My daughter graduated from this school in 2015. I later found out that most of her teachers (not…read moreall) were just awful to her and her classmates/friends. Up to this day she and her friends would talk about how awful some of these teachers treated them. The teachers absolutely showed favoritism to students whose parents practically did their job by volunteering everyday and will not let any parents do so. My son was attending at this school but their Special Education is less than satisfactory because they had nothing to offer him. I ended up transferring him to Foothill Ranch Elementary and it was best thing that ever happened to him. When my son strarted attending Foothill Ranch Elementary, they sent me a letter saying that they were opening up a class accommodating my son's needs and that Portola Hills is his home school. I told them that he will never return to this school. I saw my son get bullied by these kids in front of my eyes by purposely not including him to their reading groups during Dr. Seuss birthday celebration in their classroom because he read slow. He read slow because he's autistic. My daughter is forever scarred by this school but fortunately, she overcame it with my constant re-assurance because this school destroyed her confidence. By the way, Cookie the office woman was just awful to my son. She would get upset if he comes in to the office to ask for help. If you are a brown nosing parent you will thrive in this school but if you are working mom who cannot always be there. I wish you the best but keep an eye on your children or you can transfer them to Foothill Ranch Elementary. For what it's worth, Mrs. Shanton, Mrs Morrow, Mrs Lindenhoffen (my daughter's teachers) are wonderful teachers. Mrs Lau and Mrs Franco are wonderful as well, they were my son's teachers. The rest, well...Good-luck along with the principal Mr. Ledaux (if he's still there)

This is a great school with caring teachers. My son has been here only a few months but acclimated…read morewell. The afterschool program is great and the supervisor is amazing as well (I know this should be a separate review but it is on campus). I would love it if they allowed kids to play on the playground before school like the schools in Irvine but that is my only complaint.

Trabuco Elementary is such a special little school! Tucked away in the peaceful canyon, it has the…read moremost amazing farm and garden where kids get to learn by doing--it's such a great way for them to connect with nature. The small class sizes are a huge plus because the teachers really get to know each child and give them so much individual attention. They also focus on social-emotional learning, which has been incredible for helping my kids build confidence and learn how to handle challenges. The community here is so close-knit--it feels like a big family--and the teachers are just phenomenal. If you're looking for a school where your kids will thrive, this is it!

This school is amazing! Small class sizes, excellent teaching staff, amenities galore! On-site farm…read morewhere students are able to visit during recess. Students participate weekly in outdoor assignments on the farm following next generation science standards and STEM. Brand new STEM lab-green screen, go-pros, microscopes-everything! Highest test scores in SVUSD. 87th percentile in English and 74th percentile in mathematics. The school has an active PTA which promotes tons of community activities. Hosts Trabuco Field Study program which students from all over Orange County visit to learn grade level curriculum hands-on. ALL Trabuco students participate in every field study program while they are enrolled. Many students end up being extremely high achieving in later academic life-honors, AP, and IB when they hit middle and high-school. Over 100 year old school with an amazing record of success.

Honestly this school sucks. Let me start by saying the faculty suck. The assistant principal has…read morewalked into the girls bathroom multiple times while the bathroom in use. And this is just isn't right and the principal had some weird behavior, now I love this school but the school has some questionable behavior. My science teacher has had some questionable behavior and was almost fired but they didn't fire him and still let him teach and let me tell you he doesn't teach, he sits behind the desk not teaching and I come home with Fs in the class and when I come up to him asking about school home work and assignments I am greeted by a trash pick up or the office. Needless to say the school pride is great, half the faculty is great and the principle makes the school feel amazing, I'm honestly glad that Mr Rubio is not going to be there anymore because his behavior is very questionable. The drama teacher has some weird behavior too, he showed are class some inappropriate things and was also suspended. Honestly this school is very meh. It's common for teachers to get suspended and come back because of the poor performance of the school. I would wish to see action taken and more accountability to the school

I think it's sad to see such negative ratings about a school. I almost feel like a few of the…read morereviews were written by students, and aren't actual experiences written by parents. Anyway, I wanted to say that my daughter has had a great experience attending RSM. Sure every school has it's positives and negatives, but Yelp is not the spot to rant and rave about a bad teacher they may have had or an incident where a student got in trouble with the Principal. It is about the overall experience and RSM overall left us with many positive experiences. One thing that I really like is that the school has a great communication system. I like their weekly Roadrunner express emails letting me know all of the school information of what's to be expected that is coming up, currently happening, contact information and just general information. They also send out phone calls and email reminders on early dismissal reminders, holiday schedules, state testing and large school events, so that parents can be extra prepared. It's nice that they almost "over remind" you, just in case you forget as life gets quite busy for many parents with things pulling you in many directions, which seems to be the case these days. I also like the fact that she has made many friends from different schools since I believe that RSM is a culmination of students from Robinson, Trabuco, Cielo Vista, Melinda Heights, Foothill Ranch, and Trabuco Mesa. She will hopefully carry many of these new friendships she has made over onto her four years of high school and onward. It's always good to increase your elementary school circle of friends with new faces. Yes, not every school is for everyone and RSM is definitely not perfect by any means, but I say don't knock it until you try it. Mr. Bjorek, Ms. Gibson, and Mr. Morgan are great Principals and work hard to try and make RSM Intermediate a great place for the students.

This school isn't that great for TK special education the teacher here Ms. G lacks communication…read moreand the teacher has you download 4 different apps that she barely uses to stay connected in regards to your student. Another thing about the school is that for picture day or career day or anything that has to do about dressing up or pictures day if you like to be informed last minute, this is your school.

We love this school. Learn all about it from the principal here…read more https://parkbench.com/blog/beth-ewing-interview-rancho-santa-margarita

My kids had the best experience at country village! As a school teacher, I was very particular…read moreabout what I wanted for my kids' first school experience, and Country Village checked every box for our family. The staff is incredibly caring, patient, and nurturing, and Marisa, the director, is wonderful as well. I especially appreciated the small class sizes, which were very important to me, along with the amazing playground where the kids could play and explore. Another huge highlight was the classroom pets -- my children absolutely loved them! Both my son and daughter truly thrived at Country Village, and I'm so grateful for the positive, loving environment they experienced there.

We love Country Village! All 3 of our kids have attended the school, the teachers are amazing & the…read moreDirector, Marisa is so caring, organized and runs a great program! We highly recommend Country Village RSM!

The teaching staff here seems to have a great interest in teaching our kids…read more Their ideas and concepts about getting our kids ready for each upper grade and always striving them forward, are great.

- i attended trabuco mesa elementary school from kindergarten all the way to 6th grade, excluding…read more5th grade. i absolutely loved this school!! the teachers, students, volunteers, lunch activities, and all the many other things this school had to offer was absolutely incredible. this school has given me unforgettable memories and experiences. just one thing,,, i had an incident that had happened my 6th grade year that's had to do with bullying and let's just say when i was offered help, the principal was no help AT ALL. if anything, she made matters worse. when i has reached for help, no help was given by staff nor the principal, all i got was a very, very loud yelling from her and questioned by the police after demanding i have a parent present before further questioning. i never knew a principle could talk to an 11 year old student in such a offensive and demeaning way. not to mention, she told my parents lies about my behavior at school and that i was a bad student even though i never was. - overall this school is truly great. one of the best and if you're thinking about enrolling your child into trabuco mesa elementary school, your child is going to have the time of their lives. you will not regret it. :)

ECC is amazing, we love the 1:6 ratio and the teachers are super nice and supportive! Traffic…read morecontrol at the gate is always effective and timely made all my drop offs and pickups amazing. The school is also located at a very cool spot, taking 241 anybody can get there easily expect a little bit high way toll but who cares if can get there 15mins rather than 30mims.

This school is lost spiritually and academically!!!The new third grade teacher and administration…read morethis year do not have a clear direction. The school is struggling financially and will beg you for money every week! They claim to be academically rigorous but your child will only do worksheets you could buy online. The new third grade teacher is extremely unprofessional and rude. She has implemented her public school training and does not treat all children equally or fairly. She is punitive, cold and plays favorites. She is wicked and ungodly. The Chaplin of the church is weird and has students laying on the pews during religion class and also makes offensive comments. She is not a reflection of what Christianity should look like. There are much better schools in the area for your child.

So the word on the street is that Irvine schools are the best. Then my friend, you have not been to…read morethis school! Clean, up to date, well organized and professionally run. Mr. Morrow, the Vice Principal is always available and is beyond active in the school. He is a constant and reassuring presence on the playground in the morning, which is a definite comfort in this day and age. Mrs. Harp, a second grade teacher will take your breath away in how she teaches. It's obvious that there is a strong passion for teaching in her, and it shows daily. The curriculum is first rate, Apple computers in all the classrooms, well maintained property, highly motivated and dedicated staff. What more can one ask for in a school?

Saint Junipero Serra Catholic School has exceeded all our expectations in the seven years our…read moredaughter has attended. Particularly this year, amidst the unprecedented disruption of COVID-19 and the impact on all schools. The transition to virtual learning was seamless and the curriculum proceeded with very few hiccups. The administration and teachers remained engaged and available for all questions or concerns. This is consistent with our experience through our time at the school. This institution truly cares about each student and prepares them for high school and life in general with solid values and educational rigor, all with the underpinnings of the Catholic faith.

We gave St. Serra a try, but it wasn't a positive experience for our family. My child struggled to…read moremake friends. Her teacher seemed kind and tried to help, which I appreciated, but we didn't feel welcomed by the broader school community. I noticed a lack of diversity and spoke with other new families of color who shared similar experiences. Drop-off and pick-up sometimes took close to an hour each, which was difficult to manage as a working parent. When we told the school we were leaving, no one reached out to understand what had gone wrong or how they might improve the experience for future families. The academics did not seem strong enough to justify roughly $16,000 a year, especially with good public schools nearby. Ultimately, I didn't see a reason for us to stay.

As someone who's live in RSM/Trabuco canyon for 25+ years, some of the worst drivers attend this…read moreschool. Someone cut you off? Look for a blue collared shirt behind the wheel! Total disregard for the rules of the road and other drivers. "Mr. G" and he likes to call himself is apparently in charge of students in this regard, and said he would manage them better. From Tesoro all the way to SM's parking lot, a white discovery (plate: 9BSE309) with two little girls went about 80/90 on the 241 all the way to the school. Weaving in out of traffic. School doesn't answer the phone!

The school has a great marketing team to sell you "excellence" that never materializes. Santa…read moreMargarita is lacking in all other aspects and does not compare to other elite private high schools. Toxic and insular environment that does not set students up for success in real world environments outside of South Orange County. The exception is if your student has potential to be a D1 athletic recruit in one of the school's elite sports program.