This school is absolutely AMAZING! We live in Costa Mesa and the drive to Laguna Woods is worth it…read more(although I did dread the drive for the first 2 weeks). We were happy with our past public school and weren't shopping for a new school until COVID-19 closed in-person learning. Our kids now write in cursive and public speak. They read classic books and study art history! We are truly blown away every week with the information our kids are learning and retaining, not to mention what we are learning as parents...How many of you know how many countries are in Africa and their location?!? That would be my 2nd grader. States in Australia anyone?? Just my 4th grader! I can brag on and on about the curriculum and all the knowledge my kids have, but you're probably thinking, "that's great lady, but how long are your kids studying to achieve such greatness?". The answer is simple, give or take an hour a day. Right?!? shocking! With our 20 min drive home, the kids will start their homework in the car and will even quiz each other! #winning. I have no concerns about new math being taught or a Sexx Ed curriculum creeping in a book or a discussion. I appreciate the open communication I have with our teachers and the staff. I appreciate a progress report when our kids are having a challenging time on a concept, a playground spat, or praise. If you are reading this review then you are shopping around for a school...I highly encourage a tour! My husband and I said, "only one year of private school". Three weeks in and my husband and I agreed we would continue another year and by mid October our kids asked if they could continue to attend Geneva till eight grade. Check it out yourself, I promise you won't be disappointed. FYI both our kids learning abilities were very different at public school and we were well aware of the strengths/weaknesses with both children. Since the Geneva School both our kids are thriving.

Excellent and biblically centered school. Very organized and creative teachers who teach subjects…read morewith depth. Low student to teacher ratio means each child receives the guidance he or she needs. I have visited many public and private schools in Southern Orange County and The Geneva School has impressed me the most by far.

Creative STEAM has exceeded our expectations in every way. The teachers are passionate, patient,…read moreand attentive to each child's unique strengths. We've seen incredible growth in confidence, communication, and creativity. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a school that makes learning inspiring! Our kids love going to school!

We love this school! The director is amazing and the community feels welcoming and warm. My son has…read morea renewed love in school and never dreads going, that's a win for us!

Finding Pathways has been such a blessing for our family. We knew our son was struggling with…read morelearning disabilities, but his masking skills was making a very difficult to get him the help he needed in public school. Pathways has built him a personalized education path. His confidence has skyrocketed and he has developed excellent work habits for his needs. The staff is incredibly loving, dedicated, patient and fun.

This school has been amazing for our son. The individualized education, along with the care and…read moreattention he receives from teachers and staff is unmatched. We could not be happier.

This school does have a lot of problems but they come down to a lack of support from the…read moreadministration and parents. For example, there are a lot of split classes and teachers have no control over it--that's a financial decision made by the district to save money. The teachers are, for the most part, extremely hard working and devoted. Parents like the reviewer "Essence" expect a teacher to give them full attention on demand and they are always eager to criticize for any slight, real or imagined, instead of getting involved in the school in a positive way. I was shocked to see anything negative about Mrs. Feller. My kids and their friends had her and loved her and she is an excellent teacher who clearly LOVES her job. I'm sure there is another side to THAT story, but the teacher doesn't get a chance to give it. If parents would get more involved they could help make improvements to this neighborhood school. Right now it seems like the teachers are the only ones who care about it.

I am attending this school and all the bad thing I remember is that a kid got his hand stuck in the…read moremiddle of to bars. one lose hit another with a rock. my leg got cut on a pole. bees formed a beehive in the middle of lunch. we found a bong at the 3-1 graders playground. The girls and boys were fighting and someone's teeth got knocked out. In another fight a kid broke his finger. And if you got sick they would give you a ice pack and tell you to go back to class. And that's all I remember while righting this.

I really wanted to love this school, but our overall experience was very disappointing…read more In my opinion, the school maintains a narrow model of 'ideal' student behavior. From what I observed, they are quick to flag children who do not fit this specific mold, often suggesting professional assessments as the primary solution for behavioral differences. I also had concerns regarding supervision. I would receive incident reports that lacked any true insight into what actually happened--situations that likely could have been prevented with better oversight and supervision. For a full year, my child was miserable and would cry every morning, dreading school. After changing his school, the transformation was immediate. Seeing my child thrive in a new environment made me realize the issue was the school. Another major concern was how feedback was communicated. On multiple occasions, teachers raised negative comments about my child directly in front of him, which is entirely inappropriate and not how concerns should be addressed. These conversations should be handled privately with parents--not in a way that can embarrass or impact a child's confidence. What was even more troubling was hearing my son's peers repeat the same language to describe him--terms I had previously heard used by his teachers. That was very telling. It strongly suggests that the language modeled by staff was being picked up and repeated by other children. Therefore, I would have to agree with the shaming and scolding reviews left by others. On a practical note for parents: avoid sending your children in any nice clothing or shoes. In our experience, new items were constantly ruined by the dirt on the playground. Overall I would not recommend this school and I recommend not to be fooled by the pretty magical environment.

My twins have been at Willowbrook since preschool and will be entering 6th grade next fall. They've…read morethrived in every way here....academically, emotionally, physically, etc. The social emotional learning they've been introduced to has been phenomenal. The minute I set foot on this campus for a tour I fell in love. The campus embodies the natural Laguna Beach spirit, surrounded by animals, beautiful trees, a creek, quaint buildings, birds, and happy kids! We've grown close to several families throughout the years thanks to all the activities held on campus. The class sizes are small which was the main reason for choosing private over public. The meals are healthy and delicious. The staff is so wonderful. The commute is 15-20 minutes from Irvine.

My son started at Oxford Preparatory Academy - SV in kindergarten and is now in first grade, and we…read morecouldn't be happier with our experience! From day one, the teachers and staff have been incredibly supportive and dedicated. The chancellor and dean personally welcome students and families each morning, which sets such a positive tone for the day. As a parent volunteer, I've had the chance to see firsthand how much care and effort goes into creating a nurturing, engaging environment for the kids. The teachers go above and beyond to meet each child where they're at, providing individualized support to make sure they can truly thrive. OPA-SV feels like a community, not just a school. We are so grateful to be part of it and look forward to many more years here!

Our daughter is entering first grade at OPA this year. Last year was our first year at the school,…read moreand we had an amazing Kindergarten and overall school experience. The amount of growth I saw in my daughter after her kindergarten year is directly attributable to her amazing teacher, the caring administration, and the involved community of staff and parents. We also see a lot of growth in her academics through nightly reading and homework assignments to reinforce the lessons throughout the day/week. We also love how the kids are exposed to music, Spanish, and Mandarin, and the offering of after-school clubs is diverse and fun (running club, board games club, debate club, gardening club are just a few). There are also a number of school events through the PTA and school throughout the year to enrich the children's' and families' experience. The fundraising done goes directly back to the children and is used to enhance the school environment. In terms of overall learning/academics, we love the theory of multiple intelligences the school uses to tailor to the individual child. Even in kindergarten, my daughter's confidence and love of learning grew through family projects, classroom projects, plays in front of parents (ABC fashion show and a kinder circus), and so much more. Im looking forward to seeing her growth this year too, and hopefully will have my son start TK there next fall! Lastly, I'd say the experience is best when students and parents get involved and work together to make it a great school - even small contributions have a big impact in a community like OPA.

We started this year in TK, so we have been in this school for about 6 months now. I have to say,…read morewe love it. Now let me just start by saying, this school is different and I truly feel lucky that we got in. Also, I have to say this school might not be attractive to every parent ok.... Please take the intake seriously, because you could be taking a lottery spot for someone who truly wants to be in a Waldorf school. How would I describe our experience so far ? If you or your kid loves the outdoors (sun, rain, moon, stars, ocean) things that grow and live in gardens, nature walks, learning how to care for Mother Earth, etc. then this is your dream school. If you or your child enjoy playtime in mud, dirt, don't lose your mind over stains, love rain boots, umbrellas, etc. then this is your dream school. If you or your child enjoy all things magical/wholesome make-believe, like fairy tears, knights, puppets etc. then this is your dream school. Ok I think you get the point :). Reminder , this is a review of my experience in the kindergarten program... where my child learned how to write her name, craft, knit, cut vegetables, set the table, do chores, sing songs, explore, pick up worms, and much more. I like and admire our teacher and her aid. They are extremely experienced and are really good with the kids. I don't need to be the teachers best friend, I just need to hear from my child that she loves her and is excellent with the kids, that's all that matters to me, and she is! The school is small, which I love, it feels old fashioned in all the good ways... like in ways that will remind you of your childhood school days. It is truly a Waldorf school, so make sure you research that and know what you are signing up for. I love it for our family, I personally couldn't imagine my child anywhere else. It's a little gem and I'm so glad it exists. Also, there are things they ask for like, no Disney/characters on clothes, no fancy nails, hair color, makeup, stuff that could be competitive/distracting and I'm sooooo grateful for that. They really want them to have this beautiful slow childhood. There are also so many resources for the parents! So if this all sounds lovely to you and your family - Best wishes and good luck on lottery day!!

Journey School has changed our family's life. Our daughter was feeling shut down and crushed by her…read moreprevious first grade experience. The warmth and style of learning provided at Journey has given her back her joy. She's heading into second grade now, and says she someday wants to be a teacher at Journey herself. Our son likes to compare his kindergarten experience to his preschool experience and says the old school was the "mean" school. The love between the students and teachers is evident. It truly feels like a community. I also appreciate the staff and administration that are open to new ideas and continual improvement. I too have learned so many positive things as a parent at this school. I wish all kids could have the opportunity to learn in an environment like Journey.

There's a lot wrong with this school. First off it started with a scandal from the top down, well…read moreok, these things happen, but it never really seemed to recover. The teachers are very green, full of hopes and dreams but egregiously lacking in skill. The administration doesn't seem to be much better, my kiddo was in a class with a pregnant teacher, mind you they had several months to get a replacement ready, however after this teacher went on maternity leave it still took them several weeks to replace her. The student body has a ton of delinquents apparently because they were kicked out of other schools and this place appears to be a miscreant catch-all. I can't tell you how many times bullying has occurred. Their after-school program is a mess, my kiddo was injured by one of their staff who got too over zealous during a game!! And after the first couple years almost the entire after school program staff had turned over. If your school district is half ways decent I suggest you keep your kiddo there. In most cases non-charter schools have been doing their thing for a long time and have already figured out the solutions to the problems that OPA has.

Our son started kindergarten this year and so far we've been very pleased with the school! He has…read morebeen making a lot of progress and I love that he has Spanish, music and steam each week. The administration and teacher seem to be very caring and also very serious/reliable. The PTA is active and the school often has events for the whole family as well as an incentive program to motivate the students. The school is very diverse with many students of different cultures, which is important to us. I was a bit hesitant seeing the reviews on Yelp and Google, but glad we made the decision to send him at OPA!

As parents, we all seek the best educational and developmental environments for our children…read more After 3 years in public school, we realized that both of our kids were getting lost in the large classes and needed a small school environment to thrive. We sought out a school that with small classes, stimulating curriculum, engaged teachers, and a supportive social environment. Vandamme Academy has exceeded on all levels - and we only wish we had enrolled sooner! The small classes and overall school environment are what first brought us to Vandamme. We love that each grade level has only one class with roughly 15 students. The homeroom/subject matter class structure makes a huge impact in that it allows students to form relationships with multiple adults (and role models) at school. As we approach the end of our first year at Vandamme, we have seen how much maturity and confidence our kids have gained through these relationships. It is also clear that the teachers truly get to know each student's learning style, personality, strengths, and areas of need. The rigorous academic program is thoughtfully designed by Ms. Vandamme and the teaching staff in a way that challenges and inspires students. We love that the teachers specialize in subjects that they are passionate about. In doing so, they pass on their interest onto the students, so that students become interested and engaged in each subject. Just last week, I was blown away when my fourth grader asked to go to the library for books on Shakespeare's works. Beyond academics, we love Vandamme's positive and inclusive social environment. Students seem to come from diverse backgrounds and neighborhoods throughout our county, and the school staff does a great job of modeling kindness, inclusion, and respect. I've had the privilege of volunteering at two school events and chaperoning one field trip this year. In all instances, I've been so impressed with how responsible and respectful all of the students are. The food is also wonderful! While we don't order hot lunch every day, my kids always look forward to Chef Faustino's healthy and delicious creations. We are so grateful to Ms. Vandamme and the entire staff for providing a learning environment that not only enables ours kids to excel academically, but also build character and confidence.

VDA is an absolute dream come true. We are going into our fourth year at VanDamme Academy, and our…read morefamily has continued to be impressed. Our two children have very different personalities. Our daughter went into Kindergarten at VDA from a Montessori preschool. Two years later, our son went into Kinder at VDA from a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool. Very different preschools. They both transitioned smoothly into VanDamme, are both thriving, and are both genuinely excited to go to school in the mornings. Their progress in reading, math, vocabulary, critical thinking and problem solving from the beginning of the school year to the end is incredible. Miss Beach, the Kindergarten teacher, adjusts her teaching style to meet the individual child's needs. If we had a hard drop off, she would send a picture or two of our child letting us know they were doing better and settling in. If our son couldn't sit still for paper and pencil work at the desk, she would invite him to work with hands-on materials on the floor. She pays such close attention and gets to know each student so well, she identified that our daughter might need to have her vision checked... and it turned out, she needed glasses! That feeling of peace in my heart that our children are at the right school started in Kindergarten and has held steadfast. There is a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds here, which is a huge benefit. Other families here have become our friends. It's everything we hoped for and more. Our children developing a passion for learning, the curriculum, the community. If you are looking for the best education within K-8 in Orange County, welcome to VanDamme Academy.

I went here in the late 70's , great teachers & staff, from the Los alisos Jr high, wow memories,…read more anyone else went to Cresent bay in the summer

This school and the staff members here are so awesome. My son has been attending speech therapy…read morehere for the last year, and he LOVES going. He talks about his teachers all the time! The speech therapists here are SO kind and friendly and really work with him in a FUN way. He's improved his speech so much, that he met his yearly goal a few months early! Thank you so much Miss Robyn and Miss Heather and the other loving therapists that have been working with him. You guys are the best!