Both of my daughters attend Westridge and are in Lower and Upper School. This school has been…read moreextremely intentional with meeting the needs of my Black daughters and helping them reach their goals. The education is top notch with experienced educators alongside administrators who put the girls first in all that they do. Westridge feels like a warm hug for girls who are independent thinkers, doers and have drive!

Our daughter just completed her first year (4th grade) at Westridge. We could not be happier with…read morethe experience! The administration goes to extraordinary lengths to build community and a sense of real belonging among the girls. The faculty are incredible - challenging, caring and supportive. Westridge is an environment where girls--and not just one kind of girl--can thrive. Everything about the experience is well thought-out and resourced. It offers students choices, different paths to explore on their journey of becoming.

My daughter got into Waverly via the ISA Scholarship, so if you are concerned about tuition fees,…read morethis is an option for students who have the academics to get in. She has only been there a month or so, but she has already begun to bloom as a person, which is what we wanted for her. She has the grades and the work ethic to do well at any school, but we felt Waverly was right for her because of its commitment to a progressive and inclusive community (not just the curriculum, but that's a big part of it). Kids will not be left behind if they are introverted or neurodivergent, or are from a different socioeconomic background, or a different ethnicity or are part of LGTBQ+, all of which can be factors that lead to isolation at other schools. Not at Waverly--here, they are nurtured and encouraged to develop into themselves without any sort of judgment that you'd find elsewhere. Classes are small and full of tremendously interesting material. Kids get experience with arts and literature they would never have heard of at other schools. Ok, and my daughter texts us from time to time about the long lunch times she gets; she considers that a huge plus. I have been asking the school teachers and administrators some questions on my own, and they are true experts in their fields. Anyhow, that's what we have experienced so far in a nutshell. I wish I had known about this school earlier!

I didn't think it possible for middle and high school years to be as calm & joyful as our…read moreexperience at Waverly --though fair warning: if you want your MS & HS students to have 3-4 hours of daily homework, Waverly is not the right school for you! -Small class sizes -Progressive learning (--not endless tests and excessive homework!!) -Teachers who know your kids and what they need - adapting their workload to push them at the right pace and depth of learning -Supportive engaging sports program (-not intensely competitive & exclusive) -12th graders who voluntarily hang out with 9th & 10th graders -Head of School in 2nd year making thoughtful changes -$4M donation led to buying building next door -Strong tuition assistance program -Organic farm for education and fun Our first daughter joined in 6th grade and enjoyed it so much our other two daughters joined the next year. We are in our 3rd year at Waverly and love the teachers, administrators, students & families in this community.

Both of my children have attended Clairbourn School for over 6 years, and they have thoroughly…read moreenjoyed their time there. I am immensely grateful that they have developed leadership skills and become proficient public speakers during their time at the school. The supportive and kind staff have played a crucial role in nurturing their confidence. Additionally, Clairbourn offers ample opportunities for students to explore various interests, making it an ideal choice for parents seeking a well-rounded education for their children.

We were very fortunate to have our daughter join Clairbourn's Junior Pre-K Class led by Mrs Rankin…read moreand her TA, Ms Macchi. My daughter was attending a Montessori school prior to our looking into Clairbourn, and I felt that she needed more opportunities to perk her growing curiosity in life. Clairbourn School definitely has an abundant resources and opportunities to provide! What really made me so happy about switching over to Clairbourn was their strong emphasis on teaching and instilling kindness and respect for one another. Clairbourn also really felt like a family, a very caring and welcoming community. Every event they put on is so carefully thought out. Their back-to-school STEM event was amazing, the Grandparents/Parents Appreciation Days were so special, their Entrepreneur/Family BBQ was so much fun and their Christmas Show production was so well put-together. Unfortunately COVID hit us all by surprise in March 2020. I applaud how quickly Mrs Rankin learned and adapted to providing a virtual learning setting for the remainder of the school year. She personally dropped off weekly activity kits for my daughter and surprised us with a photo book at the end of the year with snapshots of our daughter's remote learning journey. We were looking forward to joining Ms Rubio's Pre-K class this past year, but due to LA County's Safer at Home mandate, their preschool was not able to open for in-person learning for Fall 2020. In the meantime, their head of school, Dr Patzlaff, and their lower school director, Mrs Paciorek, were very attentive and provided guidance on age appropriate activities our kids could engage in and continue in their development. They've been very communicative throughout this past year and very flexible and understanding of each family's situation. Your child will be loved at Clairbourn School--200%! You will have no doubts.

We have been at WESM now for 3 years and could not be happier. The staff and teachers are all very…read morecaring and my son with learning disabilities is enjoying school and loves the teachers. They have a new Environmental Sciences program that he especially loves as he gets to work with materials like clay, and recycled materials, and 2nd grade classes are working in groups to build tiny sustainable cities, and learning about the materials they can use. They also have a new Spanish Language program that also deals with the culture of different countries, and he can now tell you all about the Bolivian Salt flats and more! They are adding some really engaging murals for the kids to enjoy, the playground is getting upgrades, and some native trees have been planted that will add more natural shade for the kids in years to come. They have a stem lab and math lab also, have upgraded their phonics and language curriculums, are a community school and have a dedicated staff member for that along with social workers, RSL, speech therapists, Special Ed classes with amazing teachers and more. A new PTA has been created and the school also does monthly family fun nights to engage the community. And soon all the classes will be getting veggie begs to grow in. We are looking forward to the next 3 years at Washington Elementary Stem Magnet.

Do families read Yelp reviews when making the important decision about where to send their child to…read moreschool?! Maybe ... and if so, I want to make sure that our community knows what a great place Washington Elementary School has been for my son and for our family. We came back to PUSD after having spent several years in a non-public school, and while we had some reservations, we have been so happy to be back at our local public school. Our son is thriving in the special day class. The community has been welcoming, inclusive, and has gone out of their way to make us feel at home. Teachers and administrators who stand at the front gate in the morning, greeting every child by name and with a high five. He has made huge strides academically, but loves when his day involves the Imagination Lab (where he's building things out of clay and recycled items) or when his class is in the garden (weeding, talking about bees, or harvesting fruit & veggies they planted) or when he goes to Spanish class or art class or days when he is singing or gets to play an instrument. In the last 2 years, we have seen so many positive changes on the campus. New murals, expanded gardens, new kitchens for cooking classes, shade over the playgrounds, and new technology for the teachers. They've updated the logo and added an incredible mosaic out front. There are even dedicated spaces for outdoor learning. Every week, we are notified about upcoming opportunities - coffee with the principal, workshops on how to support our kids' social, emotional, and academic growth. The school actively reaches out to parents to get involved. We are welcomed on campus to volunteer and participate in whatever capacity we can. A new and active PTA is driving the feeling of community as well, with family fun nights, jog-a-thons, and more. There is a real feeling of cohesiveness and a desire to move the school to greater heights. There is something invaluable about our community schools! We run into families in our neighborhood who go to school with us. We see families at the grocery store, parks, or the local library. Being a part of Washington Elementary School has also made us a bigger part of the greater Pasadena community. So happy to be here and would encourage others to come and check it out!

I am writing a review for the Firehouse School on Casa Grande/Altadena Drive. We had our daughter,…read moreage 14 months when she started there for 5 days a week and can confidently say this is the best daycare school in town!! We toured a lot of them and felt at home with Miss Gayane and the teachers. Very easy process to do drop off and pick up. Clean facilities, first class communication, and even fun parent/kid parties. I cannot say enough nice things about the school and program!! We felt the learning programs and play time was a perfect balance and mix. Our daughter really enjoyed being there and would always smile being dropped off.

This is a wonderful learning environment. The teachers and staff really are committed to their…read morecraft and the students. They are all kind and smart. The highest caliber we've encountered in the preschool circuit. They also tailor their approach towards the student. My child has been challenged and is doing advanced work for his age because the teachers do not believe in limiting the kids. The facility is cute and well maintained. Also they have a wonderful community of parents who get along and support the school with their presence and supplemental activities. I plan to send my youngest there as well when the time comes which is the best endorsement. If you want a safe, supportive, structured, and familial envío, the firehouse is for you!

My nephew goes to Norma combs and he absolutely loves it. I enrolled my niece there too as well. I…read morehave part guardianship over both of them so getting them enrolled worked out great Mr. Cross is a great principal.

Both my kids attend Norma Coombs, and our family loves it there. The teachers and staff are…read morecaring, experienced, and dedicated. We have a new principal this year and he is present, approachable, and supportive. The student population is small and diverse which gives it a welcoming small community feel. One feature of this school that makes it stand out is their ceramics and coding program. The campus is well kept with 2 new buildings, a large grass field for the kids to run and play in, and a new playground. The school is located in a great part of Pasadena right across the street from Victory Park. I know my kids are safe and well taken cared of here.

Like so many parents in the Pasadena area researching private schools, we did alllll the tours. We…read morehadn't heard much about Saint Mark's and always assumed from the name that it would lean heavily religious, which wasn't something we were looking for. We also didn't like that it ended at 6th grade (something we later decided was actually a plus). Toward the end of the touring season we decided to stop in simply because it was close to our work. I am not exaggerating when I say we walked out of that little school under the shady pine trees like "this is The One". Coming from a strictly play-based non-academic preschool, we really wanted to continue letting our kids be kids, learning through play and curiosity. But we also knew we wanted them to be challenged academically. And not to sound boastful but we have nice kids; we wanted them surrounded by other nice kids. I didn't want my kids to lose their sense of just being nice, kind humans. What we found at Saint Mark's was a balance that really worked for us. Academics are strong, learning is hands-on and meaningful, and the kids are still excited. Their teachers clearly care about them. The kids are happy. And nice. Polite and well spoken. During the tour, they looked like they were having a good time being at school, laughing, joking with friends at lunch, singing on the way back from recess. Overall we've been really happy since enrolling. We are now in our third year here. Watching what they do, even in Kinder, has been impressive. They have Writer's Workshop and write diary entries about their Halloween class pumpkin decomposing in a tub for months. In another unit, they raised tomato hornworms we brought in from our garden and watched them transform into hawk moths, documenting the whole process. For Valentine's, I offered to drop off homemade pink play-dough to our worldly first graders (an homage to my pre-k co-op years), assuming they'd say the kids were too old. Instead, they embraced it with rolling pins and cookie cutters. The teachers are so special and genuinely know each kid as an individual, even across grade levels. Small groups in the classroom let kids learn together at the same level, wherever that may be. When my DK-er had a rough start to the school year, his teacher rearranged the daily schedule to help him feel comfortable/safe and wrote me daily emails of his progress. And speaking of progress, I never expected that it would be normal for a progress report from his teacher to include a personalized letter detailing his personality, strengths, leadership, character... It was just so unexpected and thoughtful. I'll admit that when we enrolled, I was focused entirely on academics, student/teacher ratio, kind teachers, diversity, outdoor space, and letting kids be kids. While Saint Mark's checked all those boxes, I didn't realize how special the community would be. They interviewed us as parents and not just our kids, which felt like they care about building a community of families with the same values. (I joke that I would vacation with almost any of these families, and we could definitely get through a zombie apocalypse together) Socially, there are grade-level parent parties in the Fall so you can get to know the other families, sans kids. There are events like the Fall Fest with petting zoos and bounce houses and bake sales and confetti eggs, there are potlucks and picnics, book fair, hikes. There is an annual gala fundraiser where parents can let loose for the night, as well as smaller socials that make it easy to build friendships. There are ways to be ON campus: classroom jobs and PA positions and many ways to give time/talent/donations. You can sign up to stuff red envelopes for Lunar New Year or hand out hot lunch on campus and spy on your kids while they eat. After the fires we did consider relocating. And while it may seem unusual to be temporarily housed on another campus, our kids do get to use the beautiful outdoor spaces, fields, gym and basketball court at EF. What I was initially worried about has become somewhere the kids love to be. We did still have moments of doubt about relocating or not. Ultimately Saint Marks was a big factor in our decision to stay. I know it's wild to think elementary school is what kept us from jumping ship, but we stayed in the Pasadena/Altadena area because of this school. Our kids love it and we love it for our kids. We plan to remain living locally through sixth grade because of the school, and probably longer after hearing where the 6th graders matriculate to. We're really looking forward to the rebuild. We feel incredibly lucky that we found this small, somewhat under-the-radar school almost by accident. It's hard to explain how great the culture is here until you walk through the classrooms and campus and talk to some of the students, parents, and faculty. Like any school it won't be the perfect fit for everyone but for our family our experience has been very very positive.

Dear school seekers, Ultimately we chose Saint Mark's for…read moreour children because it displays balance- we see both modern ideas surrounding whole-child social emotional culture with a more traditional classroom/academic load and structure. Saint Mark's has true authenticity when it comes to role-modeling what community means for our children. The Episcopal elements of school feel universally welcoming to all. As a multi-racial family, we feel very at home with Saint Mark's where DEI is not a department, an option, or a fad but a natural part of the school's identity. When we chose the school we were intentionally seeking academic rigor for our kids; and because the school embraces differentiated learning groups, we know our kids will get what they need in all subjects. The children have lots of movement throughout their day with a wide variety of subjects to explore. The school maintains boundaries with being responsible, respectful, and safe which allows all the students to take risks and lean-in knowing they have a foundation of structure and support behind them. I have noticed our children's imaginations have been flourishing due to their time at school. The teachers are joyful and friendly which invites a warmth. The parent-community is strong (and fun) which is deeper than a good time when we realize we are showing our student-body what it looks like to work-together and create something bigger that everyone can enjoy. The leadership prioritizes modern changes to education while keeping the jump-ropes and math text books in close reach. To open a new campus about six weeks after the Eaton Fire is a true symbol of how strong the community is. Come and tour! All the best, Melissa

What an AMAZING school!…read more I recently had the opportunity to visit Saint Andrew Catholic School and I was TRULY impressed. This 100+ year old school was very well-maintained, well-organized, secure, and though this is an older school, everything appeared to be in perfect working order. The staff is absolutely AMAZING. Starting with Principal Gonzalez. She was very friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable and professional. She answered each of my many questions and concerns and is definitely the right person to lead this school. I met other staff members as well and each one was very friendly, helpful and made my visit a pleasant experience. Much respect to everyone employed by this school for a GREAT job of leading and teaching the young children well and for maintaining a clean and secure environment for everyone involved with this school.

I want to thank everyone in the St Andrew's School family, we moved here from out of state and they…read moremade my daughter's academic transition extremely easy. I can not say enough good things about this school, I strongly advise sending your child here. There is a strong sense of community at this school that I have not seen anywhere else. The education is top tier and I felt comfort knowing my daughter was there. I want to give a special thanks to the principal Mrs. Gonzalez as well as the teachers especially Coach Foxx , Coach Rodriguez and Mrs Castillo as well as everyone else who helped along the way.