Since my husband and I are both working parents, we were looking for a school closer to my office. Through my research and recommendations from friends, we chose Pearl Preparatory initially because:
1) Affordability
2) Close proximity to my work
3) Before and after school care (Dolphin Club)
4) Small class sizes
5) K-5th grade
In hindsight, I am very happy that we were able to be a part of the school for 6 years. The principal and staff were fantastic. Both of my kids went to Pearl from 2007-2013 and this school fit our needs academically and through extracurricular activities. We probably would have completed the entire program with my second child had we not moved to the Inland Empire.
Kindergarten was a great transition for my kids from pre-school. Mrs. Fullerton is the best, she still teaches kids to read based on the fundamentals (phonics based). Our kids enjoyed her program tremendously. We have fond memories from scrapbooks that she made to capture all of the fun things they do at school. The reason I single her out is because I think she has the hardest job, most of these kids (age 4 or 5) have never been in a school setting. They do not know the classroom rules or even where the restroom or principal's office is located. Mrs. Fullerton is very patient and understands getting them prepared for school begins with those basic things. It seems small, but critical and important from the beginning.
Other teachers, Mrs. Johnson, Ms. Prest, Mr. Chang, and Mrs. Bolinger want nothing more than your child to succeed. These teachers use various learning methods (visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic). Examples: Memorizing presidents through song, projects, spelling bees, reading and accelerated math programs in the summer, etc. I even learned that some children, if accelerated in certain subjects, could move onto higher math and reading levels, Pearl was able to facilitate to help them to learn beyond their grade level. In my opinion, this is forward thinking and meeting the needs of gifted children. These customized things about Pearl show they really care about the needs of the child.
My kids have maintained A's throughout elementary and continue to do so in Jr. High and High School because of the strong foundation created by Pearl teachers. Remember this is our journey, every parent has to do their portion and just because you pay for private school tuition that doesn't guarantee that your child will succeed. Having a child at Pearl is a blessing because it fulfills the needs for the child and is very forgiving to a working parent. Not every school is right for every student. The purpose of raising children is to participate and help them along so that they are prepared for their future, a teacher can't do it all. Teachers can only do so much and as a parent you have to reinforce their teachings, study habits and organization. I have read other reviews and honestly, no school is perfect, but Pearl does an amazing job at incorporating hands on learning through the classroom and practical application through their many field trips each year. One of the trips that children enjoy is science camp. In 4th and 5th grade, they are able to spend a couple of nights learning about science and gaining the independence to be away from home. Lastly, within Pearl is their music and theatre program, they are teaching our kids not just the basics of Math and Science, but incorporating fine arts. Not a lot of schools still focus on this and it is a complete shame. Pearl has done a yearly Christmas program and Spring Music Festival. Pearl does it all with their talented band, music and theatre teachers. My kids loved being in the school play; acting and singing and performing in front of all of the families.
Thank you Pearl Preparatory! read more