If you, like our family, are looking for an alternative to traditional schools around East Bay,…read moremake sure you put Acton Academy on your list. We are experiencing an education environment we have been hoping to provide to our kid with an asynchronous learning style. At Acton, students learn at their own individual paces, together. Learning at their own paces, most of the time, but not always means accelerated. Sometimes, it takes a squat to leap higher. There are no teachers to lecture students on the same materials at the same time but guides to provide a guardrail to ensure students focusing on their goals each school year and milestones each session. We think Acton as a project-based progressive school. For example, in one session the elementary studio is learning oceanology. Students studied anatomy of gut and cleaned sardine, blew a tank of blue water to observe waves, created dioramas of coral reefs, and made dumbo octopuses by shredded papers. All of these are backed by students' own researches which were presented to their parents at the exhibition by end of the session. This review feels like overdue. We are very grateful to have an opportunity to learn and engage with Acton Academy. Kids need to feel safe, not judged, when they need more time to master a topic or make mistakes. They hold each other accountable to be kind, supportive, and inspiring. They bound with each other through music (taught by a musician), PE, and filed trips in addition to the science and art projects. Teamwork comes naturally because the students host seven exhibitions a year. In such a small community with ages from K to Middle School, everyone has something to contribute. I have to say the transition from a traditional school to Acton's learner-driven education model took our family sometime to embrace the differences. Now looking back, it was totally worth it. Part of me want to keep this micro-school a secret but I think it would be selfish if I do not share knowing other families may benefit from our experience.

Acton Academy is an amazing school. The teachers are passionate about fostering curiosity and a…read moregrowth-mindset in all the students. They want you to do your best and, they are there for you whenever you need help. The school provides a safe, supportive environment that challenges students to reach their full potential.

I am a former VMS student from way before they built this campus. From before the middle school was…read morea single room behind the Livermore Valley Tennis Club. I wanted to say that I attribute much of my present success to the advanced education I received at this school. They really encourage children to learn at their own rate, accommodating those who learn faster and those who need extra help. Beth Marshall was my teacher for most of my years here, and I know she no longer works there, but I hope they still teach in that style. The way they let the parents and children set the child's own standards for grading, and have the child assemble their own portfolio and present is unique (as far as I know). We kids felt like we had some say in how we were being taught and had more interest in school than I think any kids in public school had. By the time I entered high school at Amador, the only classes that compared at all in quality were the honors and AP classes. Besides the outstanding education I received, I fondly remember the field trips, holidays, PE classes, electives (enrichment), meditation, etc. It was a very stimulating environment and I'm glad I got to experience it. I am giving 4 stars because I don't know if what I experienced as a child is still the norm for VMS now. For any who care to know, I am now pursuing my PhD in Molecular Bio at UCSD. How much is nature vs. nurture, and how much VMS contributed to the "nurture" aspect, I don't...but looking on Facebook at my VMS classmates, I can say that all of them seem to be thriving as well. Really though, it may be because all of their parents are brilliant and therefore have lucrative careers that allow for them to send their children to schools like this. I don't know. PS-The teachers here (at least the ones I had) really care about the kids. I have seen and corresponded with some recently and was very touched to be so remembered. Thanks, VMS!

My kids went here in their early years. Super dooper…read moreexpensive, and not quality education. The teachers are not even up to standard CA.

Friendly people and a really good pastor. Greeters at the door make me feel welcome. The church has…read moresome talented musicians too. I love the children's gathering and the pastor gives a lesson to the young ones. There's plenty of parking for everyone.

My daughter has just graduated from the preschool and we have decided to keep her here for…read morekindergarten! We are also enrolling our other child as well. We have met so many nice families and it is a very nice community. Fast Forward to 2019- Still at the school and it has only gotten better under the leadership of principal Julie Knight! I could not imagine my children being anywhere else!

BEST SCHOOL EVER!! What I am trying to say is that this school is both fun and an incredibly great…read moreplace to learn. There were a few reviews concerning the principal, but we have a new one now, and the school is even better than before. Also, I don't think this page is set up by the school themselves, since the school's name is "Emma C. Smith Elementary school" Not "Smith Emme C Elementary School" Thanks, A student.

This is the best school for my children. They really enjoyed going to school and all teachers are…read morecaring. They leaned a lot in this school. I think that previous reviews from 2014 were not fair for this school. The charter school is closed down anyway.

This is my daughters second year at King's Academy & we love it. The teachers are all wonderful &…read moreI love knowing that my daughter is getting a solid education.

I'm blessed to have found this school for my daughter. The teachers are great and very…read moreknowledgeable. I find it very important that my daughter gets a classical education in a christian environment. Great school with smaller size classes.

5 stars for making good use of limited resources in challenging times for Catholic schools. There…read moreis lots of room to improve (no such thing as a perfect school!) but I see positive steps toward improving academics and social well-being of the children. An example: new full time counselor for students. Tuition is very reasonable compared to other private schools in the area. I have noticed a steady improvement in my child's academics and the standard seems very high. The values of Christianity are emphasized, but I know non-Catholics are welcomed and also benefit from the lessons of Christ. The school has taken positive steps to address bullying - but need to continue to improve in this area. My hope is that they instill more of that classic Catholic discipline in the children. Since it's a smaller school, fostering a positive environment for kids that will follow each other up the grade ladder is paramount. To teachers and staff: Keep up the good work. To anyone that values Catholic schools, please plead with the Diocese to make serious investments in the remaining Catholic schools in the area in order to make them standard bearers for Christ and worthy of the Catholic tradition of academic excellence. More funding for teacher retention has to be a priority. Tuition alone will never cover all the expenses. St. Michaels has a lot of potential, and is a great option if public school is not for you. A note to Samantha A, who left that terrible review- I am very relieved you are home schooling! No school, public or private, should have to deal with attitudes like yours!

While the youth basketball program should be about community, character building, and support for…read morethe kids, the leadership board for the St. Michael CYO basketball program is deeply disappointing. The current board runs the program like an exclusive club, creating an unwelcoming, hostile, and defensive environment for families who just want to participate or ask simple questions. Communication is routinely ignored, and any attempts to give feedback or address issues are met with a completely defensive attitude rather than a desire to help. It is incredibly frustrating to see a church backed youth ministry handled with such a lack of transparency and basic professionalism. If you expect a collaborative, welcoming environment for your child, look elsewhere in the Tri-Valley area.

My two boys have received an excellent education here. Teachers and principal keep the students and…read moreparents informed. Good environment.

This school sucks went here for 1 year then transferred. I was the teachers pet in all my other…read moreschools yet none of the teachers liked me here. I am highly dissatisfied with your staff team and think you should reconsider who you hire.

The Learning Tree in Livermore is such a wonderful school! The teachers are caring, patient, and…read moretruly dedicated to the children's growth and happiness. They create a warm, welcoming environment where kids feel safe and excited to learn every day. I've seen so much growth and confidence in my 3-year-old daughter since starting here. A huge plus for us has been the onsite enrichment programs, like soccer and Spanish class, which means we don't have to spend our evenings driving around town for extra activities. Also, the live camera access is a much appreciated added bonus that our last daycare didn't have.

As a former parent of a child who was enrolled at this school, I wanted to write my review based on…read morefacts and what I observed at the school during that time. There were good things about this school but over the last several months, something at the school has changed. These are my views and based on knowledgeable firsthand facts. Lack of Proper Oversight - The school has been hit by licensing several times over the last 6 months (details and sign up of alerts can be found here https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/FacDetail/013421352). The staff will constantly turn their backs, be on their phone, stand in areas that block views, and leave children unattended constantly. For example, I picked up my son in late March (5ish) and the number of kids was 18 for one teacher, all different ages playing outside on the playground. Also, I dropped off my son last week (8:20 am), and noticed the number of kids was 30+ but only two teachers were outside (Ratio is supposed to be 12-1). I have noticed a constant repetitive pattern, and it looks like other parents have communicated these same issues to licensing. Lack of Proper Teaching - During afternoon nap time, I signed my son up for additional academic learning programs that were offered. This program, Early Explorers, was designed to provide additional education to kids that were dropping their naps. It wasn't a free choice and required parents to pay extra. Over the last six months, the program went from fun academic learning to additional free play outside. During their free play outside, nothing academic or educational was provided, it was only more play outside on the playground. When questioned about why I was paying for a program that was advertised as additional learning opportunities, an excuse about lunch breaks was communicated to me. Lack of Proper Intervention / Regulation - During my time there, multiple reports were communicated to me about my son's incidents. During these incidents it was made clear that teachers were not properly trained in the right child development techniques and were constantly intervening when situations escalated to the highest levels. For example, my son had several incident reports for physical violence, when questioned about the lead up to the situation, it was clear that my son communicated he needed another child to respect his space. The teacher watched my son communicate multiple times that my son needed space, intervening after things escalated physically between the two children. During another incident, I questioned the teacher asking things like "can you tell me more about when and how you stepped in?" or "Can you provide me with facts leading up to the situation?", which caused teachers to not provide adequate details about the situation. Lack of Communication to parents by the Owner and Leadership - A situation came up last year where parents were passing around a picture of my son being restrained by a teacher. That picture was provided to me six months later when another parent asked about the situation, thinking I knew about it. Nothing was communicated to me by leadership or the owner until I comforted them about it. When asked why this wasn't brought to my attention, the excuse "an internal investigation happened" was used. Then questioned again on why I wasn't made aware of this, the comments "well the child's parents were notified", I was the parent of the child, and it was clear Leadership was trying to keep it from us.

This is a long-overdue compliment to the school, especially to Ms. Sangeeta and Ms. Susmitha. We…read moreenrolled our son when he was about a year old through our company's backup care program, and he has now been attending for almost two months. We love seeing his growth and the positive impact the classroom has on him. The teachers truly care for him, and Ms. Sangeeta goes out of her way to keep us updated on his progress during drop-off and pick-up. We are so grateful for the care and dedication of the staff! We would highly recommend this school. Thank you so much Ms. Sangeeta, Ms. Susmitha and the school staff.

As a first-time mom, the thought of sending my son to daycare was honestly nerve-racking. My son…read morehad never been away from me before, so we decided to try Primrose Livermore's Discovery Days--and the experience completely exceeded my expectations. On his first Discovery Day, my son cried almost the entire time because it was his first real separation from mom. But the teachers were incredibly patient, gentle, and loving. They held him, comforted him, and truly cared for him throughout the day. What meant the most to me was how often they updated me--sending pictures and notes through the ProCare app so I knew exactly how he was doing. Being able to see that he was safe and in caring hands helped ease my anxiety tremendously. Since he had such a tough first day, we decided to bring him back for a second Discovery Day to see if he was more ready. This time, everything changed. When my son saw Miss Anna and Miss Sandra, he recognized them and calmed down after few minutes and enjoyed his lunch and snacks. He looked so much more comfortable and ended up having an amazing time! I received tons of photos again, and I could tell from the updates that he was playing, smiling, and really enjoying himself. When I picked him up, he seemed genuinely happy--loving his teachers and even interacting with friends. I left feeling so relieved and confident that he might actually be ready for daycare. Before all this, I had spoken with Adrian, the Director, because I had a lot of questions and concerns as a new mom. She was incredibly understanding and patient, answering every single question with transparency and warmth. After meeting her and seeing how she ran the school, I felt reassured and gained a sense of trust that I didn't have before. Overall, Primrose Livermore made what could've been an emotional and stressful transition into something positive and encouraging. The staff truly cares, the communication is excellent, and the environment just feels safe and nurturing. We're now planning to send our son to Primrose San Ramon once it opens, since it's closer to home--and I'm truly hoping it will be just as wonderful as the Livermore location. If it's anything like our experience here, I know our son will be in great hands.

Expensive? You betcha. What price do you put on an education…read morefor your most precious asset? I have a daughter that was literally drowning in public school, I personally would pay twice the asking tuition based on her dramatic turnaround. By the way, this is day three. The acceptance process is arduous, and there are no underachievers accepted. Finally, a true college prep in the East Bay.

This school should be investigated for water damage and mold exposure, it is making students sick…read more When I reported this to the school they rewarded me by terminating my child's enrollment and didn't refund my money back. Parents and teachers- if you (your child) are sick , it could be the school responsible for it- please investigate and report. This is not ok and they cannot get away like this. Parents- you are not paying this much money for the school to make your child sick. Please do your own research. Management is a joke and need lessons in management. They failed to provide a safe healthy environment for my child to learn and grow. They mocked my doctor and my family and we had to go through unnecessary trauma. New families pay attention and avoid unnecessary trauma that we went through unfortunately. Keep your families safe!