I have 5 kids who have all been attending this school since the year it opened, which has given our…read morefamily the unique perspective of developing relationships with 5 different teams of teachers/grade spans each school year. And our kids have now gone through every grade, K-8 at D39C. We have been very pleased with our experience at Design39. After our children previously attended a number of different elementary schools (both within Poway Unified School District and in other states), we have found that the principals & staff at this school are relatively quick to respond to parent concerns and quick to actually make real changes when they recognize a need. That hasn't always been our experience at previous schools. One of the things we like the most about this school is that the kids are allowed to make choices about the elective classes they take, even down to the youngest students. And when kids have a choice in their classes, they are often more passionate & excited about what they are learning. And this is a public school, so the kids are also learning all the standard topics, language arts, math, social studies, science, etc. and are still getting the common core curriculum like all the other schools in the district, they just get to choose electives in addition to their other classes. Our kids have been able to take such a variety of elective classes so far over the last few years, including sign language, sewing, coding, cooking, genealogy, Spanish, Russian, French, Korean, Project Lead the Way (STEM), Music Composition, Drama, Kite Design, Lead39 (school leadership), Writing Workshop, Advanced Math, Biztown, Ceramics, Ukelele, Maker39 (kids design their own products and get to sell them and learn about businesses), Oceanography, Mosaics, Food Science, Photography, Community Service, Robotics, Chess, 3D Art, Gardening, Painting, etc. My husband and I often think we would love to have gone to a school that offered so many choices, especially in the younger grades. And I don't know how they do it, but my kids usually get their 1st or 2nd choice of classes. Another thing we have been pleased with is that there is less homework at this school than others in the district. Many people have the wrong idea and think that D39C has no homework, but that isn't the case. Many students in the younger elementary grades have little homework other than reading, practicing math, and an occasional group project outside of school. And as they get older, especially in grades 6-8, the homework load & expectations for student responsibility for assignments gradually increases as they approach high school. I believe that my D39 students likely have fewer hours of homework per day than their peers at the local middle school, but they definitely have homework (and, as at any school, it depends a lot on each individual student's time management whether they may be able to get a lot of their assignments done during the school day, or if they may leave more to be completed later at home). [Although the PUSD school board has recently changed it's district homework policy -- see this article: goo.gl/QTZPZS. They now recognize the studies showing that reading for enjoyment is much more beneficial for students than excessive homework, especially in the younger grades. So hopefully more of the other schools will start to move toward this model too over time]. Another myth about D39C is that the kids never use pencil & paper and are always on their devices. Yes, each student at the school uses a device (tablet or laptop), and they do use them for creating presentations, turning in assignments online (in grades 6-8), sometimes reading books online, working on group projects. But they also use paper and other supplies in their learning -- daily journals, bring home art work that they have created or prototypes that they have designed, reading from paper books, etc. It's a mix of both. Overall we've been pleased with the school. There will always be room for improvement at a brand new school, especially one that tries to do things a little different, but they have promptly made changes as needed and we haven't run in to any major issues over the last few years. We also haven't run into any problems with any of our kids' teachers, (which is saying a lot, since our kids have been with 20 homeroom teachers and numerous other teachers for different classes, electives, PE, etc. so far since we started at the school). Surely this school has had to deal with it's share of behavior issues from students, just like at any other school, but in our family's personal experience our kids haven't had any issues with bullying or bad behavior from other students. Another positive thing about this school is that the kids generally seem to still be excited about school, even by the time they reach the end of their middle school years, instead of being burnt out. My kids look forward to going to school each day.

Please dont send your kids here. I went through all grades in this hellhole and it is worse than…read moreyou think it is. Teachers are reckless, same with case managers, and admins are full of shit. They beg for your money for fundraisers in which you never see that money again. Do the Monterey Ridge to OVMS to DNHS route instead.

Both our kids went here from kindergarten through fifth grade and they couldn't have had better…read moreexperiences. Wonderful teachers and a great principal with a very good environment for kids to learn and grow.

I really wanted to love the program, but I had a poor experience with the 2 year old classroom…read more There were several red flags with the teacher, including refusing to take my son to go potty when he asked. I was also uncomfortable with feedback about my son being shared in front of other parents, and my emails asking for more context went unanswered. Ultimately, the program wasn't the right fit for our family, and we ended our contract after one month.

The worst school I have ever been to. They claim to be Christian but then why does everyone act as…read moreif everything must be perfect? The teachers and students suck. The dress code is the dumbest thing I've ever heard and the level of acceptance you feel is less than 0

Best preschool in the area! The staff is friendly, gentle, and well trained. We've been here for…read morenearly two years, and it has been a wonderful experience for our daughter. She loves her teachers and always shares positive stories about her day. When our 4-year-old mentioned a classmate was bothering her, the school handled it with the utmost care and concern. They resolved the issue swiftly while keeping both children supported--a true testament to their expertise in conflict resolution. My interactions at the school have always been positive. The school is very safe, well-maintained and efficiently run thanks to superb leadership and excellence in child development. Lifebridge is a gem in the community and a real blessing for any parent looking for peace of mind for their child's well-being away from home. Thank you!

As an adult, I walk onto campus and immediately feel known, loved, and seen. Imagine, then, what it…read moreis like for the children! They walk to class eager and excited for another fun day of learning and playing and they feel known, loved, seen, and safe. The culture here is incredible. I wish every child was as lucky as our Lifebridge kids to spend time in a place like this. It's so hard as a working mama to drop your babies off when they are little, but Lifebridge has given me so much peace of mind because my children are so well cared for. We feel so blessed to have been a part of the Lifebridge community for the last 8 years (4 kids). Another perk I love: They also provide lunch which is so helpful with getting out the door in the morning. And of course, they teach children about Jesus and my children's favorite songs now are worship songs! We love you Lifebridge staff!!!

I honestly can't imagine a better experience than what we have seen at KCC. My child absolutely…read moreadores school and the teachers here. The activities are fun, interesting, and developmentally appropriate. The facilities are top-notch, and while this isn't the cheapest daycare/preschool out there, the money is well worth it for the highly qualified and passionate staff. As an educator, one of the things I look for is staff turnover rates and job satisfaction; happy and passionate teachers completely change the feeling of a school. To that end, even in the middle of the pandemic, KCC was able not only to stay open, but thrive. Every staff member clearly loves the work they do, and it shows. It's obvious as a client, parent, and educator that the resources are well-used and that the staff are highly valued for the expertise they bring. KCC does an incredible job building community for the children and families as well. I am so glad we found them.

When we started with our 2 yr old in 2019, it was priced at $1800 per month. But they had long term…read morestaff, great educational program and were great at communicating. Now that we added our 2nd at the same age, price has double at $3,100 per month. But staff turnover, and poor morale has significantly decreased their care. Each year they'll increase the fees by 10% but staff do not see this reflected in their salaries. NOTE: the increase to fees started yearly prior to COVID, and benefits of a tuition free week was no longer available post COVID but prices continue to increase. Staff leaving after 5+ yrs of dedication due to a 50cent increase per hr was denied by management.

I've been to the District Office twice to try and get a Level 2 clearance as a volunteer. Their…read moreprocess is antiquated, as nothing is done digitally. What makes the situation worse is that the staff there appear to be mostly uninterested in providing customer service. It just seems like a miserable place to work. Hopefully some of the staff leave with Mariam Kim when she goes.

This is a review for the cafe at the Poway School District…read more This location has a restaurant that's open Monday-Friday with daily specials. It's Avenue of Science's "best kept secret" ^_^ PROPS: HUGE menu, and a staff that seems to care about the quality of what they're making. SLOPS: It's cafeteria eating, and it's a throwback to when I was in public school. If you order something that's not one of the daily specials, expect to wait a few minutes longer as they prepare your food fresh!

Willow Grove is our local elementary school, within walking distance from Verazzanno and adjacent…read moreneighborhoods.  The academic program is strong, and students here are more successful in making academic progress than those in other elementary schools in the area.  Test scores at Willow Grove are far above the state average.  The facilities are first rate.

This school does not like black people and you need to be careful because if you do not have money…read moreyou will treat as less than. Children have been abused by staff here be aware the test results are high but the results are for students that are not minorities.

My son went here for his K and 1st grade. The first year was great, the teacher was amazing, above…read moreexpectations really, with personal approach to each student and a big heart. We still remember Mrs Caha with warmth and care. However, the second year was not that pleasant. When one of the students was throwing hunny poop (I know, it sounds funny but also really unhygienic) at my son, the school did nothing at all, despite my complaints. I mean is that a school or a prime ape cage at the zoo? Also, the new addition to the Turtleback elementary, and my son's 1st grade teacher, wasn't experienced, it was the teacher's second year of working in the industry and you could really tell. Absence of hands on experience and pedagogical knowledge led to a bunch of conflict situations between my son and herself. Note - he's never had issues with anyone before and neither he does now. She showed unprofessional behavior, with the principal siding up with her employee and not helping me to resolve the situation at all, I quote "I know your so is capable of making anyone totally neurotic". I mean great job on blaming the kid, right? Needless to say, I was happy to withdraw my kid from the infamous Poway unified and going with Solana Highlands elementary instead - a stellar school, with amazingly helpful stuff that care about students and capable of showing it.