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    St. Catherine's Academy

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Belinda G.

    I dedicated 9 years of my life to St. Catherine's Academy, and I'm writing this review because I've witnessed countless boys transform into men of integrity and outstanding character. This remarkable transformation is a result of the unique blend of Catholic/Christian values and the rich military tradition that defines SCA. To put it simply, there is no place quite like St. Catherine's Academy. At SCA, the education goes beyond just academics, even though the academic programs are indeed exceptional. With small class sizes and a plethora of extracurricular activities, boys have the opportunity to develop in a holistic way. The combination of faith and military principles is truly special. Where else can a young boy receive such a profound education in morals and respect? I wholeheartedly recommend St. Catherine's Academy to any parent who wants something extraordinary for their son/s. The impact of SCA on young lives is nothing short of remarkable. SCA is not just a school; it's a place where boys become exceptional men.

    Ted H.

    Forget the stigma of a military school being a reform school. SCA is a character building school. The adminstrators, teachers, military staff and coaches know how to build up character, responsibility, knowledge, and COMMON SENSE in the boys. Accountability combats bullying and hazing. Drill and coursework build the boys into men. There is a difference between an SCA Cadet entering high school and a middle schooler from anywhere else. We will be back next year (8th grade), which will unfortunately be our last. Watch your son grow and gain the confidence he needs. Sweat feeds the grass, books feed the brain! P.S. cadets do not have to board at the school (we do not), but they do have 5day and 7day options available.

    Michelle O.

    I wanted to write this review because I keep thinking about ways that I can somehow repay everyone there for what they have done for my boys. First off, the school is gorgeous. Swim classes twice a week, a full time nurse with a mini hospital (lol, they have patient rooms), a movie room, drop off at 7 with a full breakfast served, child care until 6, boarding options for 3-8, a principal and a president who LOVE every boy and family, private piano lessons, Ethil the therapy dog, all boys, mass on Fridays, the best lunches ever, a sergeant, corporal, Coach Greg, class sizes of 10-15, and boys from other countries boarding allow my boys to have such a well rounded education. As an educator for over 20 years, current Assistant Superintendent and former principal and teacher, I have seen the good, bad, and ugly. There is NOTHING out there that compares to this school. My oldest boy is in 3rd grade, and I really think his teacher has wings under her clothing. She is exactly what my son needed. He has struggled with behavior for his entire education K-2, but he is successful for the first time this year! She is firm, but patient, calm, and loving. She loves her boys with her soul, her rigor and expectations are high, and her room feels like a space of love. She is a gift for kids and the best 3rd grade teacher I have seen over my 20 years in education. My youngest son is in kindergarten. I was soooo nervous to put him there because I knew he needed a strong teacher to get him off on the right foot, and when the teacher I wanted in my current public school district's class was full this year, I decided to hope for the best and have him join his brother at SCA. As an educator, people do not realize how important a child's first year of education is and how this year will create the stories they tell about themselves for the rest of their lives. Wow is all I can say. I have seen over 1,000 teachers teach, and she is honestly the best kinder teacher I know. She is teaching a TK, K, and 1 combo. There are currently 9 boys, and she has an aide! Let me repeat that, 9 kids and 2 adults, and the teacher is a rockstar! My son was reading books and WRITING independently by November! Lastly, the military is the heart of the school. My sons have so much pride wearing their uniform, and the boys collect ribbons and insignia when they show good behavior and do well in their class. My son will dance the jig for a ribbon. He LOVES the structure, the belonging of the "company" Delta, it's truly a brotherhood. I love that they teach manners, chivalry, and how to carry yourself as a man. Sergeant May and Corporal Detour know and love every boy there. My oldest son has anxiety that exacerbates his ADHD, so I was a little nervous about how he'd do following military commands, but he insisted he wanted to go. I asked him about a week in how he's doing with all the yelling, and he said, "Mom, it's not yelling, it's military talk. You wouldn't understand." Lol. My heart melted. Hopefully this review helps another family out there looking for the right school for their child. It's honestly the best school I've ever seen, and I've seen it all. If you're looking to raise a man who grows up with respect for self, women, and authority, who is academically ahead of all other children, who is culturally aware, who loves the Lord, understands the concept of brotherhood and what it means to be a servant leader, you have come to the right place.

    Mornings with Captain Ramos.
    Maria G.

    Our boys couldn't be happier and of course as parents that's exactly what we want. We looked into a variety of schools before coming here. No other schools seemed to match what St Catherine's had to offer. This school has provided academics, love, care, and discipline. My 2 oldest boys started here since kindergarten and I cannot say enough greatness for their kindergarten,1st and 2nd grade teachers and now my youngest in the TK program is also doing amazing work and learning so much. It's the perfect environment for our 3 sons. We are extremely appreciative of the staff there and how attentive they always are to any and all needs of our sons or the families. It's a true family environment. I recommend St. CATHERINE'S TO ANYONE looking for the best school for their son! From the quietest, shy boy to the strongest personality any boy will thrive here. My 3 sons are all so different and yet all 3 look forward to school everyday and find the various activities or events always meet their differences. We love this school!!!!

    My son receiving an award from Colonel.

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    11 years ago

    LOVE SCA! both my boys attend, 2015-2016 will be our 3rd year. i highly recommend this school to all my friends and family.

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    11 years ago

    I'll never forget my time there I never had any regrets going there I'll never forget all the memories and the friends I made there.

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    Ask the Community - St. Catherine's Academy

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    Review Highlights - St. Catherine's Academy

    The nuns are loving, the military staff taught my son to be a respectful man and the teachers were outstanding!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    We are beyond grateful for this school. The environment is loving, nurturing, and truly focused on…read morehelping children learn and grow at their own pace. We have seen so much learning and development, and it's clear how much care and dedication the teachers put into each child. Communication with parents is excellent--we always feel informed, supported, and included. We also deeply appreciate that the school teaches children about God and strong values, which means so much to our family. We feel very blessed to be part of this school community and highly recommend it to any family looking for a caring, faith-based environment.

    I have nothing but good things to say about Trinity! My son was there for summer camp and halfway…read morethrough the TK year and we had a wonderful experience. They offer lots of extracurriculars like soccer, piano, and choir. My interactions with the teachers were always positive and my son loved them!! We ended up switching due to a spot opening at the school he was attending for kindergarten otherwise we would've definitely stayed. If you are looking for a loving place for your child with structure and whole child development, this is the place for you! It's so scary putting your child at a new place and my experience was that the staff treats the students as if they were their own children and that's all you can ask for!

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    Rosary Academy - Academics thrive with a 14:1 Student/Faculty ratio

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    I attended Rosary Academy (named Rosary High School back then) from 2006 to 2010. Rosary Academy…read moreempowers young women through a Catholic college-preparatory education. Rosary graduates are ready to walk in faith and lead with confidence. They have grown as individuals, discovered their true identities, expressed their uniqueness, found their voices, and have embraced success. Students are complete, confident young women who hold Christ and Mary at the center of all they do. As a Catholic faith community, Rosary begins each day with prayer and gathers for masses as well as for prayer services throughout the year. While Rosary Academy offers rigorous academics that includes numerous AP and Honors courses, they also provide a collaborative learning environment. Teachers are very engaging and interactive during classes always playing games, singing songs, or facilitating discussions. What makes students stand out is their ability to speak their mind in class without being shut down or judged. Their voices are heard, and they share their brilliant ideas while respecting the opinions of others. At Rosary Academy, we stand in faith, we stand together, and we stand tall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most of what I wrote above is total rubbish and I will now go to confession. Truthfully, you will be paying A LOT for a sisterhood that a majority of girls will seek again with sororities in college. It was less High School Musical and more Mean Girls. Most teachers are very caring and set high expectations (as they should since tuition is costly). I can't say Rosary prepared me for science courses or has much diversity, but maybe that's different these days. Try and humble the privileged girls and their snobby parents. Hindsight is 20/20. Rather than throwing money down the toilet for four years send your daughter to Troy High School or Oxford Academy. Apply the $50,000+ savings towards college tuition. Cons: all girls Pros: all girls, uniforms, unshaved legs, #RosaryBun

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    Zion Lutheran School - Zion's Battle of The Books team 2023

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    Zion Lutheran School - Zion takes the lead during the Annual Track Meet at Crean HS

    Zion takes the lead during the Annual Track Meet at Crean HS

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    Holy Family Catholic School

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    4.0(12 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    Okay, so I toured a lot of preschools. I become quite obsessive if it is anything to do with my…read morekids, haha. Especially since I am pretty much a stay at home mom, and love spending time with my kids. I would only send my kids to a program I felt would offer something more nurturing for my son to be in than with his loving family. The preschool here is clearly the best maybe in all of CA, especially with Mrs. D. as the director. I was amazed at how much she cares and how much effort she puts into her program- activities, teaching the child manners, habits and, most important for me, the overall development of each personhood. She teaches her own class, unlike all the other directors I've toured with. Some other places I've toured was with ChildTime in Orange (closest to my house, but it's clearly the worst quality. They have the best outdoor play space though), Trinity Lutheran (2nd to the worst- also very close to my house), St. Cecilia's (very good), Ni Hao (pretty good), Renascence (not that great but learning to become trilangual is pretty awesome). Within just a couple hours of touring with her at Holy Family, I knew it was really different than all the other preschools with just the level of care she put in to get to know my child, and explaining how her class is run, explaining why she does things, knowledge about child development, etc. She was so patient with him too. I remember my son knocked down a pot of plants for fun and I was trying to force him to say sorry, and I found out she doesn't force kids to say sorry because she wants them to say sorry only when they really mean it- which was very insightful to me. Did I mention she has the play dough made fresh for her class every month? She also keeps her classroom very clean and does great art projects, and had high quality cookie cutters in shape of snowflakes during her 'winter' theme lessons when I visited. Also, this program has the BEST RATIO- it's 2 teachers to 8 kids. This is the only way I believe you can even attempt to do more enriching activities with such little ones. Childtime and Trinity Lutheran was 15 three year olds to ONE teacher which is just insane... The poor teachers there looked very exhausted and put out. Other teachers at Childtime I noticed didn't seem like they cared what was going on, and the kids looked mindlessly bored or just sad to be there. But like I said, I'm a stay at home mom so my needs are different. I'm not looking for a place that will keep my kid all day long because I need to work. I'm simply looking for a place I can take my kid for a few hours for an educational, enriching and nurturing experience regardless of cost. Although, ironically Holy Family was the cheapest of all the preschools I have visited. I wanted to write a review about this preschool like few months prior when I was doing a lot of preschool shopping, but I was on the waitlist and I didn't want to create more unnecessary competition for myself haha. Anyway I got a spot for my son next year so I can finally post this review.

    Would never suggest this school for kids. Especially with any learning difficulties. They also do…read morenot care to deal wirh extreme bullying.

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    St. Catherine's Academy - religiousschools - Updated May 2026

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