Not a good "catholic" environment. Children, parents, and principal are people you do not want to…read moreeducate and be around your child. Horrible school, families, and principal.

Both of our boys attended St. Stephen Catholic School. Both boys had a great experience socially…read moreand received an excellent education which prepared one to attend Archbishop Riordan HS and the other to attend Junípero Serra HS. We were parents at St. Stephen School for a total of 15 years and enjoyed being an active part of the school community. It has a very close, family like feel and we highly recommend St. Stephen School.

My boyfriend's daughter attended FSK, I know many of the teachers there, and I have observed in…read moreclassrooms there. I also have known the assistant principal for years and used to work with her. I would send my child there in a heartbeat. The assistant principal is upfront, honest and student centered. People were in tears when she left my school to go to FSK. Today, she stopped in to visit, and my room filled with the sounds of cheering students from the yard outside. They rushed over like she was a rock star! I don't think I've ever seen them that excited, and these were 4th and 5th graders! FSK has a long history of incusivity. I believe it was one of the first schools to really start seriously including kids from the special day classes in the general education classes. Last year, when the current assistant principal was at my school, she made changes to the busing so that the students in the special day classes would be able to attend the morning assemblies with the rest of the school. She is dearly missed, and I am sure she has brought this spirit of inclusivity to FSK. I would highly recommend that you visit the school and meet the administrators. They are both wonderful people.

I came here for summer school when I was really little, but my teacher wasn't even a teacher who…read moretaught regularly at FSK. So no review for that. REVIEW IS FOR THE PLAY STRUCTURE THAT I GO TO ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN THERE ARE NO SMALL CHILDREN! Oh man. I love the little play structure. It's a bit small...obviously. :P Hehe. I don't know, I'm still a little kid!! I can't ever resist a playground or play structure. I'm glad that there's this one so close to home. It's not dirty or grimey like the ones at places with a sandbox. I really don't like those because I get sand in my shoes.. then I have to empty out my shoes..then theres always those few pieces of sand that don't leave and I take them home with me and when I'm walking around barefoot, I get pieces of sand stuck on my feet. THIS PLACE HAS NO SAND. YAY! :)

I went to school here from k-8. I cant remember which campus for which years but its all the same…read more Good times. I was such a little trouble maker. Good memories. Mr. Jacob was our history, and German teacher. In class one day, he said, "Class, who knows what Italy looks like?" The correct answer i think was a boot. But me, being the wise ass i was, said "It looks like its kicking Sicily's BUTT!!!" got big laughs, but Mr. Jacob didn't think that was funny... got sent to the principals office. Then i remember in 8th grade, i drew a picture of a sperm and wrote someones name in it, and even autographed it and dated it. We had to take a test and put it under our desk, so the teacher (Mr. Jacob) thought it was a cheat sheet and took it. He looked at it and then glared at me! Huh-larious. I remember i got a double detention for throwing food over the fence. Haha... This was a good campus, at least i thought it was. Havent been there in many many years. Class of 95, but hey, i guess that was a good school because it instilled in me some of the morals which i still have to this day.

Our son is graduating from WPLS this summer after starting in kindergarten--and we couldn't be more…read moregrateful for this school. WPLS has given him more than strong academics: he's made lifelong friends and grown into a confident, kind young person. The teachers truly care, and in the past few years, the new principal has brought such positive energy and improvement. There's a strong sense of community here--families are involved, and every child is known and supported. We're excited to see the school continuing to grow. If you're looking for a nurturing, values-based K-8 school, WPLS is a gem!

I have three kids currently attending Robert Louis Stevenson and I'm thankful that they are…read moreenrolled here. Our family has always felt welcomed and safe at RLS. The faculty, PTA, and students all value and demonstrate high academic standards, emotional intelligence, and positive community building. Additionally, we have never had any issues with bullying or having our questions/concerns ignored. I still remember our principal, Dr. Diane Lau-Yee, emailing us personally on our inconsolable eldest daughter's first day of Transitional Kindergarten over three years ago, reassuring us that she was able to calm down and have fun the rest of the day. It showed us that leadership at RLS is truly invested in the students' wellbeing and growth. We are amazed at how Dr. Lau-Yee and the rest of the RLS staff can remember the names and personalities of all the many students in attendance. The affordable afterschool programs (KEEP, ExCEL) we have utilized at RLS allow for convenient flexibility for us as working parents. And the after school staff are equally attentive and kind with the students. Peace-of-mind knowing all three of our children are picked up from school healthy and happy is invaluable. RLS is falls into the Sunset District schools that start earlier, at 7:50AM, and dismisses earlier as well (in comparison to other schools in the neighborhood that start later in the morning at 9:30M). This works out well for our family and I'd imagine for other working parents with early morning meetings and onsite start times as students may be dropped off early, between 7:30-7:35AM, for breakfast. RLS is an exceptional school with respectful, genuinely caring, and positive staff, parents, and student body. Your child(ren) will be well cared for here.

I have been continually amazed by the quality of education and the truly inclusive environment at…read moreRLS during the five years our family has been part of this community. I had heard plenty of concerns about the lottery system and staffing challenges within SFUSD, but this school is truly a gem. We feel incredibly lucky to be here. At the heart of RLS is our exceptional principal, who somehow remembers every student, parent, sibling, and even grandparent by name. She knows my second grader likes to sneak up and say "boo!" to people and that my fourth grader has invented her own bird language. She is fair, thoughtful, deeply knowledgeable, and an outstanding leader. She has also been a careful and transparent steward of the school's budget, ensuring resources are used thoughtfully to support students. Every teacher we've had has taken the time to truly know and understand my kids as individuals. I've been especially impressed with the emphasis on social-emotional learning and the way teachers create a safe, supportive classroom culture. From thoughtfully pairing my quieter child with potential playmates to proactively addressing bullying and conflict, the staff are helping us raise kind, resilient humans--not just strong students. My kids feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and being themselves. Academically, I've been equally impressed by how teachers meet students where they are and help them grow. One of my children is advanced in math and reading, yet she says she never feels bored. Her teachers consistently find ways to deepen and extend her learning while also fostering humility and collaboration. When my other child struggled with reading, her teacher went above and beyond--creating a short instructional video and practical tip sheets for parents on how to support active reading at home. It made me feel empowered and equipped to help. Parent-teacher conferences are always thoughtful, specific, and collaborative; we leave with clear goals and a shared plan. I also don't think people talk enough about how affordable and well-run the aftercare options are at RLS. The programs offer a variety of enriching activities while making a genuine effort to accommodate working families' schedules and needs. Beyond academics, we appreciate the community we're building. We've built meaningful friendships with families at classroom gatherings and school-wide events. My older child thinks the RLS robotics club is the most amazing activity ever--and it's run by dedicated parent and staff volunteers who give their time to create these opportunities. RLS has exceeded our expectations in every way. It's a place where students are known, challenged, supported, and celebrated. We are deeply grateful to be part of this community.

Graduating class of 2007!!!…read more I love this school and I still think about the wonderful memories I have here. I met my best friend here in the 4th grade and we are still best friends! I am currently 22 going on 23 and I still talk about the wonderful memories I had here. I remember this school for their amazingly fun activities. I don't know if they still do it but if there ever comes a chance where I can come and assist in bringing back these fun events I would be here in a heart beat! Some fun events from my memories: Oceans Week Multi-Cultural Day Crazy Hat Day Pajama Day Chinese New Celebrations w/ Lion dancers Talent Shows Music program- Violin, Chior etc. Walk-a-thon Ice Cream Day Activity Day- Carnival games THE COTTON CANDY!!! Halloween Student of the week TEACHERS/ STAFF DUNK TANK!!! Friendship/ TLC group Nacho Sale Book Sale Ballroom Dancing Beacon- After School Program Can Food Drive Last Day of 5th grade- Bowling field trip Teachers I had: K- Ms. Ng 1- Ms. Easter 2- Ms. Low (left after my 3rd grade) 3- Ms. Fry 4- Mr. Nishimura 5- Ms. Scher Principal- Ms. Carol Fong I don't know if the school still does these amazing events or have the same staff there. I'm just sharing my 2007 experience. If you would like to know about my Middle School experience head over to A.P. Giannini's yelp and so on for high school and college. I write this for new parents who want to see where their children will end up if they follow the chain of school's i've attended.

They placed me in an ESL - Cantonese kindergarten class in kindergarten, and shit, I don't even…read morespeak Chinese. After a few weeks, someone finally decides it would be a good idea to reach out to my family. They then transferred me into an English speaking class after a few weeks, and surprise! I speak! But seriously, I loved going to this little public school. It's a diverse little gem of the Sunset, with faculty that put their all into their teaching.

I can truly say, my daughter success in middle school is due to dedicated teachers at Jefferson…read moreElementry school

Posting for acquaintance:…read more Jefferson is great school. I think the teachers are wonderful. The school openly welcomes all volunteer whether they are grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. My in-laws from out of town got a chance to volunteer in my children's classroom and that was very memorable. The school has a separate yard for kindergarten kids and the upper yard for grades 1 to 5. The kindergarten yard is really only used for drop-off (early as 8:20a), pick-up (2:40p) and during snack times and outdoor activities. The kindergarteners go to the upper yard for lunch. I do NOT like that they have changed the lunch schedule so that ALL kids have the same lunch period. You cannot put kindergarteners with 5th graders in the same yard. Ask them about the injury report counts. The cafeteria is very small. Because of this, all children eat outside. This is worrisome during hot days and freezing cold days. I've seen kids eat out there even during dense foggy days where it is literally misting. These are our precious kids?! I wish they would be more concern about sun protection, skin burns, skin cancer, or promote sun safety. The school does have a huge auditorium which sadly they do not use as the eating area. I guess if kids drop food or spill things outside, the natural elements will take care of this (rain/wind/birds/bees). Jefferson has a yahoo group for communication. Parents, teachers, and the principal are on the lists. My gripe about the school: For all you full time parents who need before care for your child(ren) because school starts at 8:40a or need aftercare because school is over at 2:40p, you will be highly disappointed to learn that the options are not that fantastic for before/after school care. Jefferson has ONE program. It's called Jefferson OST. Because there is only ONE program, they charge way more than any of the other after school programs that I know if. It's $510 per month for combined before (7:45a-8:40a) and after (2:40p to 5:45p) care. You can NOT get a discount if you only use say after school care and there is nothing prorated for anything. For such a high price you would expect MORE. But no, they don't offer anything special (cooking/field trips/teaching a second language/etc.). Here the other part that drives me nuts. They give PRIORITY for low-income or people who don't have to pay (i.e. qualifies for free care). Really?!! When my child's classmate's mother boasts about how they got in free because they make cash or choose not to work, that really angers me. Fine I don't care for these people, but you should treat every applicant fairly and not have this priority given. Oh by the way, there is not late fee structure. Rule states that your child's spot will be terminated after 3 late pick-ups. Now if only we can tell Muni bus driver (N train particularly) that if you are not on schedule more than 3 times, they are fired! I wish they would get rid of this program and bring in someone else different. Throughout the year there are 3 sessions of afterschool paid activities that parents can sign their kids up for. These fill up quickly so there is no guarantee that your child will get in. The 3-time sessions are Fall, Winter, and Spring. So for example, they offer on Mondays 2:50p to 3:50p French. But that also means you have to pick up your kids by 3:50p. The Jefferson OST welcome you to take and pay for these additional classes, but you get $0 discount and still pay the full $510/month. Jefferson OST basically has a monopoly over the site. Most parents who work full time really do not have a choice. The only other alternative is Sharon Baptist Church located half a block from Jefferson. They will come to pick up your child afterschool and walk them over to the Church. Sharon Baptist Church does not offer before school care. Their prices are a lot more reasonable and they have the common sense to adjust price according to holiday/days off. Their after-school care hours are 2:40p to 6:00pm. The only problem I have with sending my kinds to Sharon Baptist Church is that it just seems too boring. They don't have an outdoor playground to accommodate young kids and all activities there are "quiet" activities. Here are some additional comparisons to before/after school care at other schools: * Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila: cheaper than Jefferson OST with YMCA (previously was GLO but the parents were able to voice their dissatisfaction and bring positive change). * Alice Fong Yu: cheaper than Jefferson OST with GLO and their operating hours for pick-up go to 6:00pm. This additional 15mins compared to Jefferson OST's 5:45pm is huge when you are working parents! * Sunset Elementary: The before/after care use to be FREE...can you believe that...I said FREE. Now you have to pay but it's like half of Jefferson OST's amount and they have more than one option. The list goes on...

This is a review for the Preschool. We are located in the inner richmond and we toured every option…read morein the neighborhood for our almost 3 yo and Stella Maris was easily the best option. We immediately felt the love, organization, dedication of the teachers and staff and really appreciated that the preschool is within a larger school ecosystem. The preschool has it all - heavy Montessori focus with adorable handmade 'toys', arts, motor skills development, learning letters, and just learning how to be a little kid! They have a cute playground (with sandbox!) and trikes, etc. And of course, the pricing is great. Tour! Meet the teachers!

Close your eyes - imagine going back to your elementary school experience. What were your best…read morememories? My best memories of those days are being played out right now with my oldest child at Stella Maris Academy. The school is a strong community with involved parents and a great parish (thank you Father Ilo and staff) focused on teaching classical education and instilling a Catholic foundation to all young students. The goal is to mold young minds full of mush into the leaders of tomorrow who embody character, integrity, and most importantly, the love of Christ in all their endeavors. We attended one open house session in the fall, and enrolled on the spot.

I LOVE MDA!! My daughter has attended this school since kindergarten and is now in 3rd grade and I…read morecouldn't be happier with the quality of education she is receiving and how caring and committed the staff are. It is such a great feeling to know that I am dropping off my child to school each day, knowing she will be greeted at the front entrance by faculty that knows each childs name and greets them with a smile, hi five, and in my daughters case a hug because she loves to give hugs to those she loves and trusts. The teachers are very approachable and good at communicating with parents as much as needed. Due to this great level of communication we concluded that my daughter should be evaluated for ADHD. Since confirmation of her diagnosis staff has been very supportive and have been open to providing reasonable accomadations to help with my daughters difficulty with focus and impulsivity. In addition to the quality of education MDA offers I also like the following (1) Affordable tuition (2) Aftercare until 6pm (3) Sports (4) Chess (5) Latin (6) First Communion, and Confirmation (7) Reasonable number of parent hours easy to complete (8) They teach the kids to care about each other and give back to the community (9) They offer Summer School!

Extremely dissapointed. please consider another catholic education for your child. After a school…read moreyear of dealing with rude and disrespectful parents which obviously do not practice the roman catholic doctrine in their home, I see no real value in having to pay full tuiton cost where the school staff and teachers do not have any organized control or any outlined safeguards at this school. Make sure you visit other catholic schools before registering here. Good Luck!