I left this school after my son attended K-3. They definitely have a principal that is rude to…read moreparents, as stated below. They also have an unfriendly vibe overall and, as stated, the principal comes off as uncaring in many areas yet overzealous with unfounded reprimands. I have never experienced a school with so many issues with infighting amongst the students - including bullying. We gave it our best "go" and they do have engaged, dedicated teachers and staff, but the problems are at the top. The last straw was spring 2019 when a 1st grade parent (and the husband of a Portola teacher) approached my child and his friend over his own child's lost football. He interrogated them, preventing them from getting on their after-care bus; boarded the bus to further interrogate the boys and, after being removed from the bus, followed the bus in his own car to the childcare facility (while filming it out the window with his cell phone) where he entered the childcare facility (totally against their protocol) and was finally prevented from his maniacal stalking escapade when the childcare director intervened. The experience was reported to the principal by the childcare director and myself and was handled ineptly and sans empathy. No one at the school or district level could tell me the student safety policy - I had to dig for it online. I took it next level (Superintendent) but was not heard. In the end, no one was able to tell me why my child was able to be verbally accosted for over 15 minutes - why the poor childcare bus driver had to act alone without school support staff - with a bus-load of children - and why this parent -- who is constantly on school property due to his own job and spouse-affiliation was never asked to sit with the boys and apologize or tell them they are safe and that THEY did the right thing (told the truth- that they did not have his son's football/which was later found) even though HE did not do right by them, or the other children or the young driver who was visibly shaken by the incident. The only person that DID react with professionalism, accurate sensitivity and safety protocol was the childcare director. I wonder if that 1st grade parent knows this director had to call an immediate safety meeting amongst her staff and afterward, a "stranger-danger" meeting with every child under her care that day? Shame on him, shame on the Portola principal and shame on the VUSD staff and management that wouldn't return my calls and couldn't answer basic safety questions about their school. It took them TWO months to call a meeting with me. Happily, we found a new school that has a warm, safe environment and professional, capable- seeming principal and staff-- so far so good!

It's our second year at Portola & we couldn't be more pleased. The principal & teachers we've had…read more(Mrs.Smith & Mrs. Chilcutt) are engaged, caring & fantastic! I've never seen a principal engage with students the way Mr. Ruiz does. We've always felt welcome & part of the Portola family. Koleen the librarian is amazing. She's put on the best book fairs! The office staff are all very nice as well. The PFFO put on some pretty cool events for the kiddos last year. Portola Ninja Warrior is a fun day of fitness for the kids & the end of the year carnival was full of fun games, music & food. We're looking forward to more fun events this year. We're very happy to be part of such a great school.

In an era of iPads and distraction, Lydia's model of socialization and outdoor free-play were…read moremonumental in both our children's early development. Our 2 kids loved going to Little Tree so much that they still point it out every-time we pass by and constantly talk about the teachers they loved and the friendships they started. Not only are our kids still best friends with many of their old class mates, my wife and I have become best friends with many of the parents that we met at LT. We highly recommend LT and hope your family has the same experience ours did.

All of the teachers were sweet. My boys loved the backyard area and their teachers and friends. We…read moreenjoyed most of our time there. The price is kinda steep, but remember teachers are responsible for our little ones and deserve livable wages. Sometimes schools fit and sometimes they don't. That's ok. We are all human and doing our best. Check them out!

I wanted to share with you an experience that my kiddo and I had with the school's librarian Ms…read more Hamilton Redding. We dropped off two books and picked up one, but the librarian included a second mystery book, with my permission, because she wanted to give my kiddo the opportunity to read another mystery from another author. She didn't have to do this but went above and beyond to research something that she would be interested in and that was near her reading level. Every experience we have had with Ms. Hamilton Redding is meeting a woman with wonderful attitude and joy oozing from her. She does more than just her job, but she encourages my kiddo and takes the extra moment each time we see her. She is a real treasure and is a stellar example for the school!

The "principle",what a joke, of this school shouldn't have such a job. She is rude, mean, and…read moreabuses her power as principle of the school. She personally insulted me when my young child that she KNEW had special needs and was in one of the special education classes there. Well my child had a behavior and she basically made my child and I feel like we were the worst people she had ever dealt with in her career in the school system, that's what she basically told me and I will never ever forget that. Thank goodness I pulled my child out of there when I did.

I bought our son here during COVID-19. Let me just say, he and I loved it. He was in the part time…read moreprogram from 8-12 and then he told me he wanted to attend all day. To me as a parent, that says something. He enjoyed it SOOO much! Thank you to the staff who helped my child thrive. We ended up moving so we had to disenroll. But If it was up to me I'd 100% put him and my daughter back in LSM. All the activities they would do and daily pictures helped me during the height of the pandemic. I really appreciate them. I would recommend taking your children here. Plus, it was competitive when it came to the value and pricing!

Very nice place and staff my tour went great and the director was very pleasant to interact with .read more

I went to Sunset K-4th grade (when i lived in cali) and I loved it!!! It's a small size, but that's…read moreokay. The teachers are nice, and the kids are fun!! (Best school ever!!!)

My son attends this elementary and i am really happy with this school. Teachers, staff and…read morevolunteer are so nice. I just love this school. My son has improve a lot since we moved.....

As our daughter finishes up Kindergarten at Lincoln, I figured I would take some time to share my…read moreexperiences at this fantastic school. Sending a first child off to school is of course an anxious moment for any parent and I admit I was no exception. But my anxiety was quickly relieved; the staff, teachers and principal at Lincoln have been tremendously friendly and welcoming. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Lincoln is that it is a relatively small school. Within a short time after starting school, my daughter was known not only to her own teacher, but also to the other teachers on campus and even the principal greets my daughter by name as we arrive in the morning. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Lincoln is a part of that village. It truly has a cooperative, community feel to it. I find this a refreshing contrast to larger schools where children can get lost in the crowd. Lincoln is also blessed with caring staff, a fantastic principal, and an excellent and hard working PTA. Does the PTA fund raise too frequently? Yeah, probably. I admit it got a bit tiring. But after seeing the benefits of not only ART, but also MUSIC, PE and a full time on-site nurse, I really came to appreciate the "extras" that are provided far beyond basic education. All of these extra programs come about though the tremendous efforts of the PTA. Next year I plan to be more involved in the PTA and hope that by helping out we can make the fund raising more effective and less frequent. In closing, I want to say "thanks" to all of those who clearly pour their heart and soul into the children at Lincoln. It is much appreciated.

Nothing but positive things to say for the past two years, never once seen an instance of bullying…read moreor heard about it from my child. Since governments cut education funding, things like the Lap-A-Thon are a great way to promote community-building and get extra money for school programs. Neither the PTA nor the teachers at Lincoln have demanded or even asked me to have my child participate in door-to-door fundraising. The school also places strong focus on art and does not seem to have overbearing attitudes about homework or learning in general. It has a "comfy" and "laid back" feel that kids will enjoy. I've not once had my daughter complain about anything regarding other students or teachers. And the school plays are great!

My daughter has been going to this school for almost two years and I can't give enough praises to…read morethe staff. My daughter is a spirited child to say the least the the teachers have the experience and patience's to deal with her. The curriculum is wonderful. Christian based which gives my child a Bible verse and moral to ponder. I know when she hits kindergarten in the fall she will be ready. With CoVID, the school has taken all the precautions to make sure the kids stay safe and healthy while allowing them to be kids. Mask and temperature checks are required. They teach and practice social distancing as well as keeping the class sizes small.

The Preschool has taken concerns of safety that I had and addressed them with multiple security…read morecameras, a Ring system which has 24/7 security watch, a keypad to enter the Preschool, and an enclosed play yard.

The staff at CPMS have been helpful and kind since our first visit to their wonderful facility…read more They are really good with my high energy children. They come home exhausted but excited to share what they learned each day. I've seen amazing developments in my children since they began attending here. The staff are caring and well equipped to do their jobs. Highly recommend!

We were looking for a Montessori school for my two year old son and we're glad that we chose CPMS…read more It's close to our home in Camarillo and is located in a really convenient location. The best part, is that my son is starting to speak more words and sing songs when he is at home. Thank you Kathy, Yesi, and other teachers as well! The school also has a dance class that I enrolled my son in. He loves it and that makes us happy.