Putting toddlers in school is always a scary thought, but not at St. Nicholas. I could not have…read morebeen happier with the experience my older child had in fact, it was so good, that we put our younger child in the day he was eligible to start. The care and warmth that every staff member has at this school are just unmatched. Beyond the immense progress both kids have made, there is also a beautiful community that exists here for parents and kids alike. All of our future plans are centered around the kids being in this school through 8th grade. I truly love it here.

I wanted to take a moment to recognize a true hidden gem: St. Nicholas. Our family has had the…read morepleasure of having all three of our children attend this school. Our love for St. Nicholas began about eight years ago when we enrolled our twin daughters at 18 months old, and continued six years later when their little brother joined them. What makes St. Nicholas exceptional starts first and foremost with its community--staff, teachers, and parents alike. Every single person is genuinely invested in the well-being of each child. This isn't just something that's talked about; it's something that's consistently demonstrated. The second major strength is academics. Even at the young age of 18 months, the activities the children engage in are intentionally designed to help them learn and grow. I especially appreciate the early introduction and consistent use of phonics. This foundation has truly helped our children develop strong vocabularies and reading skills. Now, as parents of elementary-aged children, we continue to see the benefits of St. Nicholas's thoughtful academic approach. I greatly appreciate that the school does not over-index on technology as the primary teaching tool. Instead, children are taught essential foundational skills--such as writing, researching, and using glossaries and dictionaries--and then later use technology as a companion, not a substitute. To me, this approach is critical in developing strong critical-thinking skills, which will serve them well throughout life. I also value the principal's leadership, particularly when navigating challenging situations involving student conflicts. Rather than stepping in to resolve issues single-handedly, she partners closely with teachers and empowers them to guide the resolution process. This gives teachers ownership and reinforces a consistent, thoughtful approach to conflict resolution. To round this out with areas for growth, I do wish the school had more playground equipment for younger children, or a slightly larger campus that could accommodate bigger play spaces, such as a field--especially for after-school sports. I would also love to see the return of emotional intelligence courses that were offered a few years ago. Lastly, while I wish there were an easier way for parents to have visibility into homework, I also respect the balance St. Nicholas strikes as children get older--encouraging responsibility, accountability, and natural consequences as part of their learning journey.

Overdue review.. Saint Mary school is the best daycare and elementary school in the valley. Saint…read moreMary was a second home to our family. From the moment we walked in through the door, we felt valued, accepted, and safe. The warm smiles and greeting did wonders in making may daughter feel loved and excited about going to school. The school goals match our values and it is dedicated to teaching Christian character, biblical truths, and moral values. The positive vibes is passed on to the students and their families. Great teachers who created a classroom full of positive relationships and engaging learning. Small classroom to allow for one and one attention. They installed in her love for reading , math and science I can't say enough about St Mary School We are forever thankful and grateful for the teachers administration staff students and families.

I just want to say how incredibly grateful we are for St. Mary School and their amazing summer…read morecamp. My kids absolutely loved it--they enjoyed every moment and came home happy and excited each day. It was clear they were not only having fun but also learning and growing in a positive, faith-based environment. We truly feel blessed to be part of a school that follows God's guidance in everything they do. The values, care, and love shown by the staff made a big impact on our family. We will definitely be bringing our kids back every summer, and I wholeheartedly recommend this camp to any parent looking for a joyful, meaningful, and well-run summer experience for their children. Thank you, St. Mary School, for everything!

I currently have two boys here at Monarch, ages 1 and 3. Both of my boys started there when they…read morewere 4 months old. As a new mom, I don't know what I would have done without Ms. Becky in the Panda room. She not only cared for my boys so well, but also answered all my silly "new mom" questions because she is so knowledgeable about what she does. As my kids have gown I have gotten to know so many more of the teachers because they truly live out their motto of being "in partnership with parents". I am amazed each day at what my 3 year old comes home having learned. He is starting to write his letters, counting to 30, improving his social skills, and most importantly, he knows that Jesus loves him dearly. As a teacher myself, it is important to me that my kids get an education that focuses on the whole child, and that is apparent at Monarch. When searching for preschools, I visited and toured over 10 different schools. I found Monarch to be head and shoulders above the others. Some things that stood out to me were... there is a very clear curriculum and learning goals for each day (even for my 1 year old), not only is there daily communication about how my child is doing, but also a more formal meeting twice a year to discuss present levels and goals to help them continue learning in the areas specific to their needs, teachers are constantly learning through staff development opportunities, and teachers not only teach Christian values, but they live them out each day in their classrooms. I love being part of the Monarch family and my kids look forward to going to school each day!

My kid went to Monarch for a couple years. We ended up switching schools and couldn't be happier…read more There were a couple incidents that occurred that caused concern for my wife and I. One of the main ones being that our kid fell off the play structure and broke a bone. Instead of calling us, they actually picked our kid up and moved them to a nearby picnic bench. We couldn't believe it, but thankfully the injuries didn't increase because of this. Check it out for yourself and ask around, you may like it but it wasn't the right fit for our family and we wouldn't recommend.

This review is long overdue - not because I had nothing to say, but because I had SO MUCH to say…read morethat it took me a while to put my thoughts together. I will say this right at the beginning: sometimes you pay for what is NOT there as much as for what IS. NO bullying in our experience. NO constant drama. NO feeling that you or your child have done something wrong just by walking through the door. Those things have enormous value. The actual review was much longer but I had to shorten it for yelp. I am a mother with an older child already in high school and experience with SIX different schools due to moves, COVID, and family circumstances. So I can compare. School culture matters academically AND emotionally, for children and parents - yes, us parents who actually pay for it! THE FIRST thing you notice at Kirk: the office staff actually smiles and is eager to help. No stiff faces making you wonder, "Did I park incorrectly? Is my shirt backward? What did I do wrong?" Immediately you check the box: "They are kind. They do not lack empathy. Continue." Kirk values being smart AND being kind. Children are encouraged to ask questions, express their ideas, and think for themselves - not just memorize paragraphs and prepare for standardized tests. More programs or more homework do not automatically mean a better school. My older daughter's 4th grade projects involved tears at other school. At Kirk, my younger daughter learned just as much, if not more, without that hassle. SCHOOL AWARDS - do not take them for granted or think, "Everyone is doing it." In my experience, some schools have moved away from individual awards in the name of tolerance and acceptance (oh, if we award this child the other one will feel discriminated so we better not award anyone) , while others give awards to almost everyone. At one of our previous schools, 23 out of 24 children received the Principal's Award. Easier to name who did NOT get it, right? Imagine being that one child. At Kirk, teachers give an ACTUAL SPEECH about YOUR child at assemblies, and the ENTIRE school listens. Their effort, their growth, their strengths. Not just a name and a piece of paper. You can see that teachers know the children they are talking about. I cannot stress enough how important that personal recognition is. THEATER PROGRAM - absolutely incredible. The best musical theater program my daughter has attended. CONCERTS/OPEN HOUSE/SCIENCE FAIR - Incredible and amazing! PE COACH - an absolutely hilarious individual who genuinely loves ALL children. My daughter hated PE before and now loves it. Thank you, Coach Eric! ANOTHER THING that is rarely seen, especially in private schools - there is NO BULLYING in our experience here. Literally, I have not seen it. Kids are nice. Yes, all children are different, and children argue, that is for sure. But there is no ongoing drama due to bullying. It feels almost impossible here because being cruel to another child goes against the whole atmosphere of the school. Kindness is the expectation here. It is reflected in how the adults treat the children and how the children treat one another. That makes an enormous difference. PARENTS - do not take this for granted either, thinking parents are not that important. They are. Kind, sensible parents are VERY important for your well-being as an adult, too! I have to say these are the nicest parents I have seen out of 6 schools. The nicest, and I thank them GREATLY for that. They are absolutely incredible people, and I feel depressed thinking that 5th grade is the last year and that I will have had only 2 years of this greatness. I do not think I will get this lucky again. Parents at this school are as special as the school itself. Thank you parents if you read this review STAFF - Ms. Amanda, Lorena, Heather, Mr. Dave, Mr. Robert, and the rest of the staff are AMAZING people. No wonder the children are kind: they are led by example. On her first day, my daughter could not remember Ms. Heather's name and called her "the one who is an angel." When comparing schools, look beyond brochures, test scores, and lists of programs. Are children heard? Are they valued? Are they happy to go to school? Kirk's kindness is every bit as valuable to me as its academics. Parents, invest in your children's future and avoid the personal toys - cars, bigger houses, etc. Those things can wait. Childhood can not. Your children and their legacies will thank you greatly.

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Kirk School…read more The teachers are truly outstanding. We had the wonderful opportunity to have the same teacher for two years in a row, which provided such valuable consistency and security during these important early years. Their warmth, patience, encouragement, and genuine love for the children are evident every day, and they have had such a positive impact on her growth and confidence. Our daughter absolutely loves going to school every day. She looks forward to seeing her friends and being part of such a warm, welcoming community. Her days are filled with outdoor play, creative art projects, and hands-on learning. We've watched our daughter grow tremendously--not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well. The Kirk School has nurtured her confidence, curiosity, kindness, and love of learning, and we truly trust them with our daughter. Knowing she is in such caring and capable hands gives us tremendous peace of mind. Amanda Vanek, the Head of School, is exceptional. She is professional, thoughtful, incredibly responsive, and deeply committed to the children, families, and the entire school community. Her leadership creates an environment where both students and parents feel supported, heard, and valued, and it is clear she cares deeply about every aspect of the school. We are so grateful to be part of the Kirk School community and we look forward to many more wonderful years ahead!

Negative and hostile. Education for students isn't supported, school is ran more like a business…read morerather than a place that serves students and community. Understaffed and developmentally inappropriate practices. Your children deserve an environment that supports their learning and cares for their community. This organization doesn't care for its own employees nor the community that they serve. Children won't have a playground, just concrete, no funding for equipment, enrichment programs or even qualified staff. Runs off parent donations, and hope that no one will question their practices, grants or funding allocation. Have a neurodivergent student? Look elsewhere. Do your research. If it looks to good to be true it's because it is. High staff turnover, unhappy students.

My son has been at the West Hills campus for over five years. LaShawn Academy has taken over their…read morecampus. I had registered him twice at the school, even came up there and spoke to someone and she assured me that he would be able to attend the school. On the first day of school I arrive because I was told he had a class, but I guess he did not have a class to attend so I spoke to multiple people and they kept sending me to other people to talk to. I finally spoke to someone and not really helpful. She just said did not see him in the system, walking away saying she was gonna get somebody else named Sarah to help me . Instead, she went to go help other parents and and I just sat there for 10 minutes until Sarah finally came up to me and asked me what's going on. I feel like they treated other parents better so now I feel a way and I'm upset. My son's first day was completely ruined . This is the day that every kid is excited for and his excitement got taken away . I feel as if I was a different race. They would've been more interactive and more helpful with me. I had to keep asking them what will be going on and still never got a settle answer

my son has been here since he was 18 months old. prior to him, my niece attended the school until…read moreshe graduated out. all i can say is although there are others who have a different opinion about this place, i would highly recommend it. if you take the time to interact with the staff and understand how they function, they are quite caring about the kids...know all their little mannerisms and behaviors and do keep in constant contact with you and allow you to do the same. my son loves all of his teachers as he has graduated to the next room each year and he has learned a lot in preparation for kinder. they have been flexible and accommodating to myself and other parents who work full time and try our best to get to the childrens events on time. my son has graduated out of this school as of this month, and to the very end, he has always been comforted for nap time when he has requested a teacher to do so. as parents we each have our own version of expectations and starter set does what they can to make both parents and children comfortable while upholding their own standards and policies.

We LOVE this school! Family owned, The teachers love my kid…read morelike their own. It's been an incredible experience thus far and we are grateful our kiddos is in good hands!

We toured this school and though we ultimately decided to stay at our current school (my child is…read morealmost done with elementary and the change felt too big) if we were starting over again we'd put all of our kids here. Delightful staff and such a lovely holistic environment. Academics, arts, earth sciences, music. amazing. Small class sizes and from what I could see pretty ethnically diverse.

Valley Waldorf is a tiny school. It has only a few teachers and few students, but it has so much…read morejoy. I heard that it was a large and thriving school before the pandemic and it is now growing, but organically. But currently, the classroom size is about 6 or 8 kids in my son's class, it has room to grow. The timbre of the theory of the school is to develop the child with wonder, curiosity, desire, and the confidence to learn and create, and then they could pursue the facts to learn. In this world of technology changing everything exponentially, some educators wonder if they should drill the children with facts and figures when computers will be providing all of that. These educators seem to think that the children who will succeed in the future are those who think and create. My son likes this school. He was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and the instructors are continuously learning and growing to work with him. And the biggest thing they seem to be teaching are social skills. This school currently runs from pre-k to 5th, and they are in talks about going up to 6th grade.

We have had a wonderful experience at Valley Montessori Preschool. The teachers are incredibly…read moreattentive and truly care about the individual needs of each student. My son has grown so much academically, socially, and developmentally while attending Valley Montessori. I can not thank them enough for my son's daily care and well being.

My son is now 5 and has been enrolled at Valley Montessori for over 2 years. He has really liked…read moregoing here and the friends he has made. The teachers are very patient, loving, kind and accommodating. Based off of how far my son has come in learning basics like letters, numbers, writing, etc. they must be doing something right. It's been so great for him to learn there and honestly I do not think I could ever have taught him better. They also put on some wonderful performances for graduations and at Christmas. They teach them songs, dancing and more, so being a musician myself it's awesome seeing my son singing more and more.