My three children have had a very enriching, fulfilling experience at Black Mountain for more than…read more7 years. Mrs. Heather is simply exceptional and clearly was made to teach. She has been with my oldest for quite a while and knew his personality in-depth and tailored circiculum around his learning style. This is a smaller school, more close-knit, and more invested in individual children that I appreciate all the more after having transitioned to a much larger private school. Despite being much less in tuition, they have provided school supplies for my kids and have done some very impressive field trips and events that clearly show to me that their profit margin is very slim. There is good diversity, and they have good moral standards (which in today's climate may sadly turn people off). I would highly recommend it!!

The school is horrible and my kids don't feel safe there. There are way to many bully's that the…read moreschool doesn't care about and mold everywhere on the walls. The school is so unsanitary I don't know how it's not shut down. The teachers are also incredibly rude to almost all the students which I found so sad. If you see this review please do not come to this nasty school

I cannot say enough positive things about this wonderful preschool! My daughter recently started…read morehere and the teachers are wonderful. Every adult I have interacted with here has been incredibly welcoming and enthusiastic. It is a very happy, warm, and structured environment. I could not possibly want more from a preschool.

Well Ms. Owner, I spoke with you directly. I am not mistaken. Ms. Kari was my child's teacher.read more

this place is MAGICAL. I'm so so so glad we found Stepping Stones! The teachers are full of…read morecompassion and empathy, and provide a beautiful example for my daughter to follow. Mrs. Harpt, Mrs. Jenny, Mrs. Jessie, Mrs. Dunham, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Spade --- these are the teachers my daughter has had direct interaction with, and seriously they are WONDERFUL. I love their approach to resolving conflicts - talk it out, instead of time-outs or punishments. SUPER SMART! Mrs Harpt even has conflict resolution cards that offer different options for the kiddo to take, if s/he feels wronged. It's THE BEST. I love their focus on kindness and respect. When we aided the other day, the ratio was 5 grown-ups to 8 kids. I mean it doesn't get better than that. I also LOVE that the school offers parent aide (volunteer) opportunities that reduce tuition! So, I know all the kids at the school! Which sets my mama heart at ease knowing that my daughter interacts with all sorts of personalities. That way, she and I can discuss her interactions with friends at home, and she can directly transfer what we talk about. I have found myself in an unusual situation with my husband becoming ill, and the directors (Joanne & Julie) and the office staff (Matt & others) have been so very kind --- I forgot my daughters shoes once, and no problem. I had an issue with some aggressive in-laws, and the staff took it very seriously ensuring that no one NOT on the pickup list would ever grab my daughter. Additionally, they have allowed my husband to tag along with me when I aide, which provides him a sense of belonging, even though he lacks capacity to completely fulfill his role in a typical way. The staff and directors are tremendously empathetic, kind, non-reactive, respectful, and truly lovely to interact with. When I can donate or volunteer, I feel HONORED to do so! Whereas in other areas of my life, it can feel like a burden or resentment.... not SSP - It's a really magical place that fills my heart. I have found a family in SSP! (which says a lot since we moved away from family & friends 3 years ago!)

Our family has been so happy with stepping stones preschool. We really needed the consistency of…read moreour kiddo going to full time pre-k but I love how I can help out in the classroom when I want to. I have loved seeing how he interacts with his classmates and it's so fun getting to share some of his school experiences with him and his friends. It's such a fun community feel at the school and I love how they have so many events for the families throughout the school year. All the teachers are amazing and you can tell they really care about your child and provide such individualized support for each student. My kiddo had never been in any type of preschool or extracurricular classes before he started here last year and I was really worried how'd he'd adjust but they did such a good job giving him all the tools to excel and love learning.

We love LPE. The school has been great for my children. The teachers and staff are friendly and…read morehelpful. They genuinely care for each and every child. The school has a small community feel every though it's one of the largest elementary schools in the district. I hope that it continues to be a A+ rated school. I would like to see a bit smaller class sizes and more options/diversity in the older grades elective classes. But overall, it's amazing school and would recommend.

The school does not provide adequate support or resources for students with autism or speech…read moredelays--plain and simple. My son experienced ongoing bullying, and despite reporting it and contacting the assistant principal, we received no response or resolution. It's disappointing to see that concerns are not addressed equally, and it feels like certain students are prioritized over others. Due to the lack of support for his emotional and mental well-being, I made the decision to withdraw my son within months of enrollment. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this school.

It is the best K -8 school in the valley, and I am pleased that my kids are the products of Valley…read moreAcademy! The teachers are great and very attentive. They provide a nurturing environment for the kids. The curriculum is strong, and they are pretty much rounded with other extracurricular activities, too, unlike other schools, which do not entertain that. My only complaint is I wish they had a high school. When my son moved to high school, even though he had completed the basic levels of certain subjects in Valley Academy, he couldn't take the advanced level because the new high school didn't recognize the levels at Valley Academy since they don't have a high school. That's a huge bummer

I am in second grade my teacher is Mrs.Carpenter.She's very nice.Their is annoying boys in my…read moreclassroom. The others are tattletales.Valley Academy is a good school.Literally every day I come home from school l have something to tell my parents that I learned.Once my friend had trouble breathing and we went to the nurse. She was very helpful and she sent my friend home.

We have been really happy with our decision to move our boys from their previous daycare to…read morePrimrose. The teachers and staff are kind and thoughtful. We especially loved our Early Preschool teachers (for our 2 year old) and our Preschool teachers (for our 3 year old). Thank you for all that you do!

Wonder why the turnover in good staff - FYI- Seems alot of good childcare aides are let go for…read moreunsubstantiated reasons. NO investigations done internally to actually see if the complaints are true. For a Human Resource Director with so many years behind her, she seems to be lacking the education and experience for hiring and creating a safe and fair work environment for her "Staff"

devoted 11 years of my life to this school--more than a decade building relationships, creating a…read morethriving drama program from the ground up, and believing deeply in the mission of education. All four of my children attended this school. I loved it. I gave it my all. That's why what I'm about to say is not easy, but it is necessary: DO NOT.... DO NOT WORK HERE. DO NOT send your children here. The school I once believed in is no longer a place I can stand behind. The leadership, particularly under Dr. Musser, and the ongoing revolving door of "Heads of School"--many of whom act more like puppets than leaders--have created an increasingly toxic and unstable environment. I honestly wish there was someway to hold them accountable for the many many good teachers, they have hurt. In just the past two months, there have already been two turnovers for the upcoming "Head of school". That level of inconsistency trickles down and deeply affects staff morale, student experience, and the integrity of the institution. Despite the red flags, I stayed for far longer than I should have because of the incredible students. But dedication to the kids can only carry you so far when leadership continuously undermines the core values of education. The teacher turnover rate speaks volumes. I urge anyone considering employment or enrollment here to do your homework: * Look into the school's compliance with charter school laws--especially regarding special education services. * Ask questions about teacher retention and leadership turnover. * Speak to former staff if possible. The stories are there, if you're willing to listen. I used to defend the school because of the hard-working teachers and my own emotional investment. But I can no longer look the other way. When bad things happen and no one is held accountable, silence becomes complicity. The environment has become not just dysfunctional--but harmful. Please look deeper. Don't be fooled by appearances... let me be clear. This is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This is not a healthy place for students or staff. The leadership is not just ineffective--it's dangerous.

Our time at Candeo Peoria was brief, and I cannot recommend this school based on our experience. At…read morefirst, everything seemed positive--the school environment felt safe, the uniform policy was well-implemented, and the principal, Mr. Davenport, was welcoming. However, things quickly went downhill. My daughter, a seventh grader, had a distressing experience with her Latin teacher, Ms. Moline, on just the second day of school. She was publicly criticized for not completing her homework and was reprimanded for her lack of organization. This was particularly upsetting because it was only her second day, and she had started several weeks late due to her acceptance date. Furthermore, she had no prior experience in sixth-grade Latin, which is a prerequisite for the class. There was no clear communication from the school or the teacher about how new students were expected to handle these assignments, and the instructions given were vague. When I met with Ms. Moline and Mr. Davenport to discuss these concerns, I was disappointed by the lack of resolution. Mr. Davenport seemed to excuse Ms. Moline's behavior rather than address it directly, and Ms. Moline herself was unsympathetic and unapologetic. Her demeanor was stern and unfriendly, which added to our discomfort, and it became apparent that many students share a similar view of her. I believe kindness and compassion are essential qualities for any educator. Additionally, my children were burdened with over three hours of homework each night, which disrupted a healthy school-life balance, especially given their extracurricular activities. I also noticed that the school's approach felt outdated; there was minimal use of technology, and their classical education model prioritized Latin--a language that is not widely used in the U.S. I would prefer my children learn Spanish, which is more practical and can fulfill high school or college language requirements. Ultimately, the lack of care and understanding of our concerns led us to conclude that Candeo Peoria was not the right fit for our family. We have returned to homeschooling through ASU Prep, which offers a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for college while also maintaining a healthy school-life balance. In conclusion, while Candeo Peoria has some positives, our experience did not meet our expectations, and we have found a better fit elsewhere.

We are forever grateful for our Word of Life preschool family! We took a leap of faith 4years ago…read moreas we knew the program was under new leadership and was hopefully changing for the better. Once we met them and could see how much love and care they had for the kids we knew this was where we need to be. Mrs Stoetzel runs a tight and organized ship. Both of my boys were loved and cared for and they had so much fun while learning so much to be prepared for kinder. I feel that they not only learned what they needed academically but also learned important skills of loving and caring for others as well as their community. The church is also very supportive and collaborate with WOL Preschool to put on family events several times a year. We will definitely return during summer breaks for VBS and summer camp.

Mrs. Stetsil is AMAZING and runs the preschool so efficiently with a huge focus on loving her kids…read more The teachers have all been incredible to work with over the last 4 years. Both my special needs son and my daughter have attended since they were 18months old. They put on family events each month for fall festival, Christmas, Water Days and so family picnics. These events are great for the kids and adults. Very blessed to have found such a great Christian preschool for our little ones. Will miss them when my youngest goes into kindergarten next year. My little girl loves going to school and is going to be well prepared for kindergarten. She knows her alphabet, counts almost to 30, knows all her colors, does crafts daily and even learns to love Jesus through music, prayer and church time. All the old reviews are from previous management that no longer exists so I wouldn't give them a second thought.