I have been involved with this school for about nine years and I have to say it has been a…read moreblessing! It really is a hidden gem. The principle Mrs. Stein is kind and caring, she always listens to everything you say! She works on solutions, not problems and is very pro active! And any well ran school has a team of above average humans that work hard on understanding all the different children's needs. Lori at the front office gives love and support not only to the staff, volunteers, but all the children that need the extra smile and support during the day! They support well rounded children with lots of fun activities throughout the year besides just academics! Although they are great at the academic side as well. My son was behind on his reading skills but by the time he went to middle school he was reading at grade level! I had been to so many schools and doctors! And the teachers are the best! I can not say enough about what a great school this truly is! I read some of the other reviews and I'm sad they have not received the same experience! And as far as some of the same kids in the same class year after year makes sense because they put the children that work well independently in the combo classes and the other children are usually in the single grade class. Hope this helps.

Horrible principal that has no regard for students with disabilities. The principal Deborah Stein…read moreis condescending, rude, and lacks tact. Overall a horrible principal/ person. I wish they would remove her and hire a different principal that has compassion and actually cares about ALL students. Glad my child is no longer enrolled in this school.

I was scrolling through the yelp a couple of weeks ago and noticed very disturbing personal attack…read moreon a particular teacher in sjms. My child graduated from this school and I had personal interaction with Dr. Santha. From my personal experience, some of the very negative Yelp reviews don't seem to reflect the Dr. Santha I have known. She is kind, caring, and genuinely committed to doing things the right way. She can sometimes be demanding when it comes to the quality of work, accountability, and professional ethics, but I see that as a reflection of her high standards rather than a negative. I believe it's important to consider the broader picture and make your own judgment based on misunderstanding. Overall, I have found Dr. Santha to be a thoughtful, principled, and dedicated professional, and I'm grateful for my experience with her. But some parents are over involved and manipulative. Overall the campus life for my child was good.

This review is specifically about our experience with 5th grade at Stratford San Jose Middle School…read more(SJMS), which serves students from 5th through 8th grade. Unfortunately, the academic experience in Math and Science was extremely disappointing. The year got off to a difficult start when the original teacher was let go after about a month. A substitute then taught the class for another month, but the instruction was also not effective. Once a full-time teacher was in place, we still saw very little actual teaching of Math and Science concepts. As parents, we frequently had to teach these subjects at home to make up for what was not being covered adequately in the classroom. This is not what we expected from a school where we are paying for a quality education. We raised our concerns with the principal, but unfortunately, the situation did not improve in any meaningful way. We received assurances that changes were being made and that we would see improvements, but our experience did not reflect those promises. This review is only about our 5th-grade experience. Based on our experience, we were very disappointed with the quality and consistency of Math and Science instruction and would not recommend the 5th-grade program based on what we experienced.

Called this school a couple of times to sign up for an open house. Left messages and email. This…read moreschool only caters to certain people and will not respond if you're a minority. Not the way of the Lord if you tell me.

My son transferred to this school for 1st Grade. It was not the smoothest of transitions, but…read moreduring those critical first few months, it became apparent to us what the strengths of this school were: 1. Committed Staff -- Everybody, from the principal to the teachers and support (student services and after school), is committed to help out the students and their parents. We had a meeting within the first few months to discuss my son's progress and brainstormed how to help him out in certain situations that we had identified as "tricky". 2. Quality of the teachers -- I saw the reviews. Fortunately, my son was placed with teachers that understood him and motivated him to get excited and persevere with the lessons. Recently (after his first year), I discovered that they strongly encourage parents at the end of each schoolyear to fill out a form that details kids' strengths/weaknesses/learning styles, etc... all to help them identify which teacher is best for your kid(s). And this pandemic was a blessing in disguise for us -- in the few times we were able to listen to their Zoom classes, we saw and heard the joy and the positive energy his 2nd Grade teachers have. These came across strongly, and the kids are excited to participate and raise their hands to answer questions. My son can't even wait to wake up for in-person classes or log onto Zoom (on Zoom days). Now I understand why his homeroom teacher has to have a big tall Americano everyday :D 3. Sense of community -- all of these build that feeling in the students that school is a safe and happy place. We felt it in the first few minutes that we looked at the playground before my son's "interview". The students recognized that my son was not a student in the school, but they welcomed him and showed him the ropes around the playground. Nobody told them to play with my son, they did that all on their own. There were some spats with a kid on the playground during the 1st grade, but the situations were always handled with care by the staff, in a very fair manner. After a week or so it stopped, and the kid picking on my son actually became his friend. 4. Academics and extra-curricular -- I must admit that the extra-curricular program (esp the arts) was the first draw for us. Robust programs that build on all the way to high school. And the after-school programs are also well-chosen and well-run. The only nit I have, and it's very minor-- is the tuition fee. It's not cheap. But I recognize that in order to recruit and keep their valuable staff and provide their topnotch programs, they will need those resources. All in all, we are just so happy with the school, and we have been telling our friends about it. If you are thinking about placing your children here -- (1) Do it as early as Kindergarten, or (2) Do it early (for the upper grades); check their admissions calendar on the website. Re-enrollment levels for the current students is high so available slots for transferees are so few, think 2-3 slots.

I realized that in my review, I forgot to mention how amazing all the staff are. They are…read moreincredibly kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, supportive and encouraging! My son absolutely loves them and we are so grateful for them! They are truly the best!

My 3 old toddler had a very unpleasant first time daycare experience while she was at Learning…read moreSprings for 7 days. She was hit by a child while having 3 adults in the same classroom "supervising" her. There was no exact explanation as to why they didn't witness the incident. My child had an "accident" and I always provided an extra pair of clothes as expected, but my child was left with her dirty clothes throughout the day. The hours state they are available for business at 7am and for me this was expressed how important it was to be their on time. The staff would walk in right at 7am and by the time I walked out from checking her in and everything else that needed to be done, i was 10 minutes behind schedule. I expressed thus to the director and we couldn't continue allowing more incidents occur and decided to not continue having our child be here. We requested our 2 weeks of daycares money that we had paid in advance to be refunded and they refused and said their policy stated we needed to give a months notice stating we were removing our child. We were furious to hear how the wanted us to leave our child there to have more incidents occur. A refund wAs not given back to us and were un-sympathetic. Bad experience from day one.

Hello! As a kid who attended this school for 5 years and is…read morenow entering 7th grade in a different city, I can reassure you that I am well educated most students reviewing schools only tell you the cons of it, which isn't helpful. So, I am bound to give you a completely honest review. Since most 5 star reviews are from 50 year old dads who have never experienced what the school is like once you're actually a student and that it's all sunshine and rainbows everyday. To begin with, the school is pretty awesome. Art vista, science, and the library are like no other. Even though I love my new school district, nothing will ever beat the library they have at Hacienda. The field is HUGE and great for younger children to play in. Although I'd never choose to have hot lunch, I've always gotten breakfast. The food is amazing. Especially the mini pancakes. MOST teachers and staff and especially my counselor were super helpful throughout the years, and I would recommend this school to those around me. But of course--like any school, there is a downside to it. Now obviously, I'm not going to start rambling about how "annoying" teachers are, or how much work they give us, or the dress code, but this is rather a warning for those like me with learning differences. I have really bad anxiety, and a learning disability, so most days at school were rough for me. Of course, I had good days, but staff need to care less about scheduling assemblies ABOUT kindness and shift their attention to actually helping the kids who are being bullied and left unnoticed--because just acting like everything is fine and not doing anything at all only causes more problems. And who wants their kid to be in a school that feels like walking on eggshells every day? Nobody. At all. Most kids in my grade today most likely loved this school. And no, I am not saying that their opinion is wrong, but if you are looking for a school with a FRIENDLY community--that is something that is something that the school does not have. So please, think twice before trying to get your kids in this school. You may be saying "but it isn't the schools fault that the kids are mean!" Well, fun fact, if the teachers get irritated, they can also be the same. And no, I'm not talking about getting your phone taken away because for some stupid reason you thought that breaking school rules would be quote on quote "funny."(you know who you are.) Speaking from personal experience, some teachers cannot care less about learning differences, or your children's mental health--but rather care more about the money they're receiving after each day. Of course, not every teacher is mean, but it would be much more helpful for some teachers to care a little more about their students. In conclusion, summing up everything I have said in this review, I can assure you that this school is in a safe environment, and is most likely one of the best schools you'll get in this neighborhood. But, please pay attention to your children as they grow older at Hacienda. You never know what is happening behind closed doors.

I wish Yelp had a 6 star rating that you could give to one thing. This would be mine…read more The only non 5 star reviews are from somebody who TOURED the school and an anonymous coward. That pretty much tells you all you need to know. This is the best school I have ever heard of, let alone seen. My eldest goes here, and her sister starts Kinder soon. When you pick the kids up they want to go play on the playground with friends. They are crestfallen if you pick them up more than 5 minutes before closing at the YMCA. This is a special community and it is infectious. If you don't win the lottery don't despair. Both my kids were waitlisted to start and got in by Sep so it does happen. As for the big class sizes, it's more friends for your child.

We came to St. Francis Cabrini after attending another diocesan school for the last four years, and…read morewe have truly been blown away by SFC - what a difference! From the moment we joined the community, we have felt incredibly grateful that we made the decision to make this our children's school. The teachers are absolutely incredible - seasoned, knowledgeable, kind, and, most importantly, they genuinely care about the children. You can feel how invested they are in their students, not just academically, but in helping them grow into confident, compassionate, and well-rounded people. The SFC community is really special. It is inclusive, supportive, kind, and caring, and people have been beyond welcoming this year given we are a new family. There is a true sense of community here, and it is clear that families, teachers, and staff all share a genuine commitment to the children and to one another. The kids are truly kind to each other - it shows that this community values kindness above anything else. It is not lost on our family how lucky we are to be part of the St. Francis Cabrini community. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found this school, and our only regret is that we didn't start our kids at SFC in TK! We couldn't be happier with our experience and would wholeheartedly recommend SFC to any family looking for a school where their children will be known, cared for, and loved!

Our son has been at Saint Frances Cabrini for four years, and we've loved it. The classes are small…read more(about 20 kids in each class with two classes per grade) so the teachers really get to know each student and give them the attention they need. The campus is gated and feels super safe, which is such a relief as a parent of an elementary school student. The teachers have all been wonderful, caring, patient, and really dedicated. Our son has grown so much here, both academically and socially, and he's made amazing friends. The parent community has really stepped up too! Everyone's so involved and supportive. The recent Cabrini Carnival was a huge success and such a fun event--it reminded us that this school isn't just great for the kids, but for the whole family. We feel lucky to be part of such a positive, close community.

My daughter is wrapping up the third grade at ACDS. Our family has been with the school since her…read morefirst grade year. It's interesting to note how I just mentioned "our family" in reference to ACDS, because it's true - from the start it never felt like it was just my daughter being welcomed into a classroom. My husband and I were also ushered into a community of parents, children, teachers, administrators, and staff that truly are a community. This sense of familiarity and care, right from the start, was welcome. We looked at ACDS for my daughter after having been with a couple of other schools in the region that seemed to emphasize academics above all else. Academics are of course important, but I also wanted my daughter to have the chance to play and explore other possible interests. ACDS has a full complement of enrichment and extracurricular activities. Science, art, drama, music, you name it. There's a choir and a band. And every year every grade puts on a theater production, which I'm hoping next year can be done in the brand new Event Center. When school closed for COVID in March of last year, ACDS was ready for it. They moved their entire educational program online within a matter of 3 days, and it has been going strong ever since. When the school reopened for in-person learning in the fall, they continued the remote learning option alongside it. My daughter is presently the only child left online in her class, though she will be returning to school next week. Her teacher has been in close touch with me to make sure that she feels included and supported. The real gift is that my daughter has felt she is an active and important part of the community no matter where she physically is in relation to the school. And speaking of the teachers, wow! Dedicated and enthusiastic sound cliche but I assure they are not. The thought and energy they put into their lessons, especially even across two learning platforms, is phenomenal. If they had a high school, I would be planning to send my daughter. But for now I will just enjoy the stellar preparation she is getting for whatever step she chooses next.

We had a very disappointing experience with the middle school program. In my experience, the…read moreenvironment was particularly difficult for families seeking a supportive and inclusive approach, for example for students with learning and attentional differences. If your child is energetic, social, and learns best through encouragement, engagement, and positive reinforcement, I would encourage you to ask detailed questions of administrators and parents about the middle school's approach to these students before enrolling. I was particularly concerned by what I experienced as an excessively punitive and anxiety-producing approach to discipline and academic expectations. At times, the way students were treated appeared to undermine their confidence and enthusiasm for learning rather than support their development.I was also disappointed by the gap between the school's stated mission and what our family experienced in practice. There appeared to be limited attention to students' social-emotional needs, and I found the administration insufficiently receptive to families seeking additional support or collaboration with outside resources.Overall, the middle school experience had a lasting negative effect on my child's confidence and relationship with learning. Families considering the school may want to ask specifically about learning support, counseling and social-emotional resources, disciplinary practices, and how the administration works with families whose children learn differently.

We are so happy to have spent our pre K ， K and first-grade in this campus. It has been years full…read moreof love, fun, and exciting activities. We will cherish all the wonderful memories and keep all the good memories. As we move on to second grade, we will carry these happy experiences with us. We like this campus and are grateful for such a wonderful year.

We are very happy with our experience at Stratford! Our son has been attending Stratford at the…read moreAlmaden campus since kindergarten. All his teachers, Ms Sangeetha & Ms Allie (K), Ms Shilpa (1st grade), have been excellent at encouraging our son to do well and have also provided critical feedback when needed. Our son adores his teachers and has made friends that hopefully stay for lifelong. We also like the balance Stratford offers in terms of academics and extra-curriculars. One minor feedback for the school would be to improve the summer program as our experience has been alright thus far. More creative program options would be nice. Overall, very happy with Stratford Almaden.

Have heard stories that teachers and principal there not supportive to kids who need a bit more…read moreattention. How sad.

I went to school here from '06 until I graduated from '09. Honestly, if I had the guts to say that…read morewe should move I should've made that decision. I've been picked on a whole lot by the students and don't seem to know anything about including those that were different from the "normal kids". Even the teachers were bystanders. Like any school that has high ratings, but I'd have to say that anyone that's giving it such a high rating is most likely overhyping how good the school really is.

My daughter has been at Challenger School Harwood for two years, and we've loved the strong…read moreacademics and the incredibly caring staff. The teachers and management are truly involved in each child's wellbeing. A special shout‑out to Mrs. Sukaina in the office team is always warm, responsive, and a delight to talk to. Highly recommend.

We are thrilled with our experience at Challenger School (Harwood Campus) this year! Our son is in…read morethe 4-year preschool program, and the growth we have seen in him is remarkable. A huge part of this success is due to his incredible teachers, Ms. Lourenda and Ms. Samita. They are a great team--warm, attentive, and dedicated to the students. You can tell they truly care about each child's individual progress. They have created such a disciplined yet joyful environment where our son feels confident and excited to learn every day. Academically, the curriculum is fantastic. Our son is currently learning vowel blending, which is a good achievement for his age! It is wonderful to watch him building such strong reading skills so early on. Thank you, Ms. Lourenda, Ms. Samita, and the entire Challenger Harwood team for giving our son such a strong foundation. We couldn't be happier with our decision to send him here!