My daughter started OCASA kindergarten at the beginning of this year. She went to a small pre…read moreschool for 2.5 years and we really struggled with the decision to send her to a public school. We wanted to send her to a small private school as she is very shy and sensitive and we feared her getting lost or bullied in a larger school environment. My daughter LOVES this school. She looks forward to going everyday, loves wearing her uniform and clearly feels like she's part of a school family. She is thriving and learning so much. She has an AMAZING teacher and aide that clearly love her and all the kids in her class. She's been on at least 5 field trips and she comes home spouting interesting facts about so many things. She can count to 15 in Spanish and knows all her letters, numbers, and is starting to read. She's doing addition, subtraction and knows amazing facts about our past Presidents, History and the Solar System. She walks around singing "The Grand Old Flag" and knows the entire songs lyrics by heart along with many others. Not all schools are for everyone, and we definitely had our concerns about OCASA after seeing some negative reviews on line. After almost a year we now feel like we hit the jackpot and got into something great on the ground floor. All school have growing pains especially a school that's brand new, but we believe that for our child its been the right choice. If you want a perfect, predictable, typical school environment OCASA might not be for you. But if you want a growing and thriving environment for your child to learn, explore and thrive in new and different ways....I would suggest you check this school out and give it a chance.

After writing a 2 star review on this school based on my true and honest experience, I get a very…read moredisturbing phone call from their director Kapil M. He wanted me take down my review. He accused me of bullying his school with my Yelp Review. I am just telling the truth. Please look at my previous reviews where I gave them 4 star. I had all the excitement and hopes at this school and was shattered after realizing the lies that were fed to us. Right now I am enrolled at our school district. My intention for coming her and our attraction for attending this school is because my son loves science!!! After seeing how he replied on my review, it is a lie that they hired staff. They state that they hired staff...Nope staff was not hired and that's the reason why they couldn't give me an exact start date. When they sent their psychologist to my transitional IEP meeting, their representative flatly told my IEP team at my district that they will not be able to provide services at the level they are providing. My IEP is also recorded and was disclosed before the meeting started. All members in that meeting is 100% aware that they are being recorded. When a public charter school makes promises that they will fulfill services like a public school district, and at a recorded IEP meeting they say they will not??? It really questions the accountability and the process for kids with IEP. Sounds like they cherry pick, which special kids they will have enrolled. Or maybe we are sounding like a business.... Because Mr.Kapil told me take my review down because it is ruining his school reputation. Sir, it's a public school and this is my experience with the admission process... Yes, they have all the field trips to make their school look great and all the extra activities. How about accountability? Teacher experience? Ask the how they deal or prevent with bullying? You will notice they tend to dodge the question. When I asked about the teachers, I am told that they had alot of applicants that applied so therefore they have teachers that want to teach and they highlight that they get county retirement and benefits. But they don't tell you the experiences of their teachers. They look really young, which is fun and great but I think having experienced teachers at a school is also very important. Bullying question... They answer by telling us they hired private investigators and no bullying was done. So how about the prevention? If you go to other review sites, you will see accusations of bullying in this school. Overall the idea presented at this school is amazing! STEM based. Lots of activities. Large member of the PTA, which alot of them are their own employees. ;) Alot of attraction to come to this school and that is why we applied. Go to your local school district. Ask the question of STEM and activities before jumping to come here. There are many charter schools to choose from here in South OC such as Journey, Community Roots, Oxford. How are they run? How are they accounted for financially? Money laundering is very common for people who run charter schools. Do your homework? See what best fits your family. Unfortunately this school wasn't a good fit. And sadly we had promises that were made but on the record during the transitional IEP meeting with the school district, it was very clear, they will not provide the services....

We have been at CRA for 3 years and absolutely love this school. With degrees in Sociology and…read moreChild Development I did a ton of research into all our local school options because it was very important we found the right fit for our family (and not just settle for a default school). CRA is a perfect blend of a small tight knit parent/admin community, project based learning which helps kids gain real life skills, and a gorgeous campus - all for "free"! We started at Community Seedlings Preschool (which I also highly recommend) and made a seamless transition to CRA for Kindergarten. I have been especially grateful to have my 2nd grader here during the pandemic. They took swift action to keep our kids safe but didn't make rash decisions without thoroughly thinking them through. As a result I've felt very confident allowing my son to be on campus basically all year aside from only a few closures. They have been transparent about efforts to keep children safe with mask requirements, hand washing, distancing, school-wide sanitation, and more. I encourage others to take negative reviews with a LARGE grain of salt. One individual's experience does not mean the entire school is bad. Look into it yourself and keep an open mind :)

My daughter has been going to this school for six years now and we love it! Wonderful teachers…read more(especially her group of sixth-grade middle school teachers this year!) and the project-based learning model is perfect for her. Highly recommend.

Like many parents, I read the reviews before enrolling my son at St. Anne's, and I'll admit, I was…read morehesitant. Some of the concerns raised gave me pause. But as we near the end of our third year (currently finishing 4th grade), I feel compelled to share our experience because I'm genuinely glad we chose this school. No school is perfect, and yes, we've had our challenges here and there. But overall, St. Anne's does an outstanding job across many levels. My son is not only thriving academically, he's also genuinely happy. The school strikes a wonderful balance between being firm and structured, while maintaining a warm, positive environment where kids are encouraged and challenged to grow. One of the highlights for us has been the next-level extracurricular offerings and the way St. Anne's integrates experiential learning in every grade level. These hands-on experiences really resonate with the kids and make learning more fun and meaningful. Our first year was a bit rocky, while St. Anne's is a private school and doesn't follow public school IEP protocols, the principal at the time (Mrs. Bournazian) went above and beyond to work with his teacher and me to put support systems in place to help him suceed. When she became Head of School, I was a little nervous that our dynamic might shift, but the transition has been seamless and honestly, the school has continued to flourish under her leadership. We still feel incredibly supported by both the administration and teachers. Speaking of teachers, we've been very fortunate. Each year, my son has had passionate, caring educators who are truly invested in their students' growth. I've heard some concerns among parents about staff turnover, but having experienced two other schools (one public and another well-known private school in OC), I can say this is fairly typical. Teachers move on for all kinds of reasons, what matters more is the consistency of care, and we've always felt that here. With the exception of one long term sub that was not ideal, we've had outstanding teachers from 2nd to 4th grade. The music program is beyond impressive, Mr. Yaple works wonderfully with kids of all ages. Same for the arts program, the school puts on a more professional production than some theater houses in LA. This is a school that provides the opportunity for all kinds of kids to thrive. Socially, like many schools, St. Anne's can feel a bit cliquey at times, but we've also met some truly amazing families, and my son has built wonderful friendships. All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend St. Anne's. I'm grateful we ignored the negative reviews and gave it a chance.

This school is good in many ways. I like some of the middle school teachers. I think it's good…read morequality overall. The reason it only ranks 3 stars with me is due to the inefficiency of the drop off/pickup line compared to other schools. It's really a grind if you have to drop off/pick up a kid at another school. The staff there is also rude.

We have had the most wonderful experience at JSerra. We are so fortunate to have so many excellent…read morepublic and private schools to choose from in Orange County. JSerra has been an outstanding match for our son who is thriving and enjoying his high school experience. He came from public school where he was a "B" student. He wanted to try JSerra because he had heard so many wonderful things about the school from other students and families. We also knew it would be a little bit smaller environment so perhaps he could get more attention from his teachers. We are so glad he wanted to try JSerra! He has had such excellent teachers that encourage learning, make themselves available and genuinely care and understand my son. He now is an "A" student and works very hard in all of his classes. He is apart of the Business Magnet program and is learning so much about business, investments, marketing, sales, the stock market and so much more. It is a college based curriculum so all the business classes he will receive full college credit. He will likely have completed his first semester of college by the time he graduates High School. Sports is also an important part of the school environment. Over 85% of the students participate in a sport. It is a campus of impressive students who play competitively and work hard academically. And, like most private and now even public schools, there are fees to participate in sports. The fees pay for the coaching staff and the amazing state-of-the-art facilities. Their coaching staff is wonderful. We couldn't be more pleased. Finally, I have been most impressed with how thoughtful, polite and mature the students have been. We have met so many wonderful families who are kind, interesting, humble and involved in their students lives. My son made friends very easily in summer school in the "freshman success" class and continued to make friends over the past 2 years. Summer school a great way to begin to make friends if you are new to the school as well as attending the overnight retreats. Choosing a high school is such a personal choice. But for us, JSerra was the best decision that our family made for our son! Go Lions!

Buyer beware! Not a true Catholic school, as it is run by the parents who donate the most money. It…read moreis the most entitled in OC that attend and if your kid earned a lower grade, parents will threaten the school and the head master will go into the grade book and change the grade. Good teachers come and go quickly if they stand on principles they will be let go if the parents complain about them. Do your child a favor and put them at any other school.

This school is an excellent choice for your children if you want them to be in a Christian…read moreenvironment and receiving a well-rounded academic education. The teachers and administrators are dedicated to providing a positive learning environment. The class sizes are small, typically about 20 per class. My children started in kindergarten and are now in middle school at AVCS. They have advanced academically and socially, and they are well-prepared for high school honors classes. My children have also gotten to participate in band, orchestra, drama, art, choir, track, cheer-leading, and volleyball. AVCS offers many other sports and extracurricular activities as well. I am thankful for the Biblical teaching and the commitment to helping my children grow in the knowledge of God and in their personal faith. I also feel good about the Christian morals, values, and positive behaviors that are modeled at this school. You don't get that at the public schools. I highly recommend making the commitment to put your children here. The investment is one of the best you can make for your children's foundation in life.

Our two children attended Aliso Viejo Christian School for a combined total of 13 years. It was a…read morewonderful experience for them and our family The teachers were very hands on and worked closely with the parents to ensure success for the children. Our family made relationships that will certainly last a lifetime.

So before anyone takes this too seriously, I and a friend decided to review the snack bar for two:…read morereasons: 1) Wrestling tournaments are extremely long and occasionally a little boring. 2) we love to eat. Let's begin with the breakfast. Solid menu of bagels, energy bars, fruit and the staple of snack bars, the breakfast burrito. We opted for the breakfast burrito. It was very cheap for the potato and egg. It also tasted like, well, potato and egg. It was decent with the nice salsa they had For a snack I had the hot dog. For an additional $1 I was able to add chili and cheese. I added some pickles and jalapeño and bam!! it was awesome. The skin on the dog had the nice snap and the chili was delicious. My son had the pizza slice and he claimed it was awesome. But really, it's pizza. It's fairly difficult to screw up a pizza that's delivered to your snack bar. For now, that's all I've had. I'll post more later depending on whether or not my son gets eliminated from the tourney. If he keeps winning, I'll keep eating and reviewing.

Went for my cousin brother's graduation today. It was a nice event. My cousin had a great time. We…read moreall are so proud of him. He always talk about a lot of great thing this school offers.

We have been part of the St. Mary's community for eight years, and choosing this school has been…read moreone of the best parenting decisions we have ever made. When we began our school search, we toured countless schools, but St. Mary's immediately stood out. From the moment we stepped onto campus, it felt like home. Eight years later, that feeling has only grown stronger. I cannot imagine a more nurturing, enriching, and loving environment for our children. What makes St. Mary's exceptional is its commitment to developing the whole child. With one child passionate about the arts and the other about athletics, we have seen firsthand how beautifully the school cultivates each child's unique interests and talents. The arts program is particularly remarkable. Under the incredible direction of Mr. Warren, the musicals transform these young students into what feel like Broadway performers. The talent, confidence, and professionalism he brings out in them are extraordinary, and the final productions are truly captivating. Seeing the arts program nurture such confidence and self-expression has been especially meaningful for our daughter. I have witnessed that growth firsthand in my daughter, now in fifth grade. She began as an incredibly shy little girl, but through the opportunities for leadership, public speaking, stage performance, and self-expression that St. Mary's provides, she has blossomed into a confident, capable, and talented young person. Watching her transformation has been one of the greatest gifts of parenthood, and I truly believe the school's exceptional arts program, dedicated teachers and supportive community have played a central role in making it possible. My favorite part of St. Mary's, without hesitation, is the families and the community. There is a warmth here that is difficult to put into words. Families are genuinely welcoming, supportive, and caring, looking after one another's children as though they were their own. The campus is filled with laughter, friendship, kindness, and love. That sense of belonging cannot be manufactured, and it is what makes St. Mary's so special. Eight years in, I remain grateful every day that we chose St. Mary's. It is much more than a school; it is a place where children are celebrated for who they are, encouraged to discover who they can become, and surrounded by people who genuinely care about them. I couldn't ask for a better childhood or educational experience for our children, and I will forever be grateful to this incredible community for helping shape the people they are becoming.

We've been at St. Mary's for six years now, and I still honestly pinch myself because I feel so…read moregrateful that we get to be part of this community. The warmth here is truly second to none. St. Mary's does such a beautiful job of educating the whole person - not just academically, but in raising kind, empathetic leaders, thoughtful community members, and globally minded thinkers. As an IB school, there is such a meaningful international presence woven into the experience, from travel opportunities and exchange students to learning about and celebrating so many different cultures and religions of the world. I love that our children are taught to be curious, open-minded, compassionate, and respectful of people whose experiences may be different from their own, while still being grounded in the values St. Mary's has always believed in. It really is such a special place, and after six years, I feel even more grateful as I see what a standout human my son has become.

Our experience at Fairmont has been exceptional. The teachers, staff, and administration are truly…read moreinvested in my child's education and her growth as a young learner. Small class sizes and leveled learning have enabled my child to gain confidence in her learning abilities. Though it is a small and newer school, it allows for a lower student to teacher ratio, giving our kindergartener more confidence when asking questions, engage in group activities, and opportunities for one-on-one time with the teachers. She absolutely LOVES Fairmont! The administration is open minded and think outside the box to make a successful educational experience for the students and parents. Fairmont is committed to the whole child. They teach value lessons, character building, communication and leadership skills. We've seen tremendous growth in from beginning of the school year to end. The teachers are passionate about seeing their students succeed. They are so great about sharing moments of pride they see within your child - their good behaviors and achievements; and they know the importance of getting the parents involved should an issue arise, and do it in a very respectful, approachable manner. Great team - great school!

my grandson has been here for 4 years; they are often rude and unhelpful; they seem to be overwhelmread more

My children attending kings academy is a tremendous answer to prayer. My prayers were for very…read morespecific things, all of which I found at Kings Academy. 1. Prior to attending kings I was exclusively schooling my my two children at home using a curriculum with a strong emphasis on language arts. I wanted a program that would deliver something comparable. Kings uses Abeka for kinder and 1st then switches over to rod and staff for 2nd and beyond. These language art curriculum are solid, tried and true and simple to facilitate and comprehend for the child. 2. There is a heavy security presence. I have counted at least 2-4 guards patrolling the perimeter of the building during school hours. These guards are armed and ready to protect the children if need be. I feel at peace leaving my children knowing they are safe and protected. 3. The community you will find at this school is priceless. The support and encouragement has been such a blessing to our family. My children enjoy every minute they are in school, thriving academically and building the community I've always prayed for.

This place is a joke. As a parent, you end up doing the majority of the teaching while the…read more"teachers" barely lift a finger. I use the term "teachers" loosely, because they do not teach. I would never recommend sending a child to this school or dealing with its subpar performance.