Thank you, Oceana High School, for hosting the Division 3 swim meet today…read more The event was well-organized and extremely well-refereed. (Look at all the coaches craning in unison to see the swimmers jump backwards into the lanes!) Space upstairs in the observation deck was crowded and could use better ventilation however all the teams felt welcomed and the event was well-run.

The last graduating "normal" instruction class here, Class of 1991, before changing formats. I…read moreloved my high school, situated in sort-of nearby Pacifica. I was supposed to attend Jefferson High School in Daly City. I had a rough-ish time in middle school, so I wanted a fresh start. I found it at Oceana High School. Though, there were a few of us, less than ten students (Thomas R. Pollicita grads, formerly Colma Middle School) who ended up graduating together (that means, twice). I made friends of all colors, races, creeds, and religious faiths. Of course, I didn't get along with everyone, but for the most part, I had mostly friends, not enemies. There were different personalities here and I was able to navigate and learn from it. I enjoyed every year, but freshman year, was the most awkward. I had a lot of great teachers, others, not so great, but for the most part, I did learn a lot. The greats were: Mrs. Williams, Mr. Tanisawa (math), Mrs. Heeb (art), Mr. Argeris, Mr. Christensen, just to name a few. I had the most enriching experience at this school (I probably had the most growth as a person, an individual, rather, at this time). I attended all the assemblies, some football games, some dances, and some field trips over the years. I made "Honor Roll" most semesters. I joined the Track team, the Cross-Country team, and the Swim Team (and I didn't even know how to swim). I was also a part of a couple of clubs. I also even co-founded a group in Senior Year, SHOP (students helping our planet). And detention, yes, I had a few of those. I turned 18 in December of my Senior Year and was able to sign myself out. So, sometimes, I did (but this was when I had all my work done). And there was also Prank War, but it was just flyers, really. It was foggy often, the property was spread out, and it was small, compared to other schools in the district. There were two parking lots, one on each side. The courtyard was small. The cafeteria was bustling. And for a few years our school was number one in Wrestling. I think that Coach Gray was responsible for that.

Yet another reason that this is the best CYO gym. Besides the great court, ample fan seating,…read moreavailable schoolyard and street parking, clean bathrooms, and nice family volunteer staff, holding an 8th grade night is awesome. Equivalent to a senior in high school senior night with life size photo banners on the gym wall, pregame announcement of players with their families, player sashes and flowers, photo boards of players in the stands, and even opponent candy leis, it made for a very festive and memorable night for these kids. Kudos STM. I wish all parishes did this.

We decided to stay. We saw how the staff lovingly handled distance learning during Covid with such…read moreheart and grace. It was obvious how much our child's teacher deeply cared about our child and the rest of her students. It showed through their interactions which we were able to witness on zoom and seesaw, and in their learning. She is an absolutely amazing teacher and we are truly blessed to have had her teach our child. We were so touched and wowed by our child's academic success and happiness that we had a change of heart.

This was a very poor educational school and the 7/8 grade department was very bad. I encourage kids…read moreto leave for IBL and the principal was very poor

It's an amazing school and I would recommend this school…read more It has amazing teachers and after-school program on campus

Very good academics at this school. Kids are graduating well prepared for high school and many are…read morebeing admitted with honors given by the high schools of their choice. The middle school math, literature and science are top notch. There is a good teacher student ratio.The school is not packed to the brim creating a very good learning environment, therefore much more individualized attention. New teachers are being trained very well which makes for a very solid foundation year after year. It's a very active community with lots of fun events organized, including the fun festival. There was a change in administration about 4 years ago and it shows.

I was at St Veronica's yesterday to pick up my Granddaughter. While I was waiting, I was watching…read moreto young men lower the American Flag. They proceeded to fold the flag in the way it should be folded. As they walked away one of the boys started singing the Star Spangled Banner and I thought , this school is doing something right. It made me feel pretty good and proud. Thank you to those two young men. You're on the right road. Patti

As both an alum of El Camino High School and a current parent, I've been thrilled to see the…read moreamazing progress this school has made! My kids genuinely enjoy coming to school and taking part in the wide variety of activities offered--there really is something for everyone. It's been incredible watching them come out of their shells so quickly. The teachers are relatable and approachable--seriously, how cool is that?! My kids are involved in cheer, track & field, and my freshman had the incredible opportunity to travel to Greece for spring break with the school. Of course, everyone's experience is unique, but for us, everything has been nothing short of fantastic so far. Highly recommend!

The new councelors are out standing it feels like I can actually talk to them and be heard even if…read morei only go for just a few minutes, they are really welcoming and feel more like your friends instead of teachers. So many of the teachers extremely good at their job and need so much more praise than what they get. The student life is amazing there are so many groups and i feel like there is most definitely someone you could find with similar interests. The fine arts program is fantastic the band has sounded amazing and the dance program is popping off. The sports programs have been doing amazing recently basketball is being coached extremely well soccer aswell. The main problem i have with this school is the administrators. Ive never seen them happy literally ever and they always hating for no reason except the principle hes mysterious but hes cool. I havent even seen the one of the vice principals which is crazy. I feel so bad for Dr.McDonald because she is literally carrying this school on her back she puts in so much effort and has to take up so many classes and all of this because no one else wants to. The admins who barely do anything always taking credit for everything that the students and she does.

Terrible school. The current principal Rachel Romo is not fit for the job. I personally witnessed…read moreher mishandle a critical situation and as a mandated reporter that is not acceptable. Do not send your kid here. It is not safe for vulnerable children under the current management.

Another back of the valley school. This school has been here for decades. They remodeled in 2000…read more Combined in 2001. Again, as in my other reviews of Pacifica schools, this is the best of the rest. The teachers are very good to outstanding ( Miss Louthan, kindergarten, is the best. All three of my children excel at school because of her. Miss Andre is another exceptional teacher. ) , the PTO has a good program and there is a larger generation of children attending. The kindergarten class is the largest in a number of years. I hope most are from out of the area. We need higher expectations from our children.

It's been 5 years since my review and I now have an 8th grader and a 4th grader at St. Dunstan's…read more We have been at the school since 2015 and still love it. The principal, faculty, and staff truly care about each student and it shows. If you are considering private high school, I highly recommend St. Dunstan's to lay the academic foundation. My daughter loves her teachers and said that the high school entrance exam was relatively easy compared to what they are learning at St. Dunstan's. I've spoken to many parents who transferred their kids in for middle school who've said they wished they had started at St. Dunstan's sooner because it is such a welcoming and warm environment. They have a ton of extracurriculars and events. Sports intramurals for K-3 and competitive sports for 4-8th. We have musical theater classes and performances. As well as Spanish classes and technology. Every month there are family friendly events- from family movie night, Casino Night, Lobster Feed, the father/daughter dance, family bingo night, lady knights and men clubs events, and so many fun events. We have the spring festival and middle school dances. Fun Day with games and an end of year school wide picnic. The kids are kind, respectful, and inclusive. The parent community is amazing and we have made lifelong friendships with other families. Choosing St. Dunstan's for our kids is probably one of the best decisions we have made for their academic, emotional, and social well being. We are grateful to Dr. Sandoval and her team for creating an environment where our children are thriving!

We are new transplant to St Dustan families. We were at different school before. My son transferred…read morein at 4th grade. We originally were very worried about his transition and leaving all his friends and his known environment. It has been smooth transition so far. The Families in St Dunstan are very welcoming to our family. My son doesn't normally play team sports that involved balls, he made an exception with the baseball team in St Dunstan. He has thrived so much over the last few months we transitioned. Not only his grades are excellent but also his mental wellbeing has improved so much. He was encouraged to participate more in the class and he did, which he didn't do in the previous school. He participated in the class Spelling Bee that required him to speak and spell in front of everyone which was impossible for him to do before. The school staffs are very nice. They are very attentive of my son and our families. The teachers that he has, have been so accommodating and supportive in making him thrive in school. The school has Science, technology, Spanish, Art in Action and Creative Art. I was allowed to teach how to plant tulips and vegetables in their school plots that the Science teacher incorporated it to his lesson. There are many Non Catholic families as well and you wouldn't feel that they weren't part of the community. In terms of education, I observe that some of the teachers are willing to give extra help to those that need help which they do outside of the school hours. They also have resource teachers for reading and mental health. I also see that there will be accelerated Math for those who are advanced in Math. This will start in 5th grade.

My kids attend St. John School, and our family has truly enjoyed being part of this community. I…read morehave one child who started in TK and is heading into 1st grade, as well as another starting TK this year! ​Overall, I have a very positive outlook on the school. A big reason for that comes down to involvement. We try be active in the community. Because of this, we've built strong relationships with the staff, faculty, and other families, giving us an open avenue to voice concerns and work through things collaboratively. While I respect leadership's authority to run the school as they see fit, having that seat at the table makes a world of difference. ​While the facilities could use some updating, that ultimately comes down to funding. Leadership does a solid job balancing facility improvements with competitive tuition (which is lower than many surrounding Catholic schools) and active fundraising. It really operates on an "invest in the change you want to see" mindset. ​It's also worth noting that the school is connected to St. John the Evangelist Church Parish, which is located off-site. While some families get caught up in the governance dynamics between the school and the parish, I don't trouble myself with inner politics unless it directly impacts my kids. And so far, it hasn't. ​Beyond academics, the sports program is excellent. The newly refinished gym floor is a great foundation for athletics, and several grade-level teams made it to playoffs and championships last season. For the younger ones, the lower-grade clinics (like TK/K t-ball and basketball) are a fantastic, low-pressure introduction to sports. ​As a Catholic school, faith and values are central to the education. However, it maintains a well-balanced, modern atmosphere, and as a parent, I appreciate that my kids get a good mix of religious foundation and open-minded community values. ​At the end of the day, if I ever felt this wasn't the right fit, I'd look elsewhere. And my family has plenty of ties to surround Catholic Schools like St. Paul's, St. Cecilia, and OLM (Go Bulldogs!) But we haven't reached that point at all. We fully plan on continuing to support St. John and look forward to staying part of this community. I highly encourage prospective families to check it out!

We are new to this school and very much disappointed in how the school is being run. We were told…read morethere is a resource program - but there's no program. We can't get any answers to our questions.