We moved to La Cañada when my son was still in elementary school, and everyone always talked about…read morePrep like it was the dream school. Now that we are here, I can say it is a very good school, but it is not perfect. The teachers are very knowledgeable and most of them really care about helping students. My son has found a few teachers he really connects with, which makes a big difference. The campus is clean and safe, and the students are serious about school but not boring. They also have a lot of activities like sports, theater, and clubs, which I like because it keeps the kids balanced. At the same time, I feel like Prep expects the students to manage everything by themselves. If your child is already very outgoing and knows what they want, it is a great place. But if your child is quieter, or needs more help finding their way, it can feel overwhelming. Sometimes I wish the school checked in more instead of just assuming the kids will ask for help if they need it. Also, socially it is a little tricky. Most students are friendly on the surface, but real friendships are hard to build if you are not already part of a group. It can be lonely sometimes, especially for new students. Overall, I am still very happy my son is at Prep, but it took longer to feel comfortable than I expected. You really have to be your child's advocate and make sure they speak up and find their place.

Both of my children attended and graduated from this school. My children attended here for 5 and 6…read moreyears. We chose the school because of the small class size and great teachers. We stayed because of the great teaching and great friends my children made here. I would strongly recommend this school to anyone who has a really smart child who lives to learn for fun.

I think there should be more bullying. The people here are too passive aggressive with their…read morebullying and I think they should be more upfront. It isn't very accommodating of my autism when people don't mean what they say.

Told you I'd leave a yelp review. Shout out to Sean Mispagel, Sarah Beattie, Kim Crosby, Karl…read moreGeckle, Lucy Pelletier, and Justin Valassidis; y'all are the best teachers on campus!! Also, shout out to Ted Armstrong, Byron the security guard, and my coach, Chuck Gunter! I'm gonna miss y'all!! Can't forget my girls on the softball team, I love you guys! Gotta downgrade it to three stars though because the cafeteria food was not good and the vending machines were so expensive.

Where do I even begin? I truly wanted to love this school, but it didn't take long for my instincts…read moreto tell me it wasn't the right fit for my child or our family. The academic approach is heavily based on authoritarian teaching, rote memorization, and repetitive worksheets. There is very little emphasis on critical thinking, observation-based learning, or a true classical education. Instead, students spend their days completing worksheets and then bringing home the same material to review again. The workload is repetitive, overwhelming, and leaves little room for children to simply be children. Students also receive very limited outdoor time. I've witnessed children being punished for minor behaviors, such as talking out of turn, by being required to eat lunch in the director's office or by losing physical activity as a consequence. I have also personally observed instances where both the director and head teachers spoke to children in a disrespectful, intimidating, and demeaning manner. That was extremely concerning to me. Another major issue is the constant fundraising and donation requests. Families are regularly encouraged to donate, yet I saw very few tangible improvements to the school. There is no library, the playground has not been meaningfully updated, and it's difficult to see where those funds are being invested. Even more disappointing is the culture surrounding donations, where families who don't contribute can feel judged or excluded, creating unnecessary cliques within the school community. For nearly $2,000 a month in tuition, I expected a nurturing environment that fostered curiosity, independent thinking, and a love of learning. Instead, I found a school focused on compliance, excessive repetition, and fundraising. This experience simply did not align with the educational values that were promised, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend it.

Dear Committee Members and Treasurer,…read more I hope this message reaches the owner of the school as well, as it addresses an important concern regarding the treatment of community vendors by representatives of the committee, Ani and Angie. In March, I was approached by Ani about providing floral arrangements for a Mother's Day lunch at Castaways. After a consultation to discuss details and budget, I provided a proposal, including a sample centerpiece, which the committee and parents enjoyed. We were thrilled to be selected for the event on May 3 and accepted a $1,000 deposit, as outlined in our invoice. Our proposal clearly states that deposits are nonrefundable and nontransferable, with the remaining balance due 15 days before the event. However, as the date approached, my assistant and I made several attempts to finalize details and settle the remaining balance. Ani informed us that we would need to coordinate payment through Angie. Unfortunately, our attempts to communicate with Angie were met with resistance. She questioned our request for payment ahead of the event, despite our clear policy requiring full payment prior to ordering flowers. After negotiations, Angie decided to reduce the order value from $3,800 to $2,700, leaving a balance of $1,700. We continued to reach out for the final payment, but communication was inconsistent and often unproductive. On April 17, I informed Angie that without payment, we could not proceed with the floral arrangements. After weeks of silence, I received a last-minute text from her on May 1, confirming the centerpieces, which left me frustrated. I reached out to Ani for clarification, but was met with vague responses, including claims of a check being mailed, which we never received. Ultimately, on the morning of May 2, I was informed that they were canceling their event due to our inability to order flowers--an outcome that was entirely outside our control given the lack of payment and communication from their side. This situation reflects a troubling disregard for the policies that protect our business and the community relationships we strive to maintain. I urge all vendors to be cautious when engaging with this committee. The management of this event has not only wasted our time but has also impacted our business financially. It is disheartening to see representatives of the school behave in this manner, ultimately tarnishing its reputation. I have been in business for 20 years and have worked with numerous schools, but I have never encountered such disrespect and lack of professionalism. I hope this message prompts a reconsideration of how community vendors are treated and the individuals representing the school. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please understand that as much as your concern is to remove our review, my complaint. I will rewrite and repost my review. instead of getting my complaint and feedback deleted your concern should be addressed and apologize for the inconvenience and behavior you have caused toward our company.

If you are attracted by how clean and organized the school appears to be, think it twice! Our…read moreexperience with this business is one of worst in our life time. The school is rather cold. People are distant. Communication is poor. We sent in enrollment application online after a phone call. For two weeks, no response at all and we had to call in to follow up. Parents are not allowed to get into the classroom, even before COVID. The program director Angie was OK but the owner REALLY loves money. They forced all students to go back to school in the middle of the pandemic, after abruptly reducing care hours for almost three hours per day. In that case, the school gave only four days' notice. They sent out the email on June 27 2020 (Saturday) and asked all kids to go back school on July 1, with much reduced care hours. We asked to stay home longer until we felt more comfortable about COVID. The school rejected. Their position was: "if you don't like it, you can leave but we would have to keep your deposit because the contract asks for 30 days notice in advance". If you want to talk about contract, the school altered the contract in the first place, by reducing care hours for almost 3 hours! It's clear the school cares more about their money than the health of the kids and concerns of the parents. Now, they don't even want to follow the arbitration agreement they included in the tuition contract themselves, i.e. they refused to do arbitration after we filed complaint with AAA. Consequently, AAA sent them a letter, prohibiting the business to reference AAA in their contract. The school can no longer use AAA services either. I am going to upload the AAA letter. Parents, do you really want to let your child be educated by these cold-blooded, money loving, dishonest people?

Clean, organized, and academic excellence! The Director, Mrs. Angie and the entire staff are heaven…read moresent. The love and care our children receive is unmeasurable. Communication is crystal clear. This school deserves more than 5 stars. They really go above and beyond.

I graduated from FSHA in 2007, and would wholeheartedly recommend the school…read more The academics are top-notch all around with a wide variety of AP classes, small class sizes, and excellent teachers. I went on to study engineering and was fully prepared for both the rigorous science and math, as well as my humanities general education. The small size and school events such as retreats and assemblies forge strong bonds between the students. This sense of community and belonging particularly sets apart the student experience at FSHA.

Don't trust everything you read on Yelp. It makes sense that a student could only handle FSHA for a…read moreyear might have some lukewarm things to say about being a TOLOG. I went there for four years, after attending an overpriced non-religious private K-12 institution for 8 years. Let me just say that FSHA is full of extremely caring administrators, staff, faculty, and students. Yeah, I had a handful of teachers that I don't think were all that great. But those are made up and more by other, stand-out educators. (Mrs. Reed and Mr. Bernstein, just to pick one department [English] are game-changers the quality of whom you will not find elsewhere). You'd expect a cloistered, all-girls community to be catty, prissy, even unpleasant. But it was a lot of fun, and I made friends with most of the people in my class. I'm happy that I know 98% of the girls I met there. Maybe other schools have major drama, and maybe on average single-sex schools have more drama than coed schools, but FSHA is different. I had four great years there, on basis of great company alone. So, yes, I have mentioned (1) high teaching quality, (2) the nice people that go there, but what of the opportunities it presents? Well, how about its excellent, well-funded, successful sports teams, led by fun, challenging coaches? How about its beloved performing and visual arts programs (which do need more funding) that inspire and support young artists who go on to pursue their crafts in college? What about the literary opportunities, the science and math clubs, the service groups? That's 3. Lastly, beyond FSHA: You will learn to love the red dress uniform. You will meet great guys who go to the local boys' schools (Damien, Loyola, St. Francis, just to name a few). You will keep your friends after graduation. You will go to college. What kind of college? Well, FSHA isn't full of freak geniuses, true. But that doesn't stop TOLOGS from going to Ivies every year. Girls who want to go to MIT can go there. Girls get excellent scholarships, if they take full advantage of the opportunities available on the Hill. And if they don't, or if they're not that academic, they still go to some pretty good schools. Check the website. I wouldn't judge the school by its demographics. Most of the students can afford to go there full-price, yes, but a lot of them are on scholarship, so there is a good amount of diversity with regard to income. One thing is indeed homogeneous: TOLOGS are nice, and don't be so skeptical. Ask anyone who actually gave it a shot.

School got hacked, student information was reportedly leaked, and the whole situation was handled…read moreterribly. Overall, this was a messed-up place and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.

Man this school is by far the worst school I've ever been to AND THAT SAYS ALOT. The staff makes it…read morefeel like if having a front office is completely unnecessary... But what really has me bent out of shape is their security.... their security is a WHOLE FUCKEN JOKE. I've never seen school security that has no control over their "bad apples". In my opinion They really need just hire A WHOLE NEW STAFF FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT...

Foothill Progressive Montessori is a truly exceptional school that we have had the honor of sending…read moreour daughter to for the last two and a half years. Run by Ms. Kanthi and staffed by a truly excellent array of teachers, including Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, and Ms. Fatema, Progressive has been instrumental in the growth and development of our daughter from age 3 to 5. With the guidance of Progressive, our daughter gained admission to our first choice private school, and one of the most competitive schools in the state. Over the years we have come to deeply value the warm, thoughtful environment of the school. Birthdays are truly special occasions frequented by princesses and superheroes, exceptional art is made with the guidance of teachers, and the educational rigor is unmatched. With the dedicated guidance of Ms. Fatema, our now 5 year old daughter can read, write, and do basic arithmetic at the level of a late Kindergartener, winning the admiration of family, friends, and admissions directors alike. Just as important, Progressive has allowed our daughter to find her voice, speak up and give her opinion, and instill her with a level of confidence that wows everyone around her. While perhaps less well known than other preschools that profess to be "feeders" for the competitive Pasadena private school scene (and who charge accordingly), Foothill Progressive is exceptional in that it stands not on a name, but the merits of its teachers and genuine commitment to the success of its students. Our daughter's success is proof that this is what truly matters. Thank you, Progressive Montessori, for everything you have done for our daughter and family. You deserve nothing less than our highest recommendation and we encourage all parents in La Canada, Pasadena, and Altadena to join your wonderful community.

We absolutely LOVE Foothill Progressive Montessori School. Our kids have been at this school since…read more2022, and I was a student 1997-1999. Ms. Kanthi was my teacher and now she owns the same school and teaches my kids! She is absolutely amazing! All of the staff are incredible. Ms. Fatema, Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, Ms. Sumudu, Ms. Raquel, Ms. Angelica, Ms. Hazmik. Literally every single one of them. All of them treat the kids as if they were their own, so much love and patience with the kids. My kids love going to school and they actually get excited about learning. Ms. Fatema's science class has been amazing in instilling a love for learning for our oldest child. We can't wait for our other kids to take Ms. Fatema's science class and Ms. Kim's science class. My oldest is definitely ready for kindergarten solely because of Ms. Fatema. The school has great hours for working parents from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Hot lunch is available for an additional fee. The school goes all out for all of the holidays and graduation. There are lots of opportunities for parent involvement should you want to be involved. The environment is screen-free and true to the Montessori method.

Hillside school is a hidden treasure. When it came to teachers & faculty they were the best of the…read morebest! Had a great experience and always recommend the summer programs they offer as well!

We just celebrated our son's graduation from Hillside after four fantastic years. We entered the…read morehigh school years with trepidation given our son's need for academic support and fears about the bullying and social issues prevalent in public schools in our area. We couldn't have chosen better. Our son enjoyed four years of study, safety and friendship in an environment where the faculty and staff know each student and family and communicate academic and social concerns freely. Our son loved Hillside and never regretted not attending the larger public schools, and certainly never had to deal with violence, drug abuse or bullying of any sort. The years went fast, and we will miss them. Thanks for making us a part of the Hillside family.

I spent 20 plus years of my life in computer hardware/software, and I was ready to change. I…read morethought, "Hey, why not teach?" When I began my teaching career in 2002, I was hired as a substitute in the La Canada district. My first job was at LC Elementary, and it went well. I had no experience as a teacher. I was 48 years old. I had the B.S. degree, the CBEST, the Livescan, and the TB test, so I was ready to go! Most of my subbing was at Palm Crest. It's been so many years ago, but I have great memories. Wendy Sinnette was the Principal, as I recall. Some lovely and supportive teachers. Kelly Oh, 4th grade (I think). Lovely experiences here. Taught at Paradise Canyon many times, but I don't remember names. The kids were wonderful. I taught at La Canada HS and Middle School, too. Kathy Cockerill, 8th Grade English. I had her class for a few months. Can you imagine 8th graders who were supportive to a new teacher? They were. I spent several years in a charter school later on. That's a post for another time. In 2013, I had had enough and left the profession. Thanks to the La Canada School District for a superb life experience. I will always remember my time in your district. -Pete M.

Great local public school. Caring teachers (for the most part) and a hands on principal. Lots of…read morekids walk to school, and it has a welcoming community feel.

I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about Valley Vista Preschool. Sending your children to…read morepreschool is such a big decision, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have found a place where we know they are genuinely loved, cared for, and supported every single day. The teachers and staff are exceptional. They are warm, patient, attentive, and truly invested in each child. You can tell this isn't just a job for them--they genuinely care about the kids and take the time to understand their individual personalities, strengths, and needs. What stands out most is the environment they have created. Our children are excited to go to school, they come home happy, and we have watched them grow tremendously both socially and academically. As parents, there is no better feeling than dropping your children off and knowing they are somewhere safe, nurturing, and filled with people who care about them. Valley Vista has become much more than a preschool to our family. It feels like a community, and the impact the teachers have had on our children is something we will always be grateful for. If you are a parent considering Valley Vista Preschool, I could not recommend it more highly. Five stars doesn't feel like enough.

Truly best facility and quality of care for the preschoolers- will continue to refer families to…read morethis great organization.