My child attended Juku for the better part of a year in preparation for the private school…read morekindergarten admission circus (iykyk). Admittedly, with our older child, we did not go this route because we thought it was a bit ridiculous to send a 4 year old to tutoring to get into kindergarten...esp a child who is very well behaved and academically advanced. However, despite that, the older child had difficulties going into the interview rooms and feeling comfortable working with unfamiliar adults at the interviews. The outcome wasn't what we had hoped and dreamed for her. We decided for our younger child that we'd bite the bullet and pay the hefty price tag to do all that we could to help her feel more comfortable and prepared for the interviews. And it worked! She got into our top choice after having a very easy (and fun, as she said) time at the interviews. The schools don't seem to be looking for the brightest student, but rather the student who can adapt to new environments, situations, peers, and adults. They seem to be looking for children who feel comfortable engaging and communicating effectively in these new environments with new people. Juku not only prepared our child academically, but socially with peers and adults. This was done through both the mock interviews and also switching up who the children work with 1:1 each time. The tutors are all very kind, fun, and encouraging. My child really enjoyed going! Though it can be shocking to feel the need to send a child to a tutor for a kindergarten interview, the way we looked at it, is that we are providing her with all the tools we can to help her succeed. If it works, great, and if not, we know we did all that we could to help her.

My son attends a public school that offers K-5th grade. We were undecided about continuing in the…read morepublic school system for the 6th grade or moving on to a private school but we wanted him to have options. Understanding that the SSAT is one of the metrics by which applicants are measured, we decided to take him to Juku to see how he would fare. After the initial test, Dr. Takahashi suggested that he would benefit from tutoring so we had him spend 2 hours twice a week starting in May with some breaks during the summer. To my surprise, he really enjoyed Juku! I have never heard him label school as fun so I had to ask how Juku was different from school. His reasons were "one to one" attention, "learning at my own pace", and learning from tutors who were "fun and eager to teach". He actually likes it so much that he wanted to continue tutoring after taking the SSAT! He took the SSAT in November, performed above the target range for the most competitive schools, and was ultimately admitted to all of the schools to which we applied. I can't say how much of a role his test scores played in his acceptances, but I think test-taking is a kind of skill useful for any student. He learned specific test-taking strategies for the SSAT, like skipping questions to avoid losing too many points. We also felt the practice tests at Juku helped him familiarize himself with the exam setting. Finally, Juku was available for any question about the application process along the way, a valuable resource in and of itself.

My review is a little late because I was more focused on my child's needs than writing review. I…read morewithdrew her from this school and transferred her to a new one. While my child attended this school, all of her teachers were incompetent. Starting from 1st grade until I withdrew her. They never communicated thoroughly with me. There were issues with students bullying my child and the teachers never handled the situation. Almost every day my child would come home crying about it. And when I talked to the teachers about it, they would claim it was handled, yet I kept hearing differently from my child. Another incident was when my child was hit hard with a ball and fell on concrete. I was not called or notified in any way about what happened to her. I came to pick her up from school and saw that she had cuts on her face and body. And all I received was a note from the health room lady (HRL). It said "cleaned up right knee, small cut." Nothing about her face or nose. I called the school to ask what happened and every single person involved claims they had no idea she had cuts all over her. I spoke specifically to the HRL because my child said she told her about her face hurting. I then spoke to the principal at that time, and she told me a completely different story from what the HRL told me. The principal had claimed that the HRL knew about the cuts. But when I spoke to the HRL, she said she had no idea and must not have heard my daughter tell her. So to me, it seems like the principal was trying to cover/lie for her instead of any of them owning up to their mistakes. The principal also said that my child was brought into the health room by a different staff member. So when I spoke to that staff member, she said that she noticed my daughter's forehead and nose being red (the cuts). She didn't let the HRL know about the redness on her face. I'm going to assume because it was noticeable enough for her, so it should be noticeable enough for the HRL. So that brings me back to how did the HRL not notice? If the woman who brought my child in noticed but not the HRL, then to me, it seems like lack of care or concern for not only my child, but other students as well. And not only did she "not notice," but when she went back to her class, her teacher supposedly didn't notice either. How is it possible that none of these people didn't see all of these cuts on her or bother to do a thorough check? And still didn't think to call me about the situation? Especially since it was the FIRST thing I noticed when I picked her up from school. And to only receive a note home with the only concern/comment being about her knee is actually insane. And the principal (at the time) was covering and lying to me about the situation instead of being honest and just owning up to their mistakes and how horribly they handled the situation from the time that it happened until I had to call to find out what was going on. I can understand people making mistakes. But if one person was able to notice the redness on my child's face, then that means the HRL and teacher should have noticed as well. Lastly, on my child's last year at this school, I noticed broken glass all over the ground where the kids would play or walk by. I notified the school so that it could be taken care of. I called repeatedly to check if it was handled because I know how incompetent they are. And for several hours I was told that it wasn't cleaned up. On the last call, I was told that they only have one custodian and it's hard for them to get to everything. I would think that cleaning up broken GLASS where children will be playing/walking by would be top priority. Whether that was on the custodian or the staff in office, somebody could have done something about it. Kids are curious and don't know certain things shouldn't be touched. And the glass was in an area where multiple students will walk/play by. It should've been handled when I called that morning. If the custodian was busy, the staff that knew about it could have helped. The people at this school do not to seem to care about the children's safety. Our experience at this school can be summed up as neglect, lack of concern/acknowledgment, unprofessional and callous. I would never recommend this school to anyone. And I have shared this experience with all my friends and family. On a side note, I do see that there is a new principal now. And I want to clarify that I am not speaking about the current principal. As I mentioned this happened a little while ago and I just never got around to posting this. But I feel that it's important I share it, in the event something like this happens again. And no child or parent should have to experience what my child and I did while she attended this school.

From: a old student To: Kuhio Elementary school…read more This school has been one of the best schools in the world, I seen. They/Staff are kind,generous, and supportive. I really recommend this school to anyone finding a place to teach your kids. I can't imagine how underrated and the low amount of students they had. It's not very cheap but not expensive at the same time (That's a good thing). Please, check out this school if you want your kids to have great learning experiences and opportunities.

Caroline is nice. Ms. Pam is friendly…read moreGreat center with amazing service!! Awesome stem computer program. Learned bitsbox coding with JavaScript!

Hats off to Sam, Pam, and the rest of the team! We were easily able to schedule an initial…read moreassessment with Pam and got scheduled right away after working out the payment plan with Sam. Don't be intimidated by the tuition amount--Sam is more than happy to discuss the best payment plan that meets one's needs. My son has been ending his lessons with a smile on his face and more confidence!

What a beautiful quaint little elementary school here in the islands record of safety end child…read moredevelopment is well known on the island they have a park across the street where kids can play soccer they've got of parking problem they've got a traffic problem could be cleaned up I have been cars coming in one way from the Diamondhead side. I think they need more things like teaching kids how to grow their own food need to be gardens I think they also need to teach kids how to plant trees and clean up the Ala Wai. .I think if they want a fundraiser for the school day host to soccer tournaments and Kapi'olani Park or a concert at the Shell I think there are ways to enhance the education of youth with a strong emphasis on practical skills and something that's useful in life other than talking and chatting on the phone

This is our first year here at this school and our son loves it. They have afternoon activites…read moreduring A plus that are run by teacher's that students can pay to join. So far my son did a ceramics class that he loved and this year is trying soccer and capoeira. There is always traffic in morning because only one entrance into school which is sometimes a hassle. During the year they have activities for families to enjoy, we had fun at the Halloween program.

I went here when it was still K-6 and overall I had a good experience. Of course there were the…read moretypical bullies and childhood drama, but I have good memories of making a few close friends, going to the cafeteria and the library, and selling ice cream after school to fundraise for different things. I played on the playground and fields A, B, and C, learned how to play the viola and ukulele, and made some student films. I learned how to type and use the old style Mac computers, and took after school Japanese classes. Times were simpler then, and now that I look back I really appreciate the teachers who really cared about us crazy kids.

My daughter just started kindergarten with Mrs Okamoto. She's a fantastic teacher and fantastic…read moreschool. The principal is very hands on and involved. The school property is clean, the pickup and drop off service is also very organized.

My son and I attend Vietnamese school here on Sunday mornings from 8:30-10…read more My adult class also meets on Saturdays at my teacher's home from 4-6. My son's class meets via zoom on Wednesday evenings. The instructors are so patient and kind. This school stands out from other schools because they recruit qualified instructors with teaching experience. The kids watch videos, read Vietnamese books, play games, listen to folk tales, sample Vietnamese snacks and cuisines, sing songs, etc. Every class starts together as a group with cultural immersion, then it goes into group classes divided by age or proficiency level. There's a big fundraiser at the end of the year and the students spend time at the end of class to prep for their performances. I love my adult class teacher, Cô Hà. She was a school principal in Vietnam. She is so funny and welcoming no matter what level you are at. She gives you individual attention if you don't understand and she tailors the class to meet the needs of the students. Since I have started learning Vietnamese again, I have felt more comfortable in speaking short sentences with my Vietnamese-speaking grandma, aunts and uncles when I visit them during the holidays. That is so valuable to me. I hope my son and I will reach a level of being confident to speak Vietnamese one day. We are also making connections with people from our ethnic community. Hopefully we can create a strong network to help each other up when we need each other.

The school Lead (Dr. Julius Pham) and his team of Support Staff/Teachers are wonderful. They…read moretirelessly volunteer their time to help our children (from 2 years old and up) and adult learn not only the Vietnamese language, but also the Vietnamese culture. My daughter was 1 year old when she started at the school, and she was truly a terror for most teachers. Yet, everyone was very kind, considerate, and accepting of her (and of us the parents). It's not about learning how to conjugate verbs and translating texts from English to Vietnamese. Rather, it's truly a language immersion experience. Students start the day by learning about Vietnamese Culture and its history...in a fun and interactive manner. Then, the students go into their individual classes, based upon age groups. For the 2-5 year old class, children are introduced to basic Vietnamese language skills, including singing and dancing to classic Vietnamese songs, and learning basic (useful) conversation skill. Vietnamese is the main language spoken here. But don't be afraid. Teachers are fluent in English, and will speak English when necessary to guide the students (and parents). I think this is truly the best way to learn a language. One other thing to note: Parents are encouraged to participate in the classes, and help the children learn. Even if you don't speak Vietnamese, being there with your children is a huge boost for their experience.

Excellent, supportive team helped my 8th grade daughter improve 30+ points in math. She really…read moreenjoyed the tutors, especially the college-aged ones on the weekends. She learned great test taking skills and tips. The whole team was pleasant to work with and very flexible schedule, which we really appreciated. Great location. Many thanks Diane for leading this wonderful service!

Jamie and Diane are absolute LEGENDS in the tutoring/enrichment field. We sent our daughter…read morestarting at age 4 through 6 to prep her for private school entrance. they are professionals who know what they are doing, and they do it with compassion, love, and playfulness that keeps the young kids like our daughter engaged and learning. They taught her how to read, write, math, AND socialization skills and she aced her interviews and tests and got into both Punahou and Iolani. She's now 11 and she still remembers all the fun times at art camp with auntie Jamie and the friends she's made. They gave her a great foundation that allowed her to score in the top 97th% in reading and 99% in math in state testing.

Jan may have had a bad experience subbing, but my son has gone there 3 years and I love SEEQS. I…read morethink the teachers and staff are great, and my son has never had issues here compared to his other public schools where bullying was never addressed. I feel my son is safe at SEEQS and thats all that matters to me. He is learning as well and I like the way the think outside of the box to get the students to learn.

SEEQS is incredibly successful at helping its students feel happy, safe, and well-integrated into a…read morediverse and active community. If you're looking for a smaller school (150 some kids over the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades) with passionate and kindhearted teachers and staff, this is a good fit for you. Our son has learned so much there in his first two years. He has good friends, and I've also enjoyed getting to know their families. Many of the parents are active in the school, and there are a great many off-campus activities. I like the student-centered focus and the school's collaborative projects-based approach, too.