Beyond grateful for this incredible school. My son attended TK -8th. The staff and faculty were…read moredevoted, kind and steadfast in their commitment to not just teach academics but character, and beyond that, how to be good stewards of their community and the planet. And it was fascinating to watch the transition from Kinder, through the grades and into the rigorous middle grade years. Each building block preparing them for the next milestone. He was well-prepared for high school!

We signed up for a prospective family tour and came with our son, excited to show him a potential…read morenew school. Unfortunately, the front desk staff were rude and inflexible from the moment we walked in. Rather than welcoming a prospective student, they spent the entire interaction explaining all the reasons he couldn't see the campus that day. A simple gesture -- "since you're here, let us take five minutes to show him around" -- would have meant the world to a child. Instead, we got rigid rules and zero warmth. If this is how a school treats prospective families during what should be their best foot forward, I can only imagine the day-to-day environment for kids. We made the decision on the spot not to enroll. I'd recommend other families look elsewhere.

Going into this profession I was beyond excited to jump start a career surrounded by children and…read morelike minded adults who wanted to make a change in children's lives. While working with children was a nice experience, considering I have always been able to gain a child's trust since I was younger, I was excited for the connections I was building. Two months into my employment I started to realize how toxic the team is at the Sawtelle /Mar Vista location. I don't believe they have the best interest in the children who attend this location. They never came up to me to evaluate my performance but instead went straight to the director and told her a bunch of lies. If they are genuinely concerned about your child's well being don't you think they would speak to me immediately about my performance? That certainly did not happen. The director took their word and ultimately told me " you're not fit for this company." Seems to me like they just wanted me out but in the end they did me a huge favor! I wish blue oak the best but they should definitely re-think the people they are hiring. As of right now this location only seems to care about getting through the day and making sure they have someone to clean the classrooms, not a genuine authentic team building atmosphere.

The proof is in the pudding! Upon graduating from preschool at Blue Oak, our 5 year old son is…read morearticulate, confident, competent, independent, self-aware and kind. Words like, "inspired, identity, collaboration, advocacy, equality, mentorship, hospitality, and community" are not only commonplace in his vocabulary, but they are part of who he is and how he understands himself and his world.  We moved our son to Blue Oak after having completed 1.5  years at another local preschool when we had serious concerns about how he was being treated and how he was learning to behave.  The contrast between these two schools could not have been more striking. When my son joined his Blue Oak class mid year, the teachers prepared the class to welcome and embrace him. A few weeks before he started, they placed photos of him and our family in the class room and spoke all about him at morning meetings. They asked the children what they wanted to learn about him and asked them how it might feel to be new to a group of already established friends (using the opportunity both to ensure our son was welcomed with so much warmth but also to teach the other children empathy). They scheduled a playdate for him and us to come meet a few of the children prior to his start date. On this play date, we were all welcomed with such warmth. All of the teachers and administrators greeted us by name (before we introduced ourselves) and you would have thought my son was  a celebrity based on the reception he received from the children. The children (not the adults) gave us a tour and showed our son their favorite things to do at school. Additionally, the administration had a family in his class reach out to us to welcome our family to the community and set up a play date outside of school so our son could build rapport with their son prior to starting school. How they handled this transition was a glimpse into how they do everything; with so much deliberate intention;  knowing that every action, every conversation, every word impacts others (and especially these precious young souls).  I was so worried about my son when he started at Blue Oak, not so much about the transition, as I immediately knew that Blue Oak had that handled, but concerned he'd continue the behaviors he learned at the other preschool - hitting, kicking, biting. I heard nothing from the teachers for the first few weeks, but immediately started to see pictures of my son on the blog looking content and focused, engaging with new friends, digging, wire cutting, climbing, reading quietly in cozy spaces, sitting in small storytelling groups "collaborating" with others and I couldn't help but compare it to the scenes I would witness at pickup at the other school we had just left - unsettled children, chaos, yelling, hitting, frenetic energy while the teachers were eating or gossiping with parents or each other, in short - dysregulated little nervous systems in desperate need of competent adults with both the will and skill to support and guide them. If only that other school could learn from the brilliant directors and teachers at Blue Oak!  .  When we had his first parent/teacher conference, I was in tears when the teachers shared that on his first day at Blue Oak, a friend took a toy from him and he hit that friend. The teachers said that they fully expected this behavior given the environment he had come from and that they were thrilled that they had this opportunity to work with him and teach him the norms and behavior expectations. They explained how they worked with our son and the other friend on conflict resolution (without shame or blame) and THAT WAS THE LAST TIME he ever hit at school.  I remember feeling so relieved, our son was going to be fine...and now after his 1.5 years at Blue Oak, I see that he is so so much more than "fine." He is thriving! I feel so beyond proud of the 5 year old he has become and see nothing but a bright future for him (based on this critical foundation of respect, social and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-regulation and love).  Send your child to Blue Oak if you believe your child is capable far beyond what conventional societal wisdom would assume and if you want your child to be seen and honored for exactly who they are. Your child will be treated consistently by all adults (admin teachers and aides) with nothing but respect, kindness and the healthy structure and boundaries that they need to explore their limits safely and to grow to be their "best self"...and DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED! I think I might have had we not had the "other" experience at another school first. This school is the real deal. You will count yourselves among the luckiest (and blown away by the results)  if your child (and family) have this experience.

this school is amazing! I have 2 kids here and this is their 2nd year here they love the staff and…read moreteachers

This school is terrible. It is disgusting, the student to teacher ratio is horrific, and the kids…read moreare foul. At this school, children are using profanity and derogatory language everywhere, including but not limited to slurs. This school also inforces labor on older people. The custodians, both for the elementary and middle schools, are older women. Some of the teachers themselves also use such profanity! Do not send your children here, it will take a turn for the worst.

A very diverse neighborhood school with strong community, parent involvement and experienced…read moreteachers. Hands down the most green, modern, equipped and well maintained campus in the area. The booster club raises $450,000-500,000 per year for enrichment, class size reduction teachers, expanded STEAM activities, color runs, cultural events, extra field trips, curated programs, new computers, etc. Several aftercare options including free BTB&ELOP and paid enrichment options like STAR, basketball, soccer, tennis, orchestra, chess, culinary.

this school is absolutely horrible. i went here for 6 years and all i've ever gotten was bullied…read morewith no one to address the situation. as a middle schooler i see how this really effected my life which is why i hate this stupid school and everyone in it

"Our experience at Walgrove elementary school has been absolutely wonderful! The large campus -…read morebeautiful wild-lands and Garden - theater, tap, steam studio, chess, etc. and the teachers are truly loving and dedicated. Parent involvement is strong, which creates a real sense of community. We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a supportive and enriching environment. Couldn't be happier!"

Awesome community! Academics are strong, plus great steam offering, amazing extra curricular…read more(violin, chess, ridiculously musical theater, etc) , plus a HUGE campus with lots of nature. Really don't know what more you could ask for!!! We've had two kids go through the school!

This is a fantastic school for your kids to attend. My daughter has learned more than any…read moreneighboring public school so its well worth the investment. If you want your children to feel happy, safe, and supported this is the place to go. Small classroom size is also a huge plus. Keep up the good work!

Amazing School! Amazing and kind teachers! Highly recommended! My daughter thrives at Saint Anne…read moreand loves getting up and going to school!

I am so glad that my 3 kids all went to Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles. They not only grew-up to…read morebe multi-lingual (which increases the number of synaptic connections in the brain, a biomarker of heightened intelligence), but they also grew-up learning and playing in a more worldly, nurturing environment with kids from all around the world. I belive that the French school system has a superior method of teaching math. It also recognizes the importance of developing one's ability to retain wrote memorization, to think critically, and how art and music play a critical role in increasing one's creativity. While I'm proud to be a product of LA's public school system, I grew-up envious of my little sister's more appreciable accomplishments; which I attribute to the more rigorous, more enlightened French educational system offered at Le Lycée. There's a lot more I could tell you about the Le Lycée, should anyone be thinking about having their kids go there. Feel free to contact me. To end on a light note: My wife and I do not speak French. Our kids started Kindergarten which was taught in French. All throughout elementary and secondary school, our kids attended the "study hall" after school, where they got help with their homework. We often heard from friends whose kids went to other schools, how terrible it was to help their kids with their homework. I can honestly say, my wife and I never had that experience.

The worst school ever. Where do I even start? The teachers are horrible and many of the teachers…read morehave anger issues and yell at students. On the flip side, they give students an A for 70 so everyone is an A student. What a joke! This school is a complete fr@ud and simply terrible. They also removed my previous Yelp review. Dishonest and bad quality. Shame on you.

Montessori Academy of Culver City (MACC) was such a wonderful experience for both of our kids. The…read moreteachers were truly amazing - warm, thoughtful, attentive, and clearly invested in every child's growth. Our kids became so independent and capable during their time at MACC, while still getting to be silly, have fun, and genuinely love going to school. They came home excited about all the things they had learned, and it was clear they felt safe, supported, and happy there. We also appreciated the care the teachers took in every detail. You could really tell how much they cared about the kids. We love our children's new school, but we still miss MACC and its wonderful teachers. We have enthusiastically recommended MACC to other families.

Finding a preschool for my oldest child during COVID was no small feat. The options to tour and…read morescope out schools were limited as there is only so much a video conference can show. I knew MACC was special from the moment our virtual tour started. Ms. Ruhi showed us not only the school but exemplified specific activities our child would do and clearly explained what the curriculum would be. And everything she said and showed us was on point. Now, with a MACC graduate, and another still attending, I can completely and confidently attest to the amazing curriculum, staff, and community at MACC. More personally, we have gotten to know each of our children's teachers very well. We receive daily reports and touch base at pickup and drop off. It is very personal and the teachers genuinely care about and love their students. Even teachers our children used to have or never had are always eager to say hello to our children and greet them with a hug. Our children know everyone there and have always felt comfortable with them. Ms. Alie was our oldest child's first teacher and she always greeted us and our child with the most love and concern and always shared specific examples of our child's days from work to funny things they said, among other things. Ms. Gaby was our child's most recent teacher and between her and Ms. Melody, the pre-k/TK equivalent curriculum was unreal. Our oldest and their classmates learned SO much but also created some of the coolest art projects. The class was also extremely close and tight knit and you could tell they loved their teachers and each other and vice versa. Our younger child had Ms. Sheuly this year who also provided regular feedback to us at pickup and dropoff and would walk through our child's weekly worksheets so we could reinforce at home. Even though our oldest child didn't have Ms. Sheuly, the curriculum was just the same as was the quality of teaching and perhaps more importantly, the care and concern for our child. On top of all of this, the parent community is wonderful and we have made some very close friends through the years. Anytime a local parent asks about preschool options, I always recommend MACC for its community, curriculum, and supporting, talented and caring staff/teachers. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the speedy communication from Ms. MaryCarmen and Ms. Michelle and the love and support of the co-teachers in all classrooms. My only complaint is MACC doesn't go through high school!