind, concerned, say they are "investigating" but ultimately nothing will come of it. The bullying from the kids that occurs during nutrition break and lunch is made far worse because of a disturbing lack of adult supervision... especially on the field. There is bullying during PE. There is humiliation and shaming by certain teachers. And the bullying continues after school where groups of kids go together to the park unsupervised and act like gangs that surround other kids and torment them verbally and sometimes physically. Parents believe because this is Sierra Madre that everything is safe and peaceful from school to park. It is not. This is nothing remotely like the amazing SME. Many (underscore MANY) of us parents who have had terrible experiences there and have brought it to the PUSD have been told over and over that since COVID that the reports of bullying have skyrocketed and that they are overwhelmed. But this is their job and their responsibility to keep our children safe and make an environment that is conducive to learning. If they don't step up and provide the necessary resources to protect our kids while they are in their care, who will?? There are a several wonderful teachers who do really care. The front office staff and nurse could not be lovelier.

Caring and supportive staff with excellent teaching skills. My nieces had to pull their children…read morefrom a competing Sierra Madre "Catholic" school with a nice mansion but that was all it offered. The kids have been so much more enthusiastic about their learning and the environment at St. Rita's. The school is established and that says a lot. I think they hit a rough patch when a past principal was fired, took staff and the student roladex to start the competing school. St. Rita's seems to have weathered the upheaval and are strong. My family really enjoyed their inclusive nature. One family is a practicing Catholic but the other not and says no one makes a big deal about it. Both say they feel very happy with their choice of St. Rita. No one seems to shun my one niece who goes to a church closer to where she lives. That says a lot about acceptance too. I toured the school with them. I could just tell the staff knew what they were doing. They discussed their methodologies and how they handled the different learning abilities of their students. Looking forward to their grandparents day, debate tournaments, theater and other events they offer. This school has so much more than just a sports program. There is a variety of opportunities for each of my grand nieces and nephews that do not require they be in a sport. Their PE program is well rounded. I am not sure if St. Rita's has an immense budget but from what I could see the teacher's and staff are creative. No child is lacking from talking with returning families. My kiddo's are making friends and the families we met are delightfully involved. No one is pushing their agenda or sticking their hand out for money all the time. So far so good.

I don't normally review things, but I have had a horrible experience with the school. Many of the…read moreteachers are very unprofessional with their students and the lack of discipline baffles me. Some of the teachers were caring, but I find it preposterous some of the things that others got away with, like blatant favoritism. I do know some of the staff members were fired, but based on previous years, they just cannot find competent people to hire. Also, according to my child's experience, things I've heard from other parents, and events I've witnessed myself, many of the children here get away with terrible behavior. I have heard so many horror stories of children saying racial slurs and micro aggressive comments, but none of them have faced actual punishment, besides maybe getting marked. If you are looking for a small, cozy Catholic school to send your children to, St. Rita is not that.

Do your due diligence before you bring your family to this school. Don't be swayed by the pretty…read morecampus and the catchy motto. For 26K you deserve to know what you're getting...and what you're not.

I just saw my review from 13 years ago, when my kids had been at Gooden for 3 years. Update: Both…read moreof my kids graduated from Gooden (2016 & 2018) and went on to competitive high schools & colleges. I still strongly feel that their time at Gooden gave them a phenomenal foundation. They've been confident to advocate for themselves, considerate and respectful throughout their education journeys. AND as I predicted years ago, they are still very close with the friends they made, as am I. It truly is a special school.

The preschool director is on top of things and the staff is nurturing and caring of their little…read morestudents. There is potty training available for the littlest ones and actual curriculum for helping the older ones to be ready for learning. All done at appropriate levels for the children.

Bethany Christian School is amazing. The teachers, administration, and head of school work every…read moreday to make sure the kids are happy, loved, and learning and growing at their own pace and full-potential. The entire staff at Bethany are genuinely kind, loving, smart God-fearing and God-loving people. The kids are kind, smart and blessed. I can't say enough good things. If you're looking for a loving, Christ-centered school for your child/children, do give Bethany a chance. Their admissions director is wonderful. Call the school for a tour, I'm sure they'll be happy to accommodate!

A middle school that serves the foothills area in Arcadia. The two elementary schools, Hugo Reid…read moreElementary and Highland Oaks Elementary) feed the school's population. The school colors are green and black; and the mascot is that of a Scottish terrier dog. Foothills Middle School (FMS) is known for its academic excellence and has a very high API score. The teachers here are fantastic at encouraging students to work in a subject, and preparing them for high school. The environment of FMS is somewhat tolerable. The restrooms reek of urine and the lightning is just plain creepy in 'em. However, for a school that has been passed up for renovations because it's located on a fault line, the general cleanliness is good enough. Fun facts: The school newspaper (at the time of this writing) was shut down three to four years ago due to lack of funding. It was a student-run publication and they charged 50 cents for an issue. 7th graders are/were obligated to choose between taking an elective class of Orchestra, Band, or Art/Acting. Consequently, FMS's band is larger than those of the other middle schools due to its conscription-like enrollment of students.

To all the moms out there, I am someone who has been there for all three years. I just graduated…read morethis year. My experience was relatively well. Some of the kids there are really spoiled rich kids who will make fun of you a lot of the people at the school do not talk English there's a lot of academics there and yeah.

Please make a note of the following: If you are considering…read moreSt. Rita's for your child, please be aware that our child attended St. Rita's for 3 difficult months. It took us that long to realize that the TK (Transitional Kindergarten) teacher was mocking and making sarcastic remarks to our child, which is not something you would expect from a teacher. I would advise staying away from TK at this school. Alverno is a much more peaceful place for a 4-year-old child. We love the church and all the wonderful members. Let me start by saying that God loves everyone. Thank you, Lord, for guiding me and helping me make clear statements. Unfortunately, it seems that the TK teacher has lost their passion for teaching and is simply comfortable with their job. We are disappointed to hear that some teachers use awful language and sarcasm with four-year-old kids. I feel that if Jesus had a team and had to pick team players, he wouldn't have picked this TK teacher to play on his team. One teacher, in particular, has gained an uncompassionate reputation that has followed her for many decades. We have spoken with many teachers at different schools, such as Alverno, and they have confirmed that while this teacher has a good teaching record, she is simply an awful person to deal with. Some of the school staff have left St. Rita's to find a peaceful work environment at Alverno. Thank you for your time and I hope this can help save someone from the stress found at St. Rita's School.

They have no idea when they even would open ... I walked in with my siblings to inquire and show…read moreour interest to them we have our children to enroll ... the guy at front looked nervous as we asked questions then he called someone to come name Yashaicaac not sure if we got the name right since she was not all informed about our questions but we felt that she just was a bit off and rude . The gentleman himself looked very uncomfortable but unfamiliar with their school rules himself ... this place is a joke !!!!! My sister said the lady ... she was just plain nasty since we are concerned about our children's safety and education. She had nothing to say but I only work here I don't make the rules we were like omg !!!! Run people don't take your kids here !!! Complete colossal disaster here ... they have no clue what they are doing nor do they have valid educated folks with empathy and support for our children... Very sad !!!! Indeed !!!! Wow This is disgraceful....!!!! Yet they talk about how they want to expand we're like please don't .., You will mess up our kids, our future & our families shame on YOU all!!!!

One of the best schools around the corner. Very nice staff members and showed great politeness to…read morethe students and people. Definitely recommend this place and welcomes walk in too.

I'd rate this place 0 stars if I could. I was employed with…read morea staffing agency to assist disabled children in classroom settings. The teacher I was assigned was Ms. Brittney Alberts and that woman + her little clique of aids is the definition of catty. She lied to my staffing agency about my practices and nit picked everything I did just because she didn't like me as a person. She nor any other staff member never bothered to ask me directly about what I was doing, let alone get to know me as a person. They would give me the cold shoulder all day then go complain about how "horrible" I was to my agency. To play with people's employment like that in this economy is sick and twisted. I can't wait for those fuck ass clowns to fall flat on their faces harder than I ever could. Fuck that classroom and fuck that teacher.

Besides being set in such a gorgeous and safe location out of traffic areas, up in the wilderness,…read morenestled in the foothills-- this school has incredible teachers to the point where two of my three children that have attended throughout the past 11 years, now, want to be teachers. I must add that I have never seen a principal so protective of the school, and Mr. Maynard never ceases to amaze me on the great care taken in every avenue. Thank you, Don Benito!