The YMCA childcare program at Booksin has a great team of teachers who care for their students and…read moretheir safety. They are trained and supervised by a select group of professional childcare directors who are hired by the South Valley YMCA (which manages the Childcare programs in San Jose Unified District). They are also required to take CPR and First Aid training courses in case of emergencies. While their childcare program is a little bit pricey compared to its competitors (Engenius, Kingdom Crew, etc), the benefits with the YMCA are worth it because the teachers help the kids have fun while learning about honesty, responsibility, caring for others, and how to solve conflicts between each other. They also offer financial assistance for those who need it (check with South Valley or the website). It also has a good learning curriculum and a variety of summer programs, which kids can enjoy. Of course during the mid-pandemic, the teachers will make sure to wipe down the classrooms throughly as well as the materials and toys. Right now, they are required to teach kids how to wash their hands properly. Overall, I definitely recommend the Booksin community to register their kids with the YMCA After School Childcare program and the Summer programs.

Great school and great students. Some of the parents hinder the atmosphere with unrealistic…read moreexpectations & idiotic behavior.

Saint Martin of Tours (not to be confused with St. Martin of Sunnyvale) is off Steven's Creek and…read more280 near O'Connor Hospital. Student body is around 320 with tuition just under $9k ($7.4k for parish families). This school is popular with the RoseGarden neighborhood residents and the school does a fundraiser by offering tours of the neighborhood homes. The parish only has english masses so you don't see as much diversity as some of the other schools. The school offers an excellent K-8th education. For whatever reason most of the 8th graders head off to Mitty high school. The website features lots of photos of the different grades so you can get a virtual tour of the many activities the school offers. The principal Karen Demonner has been there a long time and knows most of the families for several generations. Some of the teachers used to be students at the school, so it's nice to see alumni come back and support the school.

I am sorry to leave a negative review, but I wish I had read the reviews before enrolling my kids…read moreat this school. They attended for one year, and unfortunately, I do not have anything positive to say about our experience. The school feels more like a business than a place focused on education. The teachers, as well as the principal, seem very unprofessional. There is also a lot of bullying, and the school does not seem able to handle it properly, possibly because there are around 38 students in each class, which makes supervision and dealing with conflict (which is all the time) very difficult. In addition, the school does not offer any after-school activities or programs. Kids play and eat at the parking lot. Overall, our experience was not what we expected, and I would recommend that other parents carefully research before enrolling their children

My son goes to this school since Kindergarten. He is now in 5th grade. Let me tell you why I am…read morepleased with this school. 1) The teachers are very hard-working. They respond to Emails even after 8pm. 2) The teachers are very encouraging to the students. My son asked the teacher a question. The teacher will say, wow you are so detailed. They didn't just reply to the question but gave encouraging words 3) Happy Students. I have interviewed many parents before sending my son here and they all said their kids are very happy attending this school. 4) Polite students. I once took a cake to my son's school and shared the cake with his classmates. When I left, 3 or 4 students came to me and said thank you. 5) Strict discipline. My son was kicked out of school for 1 day because another kid misled him. He had to write an apology letter per the teacher's request. I am pleased with this because I want a school to be strict on discipline. If you are being late or bully other kids or misbehave, and no consequence is given, this is not good for the child. So I am glad my son learned the lesson early. 6) Extremely generous. They give generous financial aid, and I am very thankful 7) A lot of after-school enrichment program choices.

We have two kids that currently attend MCS and we have been really happy. The teachers have been…read moregreat. Our kids have learned so much with the core subjects. In addition, the school also offers extracurricular activities such as band, clay art, debate, and others which they totally love. The entire staff is always helpful and caring, and there is a family feeling here. If you are looking for a great school with great teachers and staff, I would recommend checking out MCS. We had checked out a few schools before landing on MCS, and we were glad that we made the right decision.

On our initial tour of the preschool, I immediately felt the warmth of the community and their…read moregenuine interest in understanding what our family was looking for. Coming from another school, we knew which areas had felt lacking for our daughter. When we voiced those concerns, the preschool director was incredibly reassuring and made us feel that the school truly partners with families--meeting each child where they are rather than trying to fit every child into the same box. After two years in the preschool, we saw those words come to life. In every area--from academics to social-emotional growth, and in the thoughtful incorporation of Christian values that align with our home--we witnessed the school's commitment in action. This made the decision to continue into elementary an easy one for our family. The entire school community is warm, genuine, and deeply knowledgeable. We are so grateful to be part of a place where our children are both nurtured and challenged to grow.

In the midst of a public school system that seems bent on pushing parents out of the raising of…read moretheir own children, SJCS is all about partnering with parents. They're a Christian school for Christian families and that results in a great community where people hold similar values. They also have stellar academics; the bi-annual standardized testing they participate in shows that not only do they excel compared to the state average, but they exceed the average of private schools on all categories, in all grade levels! We have all 3 of our girls enrolled there (Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grade). Beyond the basics, they have got great art and music and drama and computers and maker classes that the kids all get to experience. When we took a family trip and were walking through the National Museum in London, the girls were excited to recognize a painting that they had been discussing in art class. They also do plays and musicals at all grade levels and Ms. Miller arranges entertaining, original works for them to do. I'm especially excited about the ways the school works public speaking into the curriculum. As early as 3rd grade students are giving short presentations before the class and one of the culminating moments of 8th grade is giving a 20 minute "Ted Talk" in the auditorium, in front of the whole middle school. Surely this is the cause of some nervousness in the students, but the value of developing these skills young is so immense! Next year, we're looking forward to the no-cut sports that start in 5th grade. Our daughter isn't a great athlete but I look forward to the lessons of hustle and teamwork. Other schools have sports programs but they are often only for the students with well developed skills rather than being open to all. Also, starting in 4th grade, they have over-night trips. Our oldest just got back from a 2-night "Gold Country" trip. Many schools have impressive class trips, but they are often a large additional expense. SJCS's trips are subsidized by the fund-raising efforts of the school and so the cost is kept minimal. Other schools may brag about their programs, but then you find out that there's a waiting list and a lot of additional cost for those programs. We haven't decided where we will send our kids for high school, but SJCS has guaranteed admission with both Kings Academy and Valley Christian. Personally, I like the idea of keeping them in the smaller middle school at SJCS where they have a chance to be a mentor to the younger kids via the Buddies Program rather than having them on a campus with high schoolers before they're at that point themselves.

I graduated in 2008 from Archbishop Mitty High School…read more I had attended private catholic school from K-8, and most of my Middle School class ended up at Mitty. There were plenty of familiar faces, and also plenty of new faces. My sister also attended Mitty, although she was a Junior when I entered as a Freshman. It's been a decent amount of time since my years at Mitty, but I do remember certain things about the place: 1) The senior parking lot was a pain. I was always getting to campus an hour before school started just to snag a spot in the lot. I would bond with my friend who did the same while we put on make-up in her car, listening to music. 2) The dress code was strict, even though it did not have a uniform. I was never cited, but I had friends who were! The 'Temple' was always on the prowl for her next victim -- plastic flip-flop wearers and bare-midriffs beware. 3) The library was always full on rainy days, especially during the lunch hour. 4) I thought off-periods were the best thing ever, especially when you had ones that let you leave campus early (although nobody could leave before a certain time), but not so much when I had them first thing in the morning (since I always wanted a parking spot in the lot). 5) I never once met a teacher I didn't like. In fact, some of my favorite teachers were the ones I had at Mitty. 6) Finals were torture. Seriously. Fortunately, they never dropped one's final grade too much. 7) Mitty was big on school spirit, and it showed in several cases: from spirit week to Monarch Madness to the sports matches. This last part will be important for parents of potential or current students, I imagine: 8) I never encountered any run-in's with drugs or alcohol. These factors just didn't make it into the circles I ran in, although I heard (yet never saw evidence of) that others encountered it. Mitty is very strict about zero-tolerance. 9) I was never bullied or had my 'feelings hurt' by my peers. Mitty is a very close-knit community. Even the 'outsiders' -- like the 'goths' and 'nerds' had a tight-knit bunch of friends. By senior year, the original social cliques had crumbled and everyone was friendly to everyone. 10) This school will prepare you for college. In some cases, it will over-prepare you for college. I went to San Jose State University, and I realized soon into my Freshmen year that Mitty had been, and would ever be, the most academically challenging years of my life. Mitty is expensive. It's prestigious. You'll make good friends, you'll get a great education, and you'll do so in a school that works towards providing the best environment for its students. If you were fortunate enough to attend here, I'm sure you'll attest to the fact that Mitty is really one of those great schools -- even if you won't admit to it at the time.

Wonderful school and community for our two children. Feel so very blessed for the experience. Tim…read morewas the BEST! Thank you all! - Warm regards from Terry, too- Valerie Houghton

Dale Jones - stellar principal to parents and teachers. Having taught in CUSD I know a happy…read morecampus when I see one. Office staff- All are super friendly and know their stuff. You are greeted with a smile even if they are busy. My kid had Toni Sindelar for 6th. She is a passionate teacher. She definitely found her calling. Now with Mr.Scott - big difference in that he leads with a quiet voice with complete command and confidence with his students. Bottom line, he loves his students. Most of the parents are kind and helpful. There is a lady in the copy room - I don't think she is paid but she goes out of her way to help any lost parent. Be leery that there are controlling parents who want things done their way - simply say yes and get out of their way! Since its a parent participation school I know that their hearts are in the right place. Research the philosophy of the school. Its important that you are on board with this charter. The waiting list is long but my son was offered a position about a week before the new year began.

It is interesting and fun to study here, there are many projects, school events and excursions! A…read morevery friendly, diverse and positive school community, in which not only children but also adults communicate closely and warmly with each other. The school is like a large educational village. Parents are involved in the school process and this helps make children's lives interesting.

St. Lawrence, that's our school, the more we yell, the more…read morewe rule! I attended in 8th grade only as we were in a family transition and my mother chose St. Lawrence elementary and the girl's high school for my older sister. It was the best thing to happen at the time and we went on to both graduate from Archbishop Mitty. I went back to visit Santa Clara in 2007 and I actually walked the grounds and really felt nostalgia.

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!

Overall a pretty good school. They offer drama and other activities for the kids at a young age…read more They also have many after school programs that are very inventive and unique that should help with your kids imaginations. Overall, a nice school for your kids.

Great schools and teachers! The front desk ladies are super rude! They have an attitude and they…read moredon't even try to hide it. Everyone is super sweet except those two at the front. Really bring the energy down.