High Chromebook usage daily Denied this until they realized AUSD sends an internet usage update listing times, duration and websites. Issues at site-promises/advertised enrichment not happening/ chromebook as a babysitter, daiky candy as a reward for behavior- were unable to be resolved with site director over many months. But, when I finally reached out to the owner Linda I was dismissed and referred back to the Site Director. Many parents ended up leaving the program and placing our children elsewhere. The only positive were a couple of the classroom staff throughout the years who were kind and patient with the kids. These staff members often ended up moving on. read more

Kids are being babysat by you tube and other sites with unsupervised computer viewing despite my addressing the issue multiple times with the director. Thanks Alhambra Unified for those very detailed reports of internet usage so I can see exactly when and which sites and for how long my child spent while at Spark...instead of enrichment and outdoor time. It was frustrating that the Director/Owner ignored my messages despite my trying multiple times to resolve the issue with the site director before reaching out to her. The staff says what you want to hear, but again and again no change is made. Disappointing from an owner that is a former educator so she is well aware of the screen time limits and recommendations for elementary aged children. I have noticed that some sites are being run much better than others, so be aware to actually check on what your child is doing each day there after homework is done. Don't rely on the staff, but check internet usage and ask your child. Maybe your school site program differs. read more

I would give the owner zero start if I could. According to the owner Linda, my son has behavioral issues which I don't disagree. However, I had been in daily communication with the former site supervisor and she never complained about my son because she knew how to work with him. However when Linda was onboarding a new site supervisor, she just called me out of the blue and told me today was my son's last day at Sparks. No discussion, no warning, she just made the decision and left us hanging! Poor management that's what I see. read more

I disenrolled before school started this year, yet I was charged on July 26th. I never entered a payment method when I enrolled, as I wasn't sure I would be sending my son back to school. They pulled my bank account number from enrollment in 2019. I never signed anything agreeing to a payment or authorizing them to pull an ACH. THEN had to wait a month to be refunded. When I followed up with accounting after several unanswered emails she told me she was issuing a refund as a courtesy but I would have to wait an additional week. um what?! I never authorized a charge. Received my refund check on August 23rd. As stated in my previous review the accounting department is a nightmare. The program and teachers are great. Just know what you are getting into. read more

SPARK Academy Corp - Educational Services Near Me

My daughter has been attending the Spark Afterschool Academy since Kindergarten at Repetto Elementary in 2013. She even attends their Summer Camp program. Although she is currently in 6th grade at Monterey Highlands Elementary, she still enjoys and benefits from the program. She especially loves the extracurricular activities such as Karate, Dancing, Cooking, and Science Experiments. Since I don't get off work until 5:30, Spark is able to take care of her for me right after school since they are on-site. They provide assistance with homework and even a snack. Sometimes my daughter doesn't even want to leave when I pick her up. I am so grateful for everyone at Spark Afterschool Academy for all the years they have taken care of the most important person in my life. Everyone on staff throughout the years have been incredibly helpful and friendly. Whenever I pick up my daughter they always update me on how she did during the day and that really sets me at ease knowing that they really look our for all the kids. I highly recommend using their service if you're in need of school-age childcare. read more

It is costly and the cost isn't even worth it. The site is an old church for their summer program, and the food there is disgusting.

My 2nd Grader has been a part of SPARK since Kinder at Park. We love the balance of homework and play he gets every school day. The Children are always encouraged and motivated academically. Ms. B and Ms. Maddie are so wonderful with communications with the parents. But all the staff including Ms Jacqui are awesome. I've seen the way they speak to the children with calm constructive reasoning. My boy looks forward to all the activities with SPARK! We are thinking of having him participate in their summer program this year! read more

My son joined Spark Summer Camp this year. He loves it and very enjoy everyday. Spark has many programs and activities for the kids e.g. Art, STEM, Weekly Theme.... I'm so thankful to the Spark's staffs for taking care of the children. They will remind the children to clean up and wash hands always. I highly recommend the program. read more

My daughter join Repetto after school Program --Spark Which is Homework assistance and correction are important parts of the daily.they also provides a variety of enrichment activities which includes arts and crafts etc.last but important SPARK's team they are nice read more

I would definitely recommend Spark academy to parents seeking for after school program.

My son loves it here! The teachers he interacts with on a daily basis make him feel comfortable and safe! I appreciate everything nick and andrea (sorry if I misspelled the name) are doing. They have other staff that are wonderful, but they escape me at this time. read more

Great program my son is in the 3rd-4th grade program at Garfield and they do a great job balancing academics and making sure the kids also enjoy themselves. Thankful we have them at the school! read more

I'm so thankful to the Spark staff for taking great care of my daughter. I really appreciate their caring and positive attitudes each time I pick her up. They're great in providing daily updates on how her day went and the progress she's making with what they're learning. Thank you to the Spark staff!!! read more

My son and daughter attend Spark after school at Monterey Highlands Elementary. They absolutely love the program! They like their teachers and the additional activities. Most recently the police department came on campus and put on a K-9 demonstration. They learned a lot and didn't stop talking about it the entire night. I appreciate that my kids always have their homework completed by the time they are picked up. Spark has a lap top available for the kids to complete their online homework after school. The number one reason why I initially chose Spark is the fact that my kids stay on campus after school and don't have to be transported offsite to another location. This gives me peace of mind knowing that they never leave the secured campus and is watched by the awesome Spark staff. I highly recommend the program! read more

Not only is SPARK Academy a great afterschool program, their Spring, Summer and Fall camps are great also! My step daughter has been in their afterschool program at Monterey Highlands Elementary for the last two years and the staff there are very friendly and very helpful with the students. Miss Trisha always communicates with us on how my step daughter is doing with her homework and what she has left to do. And when my step daughter attends their camps, she comes home and tells us how much fun she had with her friends and cant wait to go back. read more

Awesome work from awesome people at Repetto School. Sparks has been helpful for many years with my child. I choose them because they offer a lot of one-on-one attention for my child to complete her homework before I pick her up. They also offer engaging, educational activities during spring, fall, summer breaks that keeps my kid off screens. My child has been very happy with Sparks! read more

Repetto Site has always been fantastic! The staff are very friendly and attentive to my daughters scholastic needs.

Love it. Ms Lopez and Ms Candy at the Fremont Elementary location are fantastic. My kid has been in this program for 3 years and she loves it. read more

One of our favorite things about Park Elementary is SPARK. Our son had a hard time for a few weeks at the start of the year, at a new school, as a kindergartner, where lots of the kids (who'd taken TK the year before) already knew each other. SPARK is where he made his first friends, in a little community fostered by the warm and welcoming staff. Ms Jacqui is a great director, responsive and accommodating; Ms B clearly loves the kids and they love her. We appreciate the extra play time as well as the homework time that SPARK provides. When we come pick him up at end of day, he usually tells us we've come "too early." :) read more

Sparks academy has a good after school program. My kid goes to Ramona elementary his teacher Alex is awesome

My son attends SPARK at Brightwood, and he really enjoys the program. His teachers Miss Miriam and Miss Sophie are very attentive and helpful, especially with his homework. They always make sure to update me on his progress when I pick him up. They're also very careful about his food allergies and check with me whenever they're about to pass out treats. My son feels comfortable and happy in his after-school program, and that's important to me :). read more

The staff at Sparks is dedicated and compassionate. My son has been attending the Sparks academy at Park Elementary School for two years now. They make sure that he finishes his homework every day and I love that they communicate with me regularly. read more

Great program with great staff. I'm glad it was available on site and does focus on homework completion. They accommodate prorated rated during the school year, but not during the summer. Also, it's unfortunate that snacks are no longer subsidized during the school year. Overall, much better than some of the other options out there. read more

My daughter and son have been in this afterschool since kinder. Already four years now. Both the children and I like the teachers in this school, and also like how they teach students how to learn and how to be better children. Thank you very much, Ms.Jacqui and Ms.B. With the two teachers there, I would be relieved that the children would not be with me after morning school. read more

When my lil one came to Sparks she was shy and extremely quiet. A bit introvert - after 3-4 months she opened up and was expressing herself tremendously. She has truly blossomed and in her academics she has grown tremendously. The Directors and staff are heavily involved with the kids on an individual basis. Rewards are given when work has been completed. Kids are encouraged to strive to do their best and they allow the kids to express themselves in many ways. Towards the end of school year they have a talent show where kids perform a skit/a show for the parents. Also classes are included of Karate/Spanish/Math about every 8 weeks...at no additional cost. Their summer camps are fabulous with academics being taught 3x a week/ field trip/ dress up Friday. Meals included/ walks to the park/swimming lessons. Excellent staff!!! Thank you for all you do with the kids! read more

Spark staff at Ynez are amazing with the kids. When I walk into the class it is quiet during hw time. The kids always look happy.

My child had been attending SPARK's after-school program for 1 1/2 years prior to the Covid shutdown. The staff were great with the kids and helped them with homework and also organized fun activities. SPARK also offered summer camp this year. Prices were reasonable. It's great to be able to drop off my child early (7:30am) and pick up by 6pm. My child really enjoyed the activities during his time at SPARK! read more

My 5 yo is a TK student at Park Elementary. You know a you placed your child in a great program when they always ask to stay longer. They always complete their homework during their time there and Mr Manny (one of the Spark teachers) lets parents know if we need to do any homework at home to ensure it's complete before Fri due date, which is not often because he's always on top of their work. Spark has a structured schedule that also includes play time and other assigned extra curricular activities, such as arts/crafts or cooking. This year they even put together a Holiday Show and Party for Spark families. The director, Ms Jacqui, communicates all activities, snacks and updates via email. In addition, she always makes herself available by phone/text and responds very quickly. Ms B is another Spark teacher that works with the older children, but she also takes the time to assist and get to know the younger ones. Most importantly, my son has difficulty processing verbal instruction. One of the Spark Teachers put together a grid to show if he's following instructions well that day. Since then, he's been having better days! read more

My son started kinder this year and like most parents I was in a slight panic about what after school programs had to offer. When I came across SPARK Academy I was still unsure how it would work out for me and my son. However, as soon as I contacted and received a call back from Ms. Jacqui at Park Elementary I started to feel at ease. She is excellent about communicating in a very timely fashion and is easy to contact. The company is very flexible and helpful, especially Cassie in accounting. The on campus program is awesome and I am pleased with the care and attention the staff pay to the children. I like that there are a couple of permanent staff members from the school that also work at the after school program. Mr. Manny and Ms. B are the first people we see in the morning and some of the last we see at night and they are always welcoming. Besides the awesome staff I really like that their is a daily routine that includes doing homework, it's so beneficial. Also, they include extra curricular activities like a dance class and science experiments throughout the week. I am overall very pleased with SPARK and their employees. It shows that they love the children and take pride in helping the children grow and thrive. read more

Mr. Nick at Repetto campus is very good at communicating with everyone - from fellow staff to parents and of course the kids - and introducing new activities, learning opportunities and positively keeping up the Spark experience. read more

Great program! Very helpful when you have a busy schedule. They help kids with homework, as well as teaching them various ways to become responsible and respectful. Definitely the best after school program my son has attended. Appreciate everything Mr. Nick and the staff do for the kids at Repetto school. read more

My son Julian and I love and appreciate Sparks Academy. Thank you staff for all you do. Go Repetto!

A great after school program that my oldest attends at Brightwood Elementary. Miss Mariam and Miss Sophie ensure his homework gets done and that he follows the rules. I get updates about his progress and they work with him on any issues. I also love that they offer "camps" during school holidays. Highly recommend and it's right in the Brightwood school! Thank you SPARK for all that you do! read more

My son is in 1st grade and is in this program at Brightwood. The staff, especially Ms. Hazel, is very helpful and kind to him. She helps him with his homework and he enjoys the program a lot. Thanks so much SPARK! read more

Spark after school program is great. Its onsite offering provides convenience for both student and parent. It gives you a peace of mind when you know your kids are picked up on campus when the school ended and do not need to travel in a van. Its a staff are friendly and kind to their students. They will check their homework and class work everyday and provide feedback to the students. Besides academic, they also have outdoor activities to encourage students try different things, such as painting, dancing, gardening, etc. They also host year end holiday events and invite parents to joIn. Keep it up, Spark! read more

My daughter has been enrolled with Spark Academy at Brightwood school since she was in Kindergarten, she's now in the second grade. I am very impressed with the staff. Ms. Sofia and Ms. Miriam have been especially helpful this year in helping with my daughters progress. They go above and beyond my expectations. They have patiently worked with my daughter and ensures her homework is completed accurately and timely, everyday. Thanks ladies for all that you do!! read more

Spark academy is awesome and I highly recommend it! The staff are friendly and helpful to the students and parents. My daughters have been at Spark since the business first got started and they absolutely love it! The owner, Linda Wong, is an incredible leader with an inspirational vision for the children. The on-site director, Ms. Leslie, is incredibly helpful and always flexible. She works with the parents and ensures the students are thriving. Ms. Ty tutored my daughter and did an excellent job. I'm so happy to have found this afterschool and on-site program for my girls and recommend it for your kids! read more

My son is 3rd grader at Park elementary in Alhambra and he has been attending Spark after school since TK, and it's been a very rewarding experience for our family. The staff over the years have all been amazing, they do excellent job of making sure homework is completed and reviewed and then have other fun and rewarding activities such as cooking / art / playing . The staff also so excellent job of coordinating with other school staff such as teacher and sports coaches , the busy schedule of the kids. Highly recommend SPARK! read more

My kid is in Spark at Brightwood Elementary in Monterey Park and not only does she love it but so do we as parents. Ms. Lisette and Ms. Hazel keep us updated not only on her homework but also on her behavior and interactions with others. As parents, we are able to breathe a little easier because Spark does such a good job on checking the kid's schoolwork and progress. read more

The best after school program! My kiddo is at the Park elementary site. Ms Jacqui is super responsive to parent concerns. Ms B takes care of my little one like he's family. Our family is so happy with the care provided. read more