This school is a little hidden gem in the middle of Santa Clara…read more We are very, very, very happy we found it. Staff is very kind and helpful. Teachers are very nice and experimented. It's a catholic school and it's a very welcoming environment to anyone: all ethnicities, backgrounds, religions... They will not force you to something or treat you differently because of A or B. What I really like is indeed how diverse it is and that it also offer a good "work-life balance" for the little ones. St Lawrence offers a good education, with values and has a great after school program. It is competitive the right amount for us. I visited several other private schools but they were either not diverse, or way too competitive, 1 fit all style, and with too many helicopter parents. I want my kids to have a nurturing childhood, discover different kinds of people and not develop little robots that would do 5th grade maths in 2nd grade. It is so easy to fall in that trap, especially now and here in the Silicon Valley. What I also loved is that they offer Spanish, Drama and art (with a real specialized teachers) embedded in the curriculum. They have a recreative after school program (Crafts and games), but they also offer thematic programs (chess, programming, art, magician...) for a small extra fee. They have a competitive swim team on site (amazing!). Some things had to be stopped during Covid (after school, swim team), but it is my understanding that these will re-open in September 2021. Cost wise, it is way more affordable than most private schools in the Bay Area, and you can apply for aid as well. The school re-opened part time in Oct 2020 and full time in Jan 2021. Was such a help for the kids (and parents) I imagine. The only "complaint" I would have, is that they should do a little more anticipation and be better at organizing or setting up things (for example pool reopening, Science teacher coming in person etc.) But I blame most of it on a challenging 2020 year - for all of us. Thank you Mrs Lares, the Principal and the entire St Lawrence team!

Not good Not really not at all. Don't trust the teachers…read moreand aides. They can smile while gossiping and laughing and making fun of the kids. They think they're so cool. They are not. Just really immature and self important. It's all about them. Ps if Carina is still principal she encouraged bullying and I saw ad heard her myself. "Now is not the time " during class time. Next thing you know someone is getting ganged up on on the playground. She's a piece of work. She makes herself that way. She's loony I have many more examples. When half the class is crying on the last day of school something is wrong. So they promoted her. Sick.

Fantastic school for faith, formation of the apostolic and intellectual child. Ages 18 months to 14…read moreGrade 8.

My wife and I found Canyon Heights Academy (CHA) more than 3 years ago when researching pre-schools…read morefor our first child, and have been hooked ever since. We now have our boy in 1st grade and our girl just started in pre-k. There are many aspects that make this school the best Catholic school in the south bay by far, but the ones we value the most are: 1) Integral formation: many private schools focus on academics to the point the kids look overworked and bored... even though well achieved academically. At CHA, the integrated curricula go through all aspects of human formation: intellect and values, integrated in a seamless way. What's more important is that children at CHA develop a love for learning that goes beyond the classroom. The result? CHA children are not only well versed academically, they're forming their conscience and values that will make them successful -and happy- in life. 2) Community is the blood: school is an extension of your family, and at CHA, we feel at home. Other families are generous, participative, and loving. The principal (and his family), teachers and other staff members are dedicated, kind and readily available to discuss any issues or concerns you may have. Truly unheard of nowadays. 3) The pre-school Montessori program is amazing: children are curious and playful, and CHA encourages them to play and learn in their Montessori classrooms. All their teachers are trained in this methodology and do an fantastic job. 4) Faith is not only accepted, but expected: in other schools, we have sadly witnessed how faith is diminished to a "religion" subject on Fridays for 30 minutes, while principals ask you to attend mass as a "pre-requisite" to qualify for special rates. In public schools, we're at a point where faith is not only banned, but mocked, and our children are target of bullying because of their faith. At CHA, faith is part of our lives and strengthens the individual. Not an after thought! Overall, we are truly enjoying our time at CHA, and can't tell you how lucky we were to have had stumbled upon this school. We really hope that we may be able to continue to attend this school for years to come.

As a child in the 1990s, I attended this school from 1st grade to 5th grade. There were some ups…read moreand downs, but I mostly enjoyed my experience at Forest Hill Elementary School. That was until my fifth-grade year. In what was easily my worst academic year ever, my fellow schoolmates accosted and bullied me time and time again. The teachers knew it was happening but generally did nothing about it. I don't know if that was because they were unsure what to do or didn't care. When the end of fifth grade came, I was relieved to put that class behind me. Unfortunately, my troubling experience at that school left emotional scars on my character and self-esteem. Seeing how this was in another time, I can only hope that FHES is a much better place now. Many schools take stauncher action against bullying and are less tolerant of it than they were in the 90s. Because of my experience, I can't recommend this school no matter what others may say. If I had to go through my childhood all over again, I would have pushed harder and sooner to transfer schools before being emotionally marred.

Great school, wonderful staff, caring principal, fantastic teachers, and they have the best…read morebefore/after school program.

We have 2 girls in k and 2nd grade at McAuliffe, both love school and flourish here. Its our 3rd…read moreyear with the school. We as a family love the school, each teacher and IA that we've had here are absolutely amazing, they see each child - their strengths and challenges they work with the children, they seem to love what they do and it is reflected on the children. The respect, social emotional support and collaborative environment is truly exceptional, one of a kind, and I see how it allows children the emotional availability they need to focus learn and thrive. The parents involvement makes it a village, and I believe- it takes a village. Aiding on campus and in their classrooms, has strengthened my connection with my children and their friends, and their friends' families. The community is amazing, we share similar values, and as a family we feel surrounded with like minded people. We help each other and each other's children, we notice them we pay attention when they are struggling or sad and we support them with tools we learned from the School's unique parents training program, where we learn to communicate to get cooperation and support kids confidence and well being, help navigate more tricky social situations that otherwise could have had a big impact on our kiddos'.. The training I got here has helped me become a better person and a better parent, feel more capable solving conflicts and support children resolve conflicts, teaching them essentially how to listen and how to help others feel heard, how to come up with thoughtful solutions by themselves, and execute them, to eventually learn how to resolve conflicts on their own.. I wish I learned that when I was a child. Academics alone does not have the impact that critical thinking and communication tools and independent problem solving have on a person's well being and success in the world. So schools that teach both have a huge advantage in my view. The academics here taught thoughtfully while using variety of elements for kids to grasp a deeper understanding and a strong foundation that is not relying on tedious memorization, but on curiosity and learning by experiencing. After hearing from alumni children it sounds like that type of foundation they got here gave them an edge over their peers in a more fast past complex academic environment. Win win :) This school is a gem! Highly Recommended!

This school is a gem in the CUSD…read more - very low risk of bullying. Bullying happens anywhere and in a setting where doors are closed (most schools), it's hard to stop it. At McAuliffe there are eyes and ears everywhere (teachers, parent volunteers, Ia) , so this behavior is stopped very quickly - risk taking. This is one of the pillars. In first grade, for example, I saw kids raising hands asking for help with spelling during writing class. The teacher told them to write the first draft using everything they knew (phonics) and not to stop because they didn't know how to write a word perfectly. (The teacher showed them the correct spelling in the second draft). This is brave spelling and another example where risk taking is encouraged in every curriculum - small group teaching helps kids learn better. In other schools, it's 1 teacher for 20 some kids. My friends have volunteered one day in their kids' class and they were horrified: Kids unable to focus. Literally one student was disturbing the class every 5 seconds. Both my friends felt sorry for the teacher.

This is a great school. I personally have went there since third grade and am now wishing I could…read morestill be in Country Lane. They have great teachers and staff, and caring students. It was fun and educational at the same time! I totally recommend this school to anyone who needs a school. We had no problems transferring mid-year and every single student wanted to help me out. I say again, I totally think this is a great school both education wise and fun wise.

Maybe few years ago it was good but noticed how this school doesn't do much to involve children…read morewith anything First principle is lazy doesn't even acknowledge the help, teachers or anything doesn't add them to any events but of course her self No field trip shirts baker school has this principle is to cheap and field trips are horrible and they're very tacky barely any Not enough enrollment so they doing combo classes School district lets this school and Moreland do whatever they want Office staff Karla is wonderful Linda is rude lady who I don't get how she works there with children. They force you to stay with a teacher u don't want. (Nope if I'm not ok with it I'm changing it!!!!)

This school has been nothing less than a perfect example of how a school should be for young…read morechildren starting their journey into schooling. Our daughter started her school journey in the TK class last year at CCS and each day started with so many smiles during the morning flag salute and daily prayer. It's a wonderful way to be together with the rest of the school and teachers and also parents! They have a holistic faith-based education focusing on values and principles that children need growing up in today's environment. My best part as a parent was during pick up and drop off where every teacher greets the kids and parents with a smile :) The warmth and love shown by the teachers every single day makes this school an excellent choice for children. Also, they have a very organized car-line for pick up and drop off. All teachers are hands-on during the pick up and drop off. Annual performances are beautifully organized and the kids love it! All in all, this school is perfect for those who value the little things in life and are looking for a place where kids feel loved and valued. Thank you Mr. Shrader for making the school year so enjoyable and memorable for the children. Keep up the great work!

Exceptional and attentive staff. Very helpful and caring. Always trying to improve and requesting…read morefeedback.

Truthfully this is by far the best community for your children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren…read more I speak from experience, my daughters attended SJC and currently my grandchild is attending. The education, community and lifelong friendships are why I love this school so much.

Absolutely love the TK/K class. The class size is small due to the Cupertino population aging with…read moreno new inflow of young parents. In addition to that, a big chunk of teachers and students left after some conflict with the former principal. The school is now rebuilding with the new principal, Dr. Palladino, who is awesome with kids. The TK class I've experienced so far is fantastic. The curriculum is well structured and my child is engaged all day, thanks to the small class size. They even split the already tiny class to fit each child's needs. I've noticed that a few kids are doing additions and some kids are taking it a bit slower and focusing on writing numbers and counting. I've toured almost every school within a 15 minute drive and SJC had the most productive and structured daily schedule for TKs. I felt like most of the schools have too much free playtime and nap time and some have half-day classmates, meaning all the learning ends by noon. At SJC, the teachers are doing something with the kids all day, whereas many schools have several hours of mere childcare. I love that the day includes number senses, math, English and language arts every day. They also learn Spanish (the teacher is amazing btw), P.E., art, music, science once a week. The teacher follows a well-known curriculum from start to finish, rather than piecing in materials from here and there. Another point I love about this school is that the older kids are nicer in small communities. The big kids play with my child and take care of her at extended care and everyone gives my child a hug when I pick her up. I highly recommend SJC. I've seen some people discouraged to join due to the small class size but I'm seeing positive effects on my child. The kids all play well together and they don't divid into groups. The eight graders look like they are basically a family. I suggest that you at least try it out in TK and see how it is. If you decide to move, most schools expand their class size in K, so it won't be that hard to get in.

Haman Elementary School is the best school there is! It has very good teachers and very good staff!read more

I'm a little sad that I have to move my daughter to another school but in necessary due to Haman…read morenot having a Autism specific program for her.The staff is wonderful and very helpful!! My daughter is in a special every day program with Ms. Mata. I love that they send the kids home with daily reports on how they did during the day.