I strongly advise against this school based on our experience…read more The administration is more interested in controlling and punishing students rather than fostering an environment that encourages critical thinking, love of learning and a feeling of safety. The culture is antiquated as is the curriculum. Teachers are underwhelming. There is a stark lack of innovation and limited use of technology. A revolving door of teachers. With those who remained, issues loomed. The administration had no interest in hearing from parents. The science program is a disgrace. It lacks instruction and labs. I have attached a photo that is telling. The Spanish program is a joke. Social Studies was inconsistent. A new, inexperienced English teacher had no accountability. She humiliated more than one child by timing them when going to the restroom in front of the class. She demonstrated questionable rationality and a tenuous relationship with reality. At some point, we hired tutors to advance our child in certain areas which we likely would have done at any school, just as many students take math at RSM. We do that as well. The vice principal reprimanded my child when she heard this, claiming it was unfair. This was outrageous, but not out of character. Every opportunity they had to tear down a child, they took--and that treatment extended to parents. Additionally, the school actively discouraged transparency and honesty, instructing my child and myself to conceal a learning accommodation from other students and parents. We were told, "Do not tell anyone, and if it gets out, we will know it was you." This culture of fear, intimidation, and dishonesty are toxic. Stapled your paper incorrectly? That will be 10% off. Did not include your last name? Turn in the next day at penalty. Why not simply speak to the student and offer support if needed? Is this about learning or control? It is 100% about control and you control through fear. The anxiety our family experienced during our time at NDE was profound. If you're looking for a forward looking school that fosters critical thinking and helps develop confidence with supportive adults rooting for them, this is absolutely not the place. For some, this culture may be acceptable, but others, including myself, may consider it a form of emotional abuse on top of an antiquated mode of teaching and curriculum. This school has the potential to be a positive neighborhood institution, but it requires significant leadership change to transform.

It's very unfortunate for the community to have Dr. Jeremiassen as the principal of the school. Her…read moreonly conflict resolution methods are 1) sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened, and 2) get rid of the people involved, be it students, teachers, or volunteers. (Yes! MANY times!) There is a typical oppressed atmosphere at the school: People are unhappy, but dare not say anything. Students jeer at the "fake smile" of the principal behind her back. How ironical it is for a Catholic/Christian school, and how unfortunate for everybody who had to go through this "educational experience". To be fair, Dr. Jeremiassen may have done some good things like modernizing the school's IT system, so she might be an Ok administrator, but lacks empathy, the basic nuance to handle problems appropriately, and the drive to try to fix problems at their root. She should never be a leader in any position.

So happy we picked this school for our daughter! The admission process was smooth and every time I…read morehad questions, they were addressed right away. Thank you Debbie Anderson! :) All the staff are friendly and the teachers are well educated, kind and engaging. School is all about empowering our young girls and helping them advocate for themselves - great life skills. The parents are wonderful and we have really been enjoying the social events at the school.

The teachers and staff were incredible in creating a curriculum when COVID hit. And they continue…read moreto be the bright spot of the school with their continuous support and care of the students. It's this personal connection that makes the education highly valuable for our daughter. As we wrapped up 2021 and come into 2022, we are seeing the renewed strength of the NDB community and look forward to seeing this continue to grow and thrive under the leadership of the new Head of School.

IHM has been more than a school for our daughter -- it has provided strong academics, meaningful…read morevalues, and a close-knit community that truly feels like family. My daughter joined IHM four years ago. She was a true "COVID kid," and this was her first school experience. From the beginning, IHM felt less like a school and more like an extended family. As an only child with busy working parents and no siblings nearby, she didn't have much daily social interaction outside school. At IHM, she gained more than academics -- she learned independence, social skills, manners, values, and strong ethics. Her Preschool, Kindergarten, and TK teachers truly invested in her personally, and that care made all the difference. We tried district school for one year in first grade, but it wasn't the right fit. She regressed socially, picked up negative language, and became more anxious. When we returned to IHM, the change was clear. She improved academically, but more importantly, her social and emotional well-being grew tremendously. She became calmer and more confident again. Friday Mass, school events, and community functions have helped shape her character and sense of belonging. I also value that the school participates in state-level evaluations, so we're always aware of academic standards. Is IHM a perfect school? No. There are always areas that can improve -- just like anywhere else. But is there really such a thing as a perfect school? What IHM provides is something more important to us: a strong educational foundation, a structured social environment, and a close-knit community. For our daughter, it has truly been a family away from family. As parents constantly juggling work, we are deeply grateful for the role IHM has played in raising and shaping her. We are thankful to be part of this community.

The small classes are a plus but they are small for a reason. Staff and leadership is not up to…read morepar. Pray for them. Scroll all the way down and read the 'not recommended' reviews- which are just too honest for yelp I guess.

They have a great reputation in our area for a reason. I have only dealt with them from a business…read morestandpoint and can say that they are very trustworthy and extremely nice people.

I am able to offer a unique review based on the fact that I previously worked at Serendipity (as a…read moreTeaching Assistant) and am now a parent of a Kindergartener who attends this school. Also, I am a Teacher (at a different elementary school), so my standards are quite high ;-) While working at Serendipity, I was able to get to know administration and staff on a personal basis. I got a behind the scenes view. The truth is that this school is as great as it appears to be. The teachers genuinely care about their students and are extremely talented. Meaghan, the Head of the School, is down-to-earth and compassionate. She deeply cares about the families and staff she serves. My son began Serendipity in TK. He wasn't a cookie cutter child by any means. In fact, he was diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder during his first year here. When I communicated this to the school, the administration was very supportive and worked with us to make his school year a positive one. This year my son is in Kindergarten and is thriving. His teacher, Ms. Kim, has embraced his many quirks (he loves to sing all day long..as a teacher myself I feel for her!). He has learned invaluable skills such as self regulation, perseverance, communication and self expression. My formerly shy child, has become an outgoing little person who is confident in who he is and isn't afraid to be himself. When you join this gem of a school, you become part of a family. It feels like Cheers where everyone knows your name :-).

I cannot say enough positive things about the Charles Armstrong School and the incredible impact it…read morehas had on my son's academic experience and truly, on the trajectory of his life. He is a dyslexic and dysgraphic learner who is now thriving thanks to the skills, tools, and confidence he's gained at Armstrong. It's so refreshing to be in a learning environment where every subject is taught through the lens of the dyslexic learner. My son was happy at his previous school, but his academic confidence was rapidly declining. Since joining Armstrong, he feels like a star and is finally able to live up to his full potential. He's no longer an outlier. Here, everyone learns the way he does. The teachers are incredibly dedicated and deeply knowledgeable about how to reach and teach these remarkable learners. The small-group instruction has been key, and we also love that Armstrong offers all the benefits of a larger school--sports teams, student government, performing arts, and a wide range of extracurriculars. If you have a child with a language-based learning difference, get them to Armstrong ASAP! We only wish we'd come sooner.

We are new to CAS but so far our experience has been exceptional. Our son participated in their…read moresummer program and after a month we observed a discernable improvement in his reading skills. The school seems intensely focused on working with the parents to set goals and objectives for students' development over the school year and the level of communication with us as new entrants has been high. They appear to be incredibly well organized. The kids wear uniforms--that gets a "like" from me. I will update this review over time.

Worst school ever! School owner feels so entitled and kept asking parents to park properly while…read moreshow no intention to improve the parking situation such as buying more slots. You can circle forever and cannot find a parking and be late for 2 min and get fine of $50! The job for teachers cannot be easier - they don't tell story and let kids listen to radio - they don't do white boarding and let kids watch screens lol We stayed for one year and due to poor planning we let kid attend summer school - there is no schedule or whatsoever - kid complained so bored it was $2600 (2 years ago summer tuition) per month for absolutely nothing. We could not escape faster and this is worst school we ever attended in Bay Area across private and public schools!

We've been so happy with Merry Moppet/ Belmont Oaks Academy! Our kids have been attending since…read morepreschool, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. The teachers are exceptional--dedicated, nurturing, and truly passionate about education. They have low turnover in teachers. It's actually pretty impressive. The leadership, including the owners and principal, demonstrates a remarkable commitment to creating a supportive and enriching environment. You can feel the support and care that permeates the school. In elementary, the curriculum is academically rigorous and continues to progress. So that maybe an important consideration for your kid. We appreciate the close-knit community; it feels like family. Our kids genuinely love going to school every day, and that says it all.

Grateful to have found Compass for my son. It's difficult to find a supportive, encouraging and…read morecomprehensive program for our kiddos who have learning differences. The teachers and staff are wonderful. They truly care and understand how our kiddos think and what they need to be successful. Everyone is welcome and "belongs!" The music program and extracurricular activities are fantastic! I could not ask for a better place for my son to learn, be encouraged and accepted. The only complaint would be - the cost and the number of day off. The school is extremely expensive. And the number of days off is high! You can't teach kids if they are not at school. Would prefer more days in school / less days off.

I went to Compass and the services that we requested were amazing. They offer services like extra…read moretime on tests or having a scribe write. I enjoyed the value of how much I learned

Today during snack, one of my friends got milk from the cafeteria. He opened it and dipped an Oreo…read morein. When he took out the Oreo, the milk that was on the Oreo was slimy and sticky. He immediately threw away the milk into the trash in disgust. Once, when I got a cheeseburger from the cafeteria, there was no cheese, and the meat looked weird. It still tasted okay, but not the best. On Fridays when they serve pizza, it is similar to cardboard. The paper holder for the pizza sticks to the pizza, and when I take it off to eat the pizza, the paper sticks to the pizza so that I get a mouthful of paper when I eat. The pizza's taste is underwhelming and lackluster. Last year was much worse though. The pizza was a tiny square in a small plastic tray, with a ton of peas next to it. The pizza itself was covered in a layer of grease so thick that most of the pizza was grease. The pizza was essentially a little bit of cheese on top of cardboard without sauce. Coming back to this year, some days the lunch is just a plain bagel inside of a paper container. The bagel is very cold with just a packet of sunflower seeds, and bad cream cheese for seasoning. So, speaking truthfully, it was bad. There is also no water and only milk served.

I would give it negative 10 stars if possible. Mr Banker is the only good science teacher, the rest…read morehate kids. Ms Peters even uses ChatGPT on multiple occasions. (according to my child) She favors classes and has obvious least favorite classes. Ms Chaidez is stern but a good teacher, my child says they learn a lot in her class. The school lunch was moldy one day, and it sometimes makes my child nauseous. Please do something. This school was so bad that my child could not stay in the school for much longer. We decided to move cities completely as that what was best fit for our budget. Thank you for all the tears and hard days.

We feel so lucky that both of our children were able to attend Carey for elementary school over the…read morelast 9 years. The administration, teachers, staff, and community are top notch. The teachers really know and understand each child. What drives them, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they learn the best. The parent community is fun, supportive, and close knit. We highly recommend Carey to our family and friends.

We were Carey Parents for 13 years across 3 kids. Our time at The Carey School was magical for our…read morekids and for our family. The faculty really knew our kids well and celebrated their unique gifts; they were positive, encouraging and smart. They taught the kids a growth mindset, cultivated kindness and prepared our kids well both social emotionally and academically for middle school. The parent community is engaged, friendly and the people we've met and come to know and love will long be our community after our kids are in middle school and beyond.

Our child had a nosebleed at school, and the school director Colleen immediately called us to pick…read morehim up. Since we work 40 minutes away, I asked if this was part of the school's sick policy. It wasn't--the reason given was simply that a teacher couldn't manage 12 kids at once. On top of that, the preschool principal Laurie required us to provide a doctor's note confirming that nosebleeds were "okay" to let kid back to school. Even our pediatrician found this request ridiculous, but kindly wrote the note word-for-word as they asked. Despite the school's popularity due to its affiliation with a local private elementary, this has been our worst preschool experience compared to others. The teacher-student ratio is inadequate, tuition is extremely high, and communication with parents is minimal. Although it's promoted as a play-based program, most of the time children just play independently while teachers supervise rather than engage. Also they introduce screen time (TV, iPads) as early as age two. I initially chose Serendipity Preschool for my child because of its strong reputation. However, I eventually realized it operates more like a business and not care much about the kids as they claimed. After moving and enrolling my kids in other schools, the differences became very clear, in all aspects--and much greater than I could imaged. In response to Laurie's reply below: When a school director exaggerates facts by claiming "daily nosebleeds" and deliberately misleads the public while carefully managing reviews to maintain a 5-star image, it really makes me question their priorities. When I answered the call, I clearly heard the words: "One teacher cannot take care of 12 kids. Please pick him up as soon as possible." That completely shocked me.

We have one kid in his third year, a second kid starting out in the 2s ("Monkeys") class, and a…read morethird enrolled starting in 2025! If we had three more kids we would probably send them to Serendipity, too! Excellent preschool with teachers that clearly care about the kids and the school. Even coming out of the pandemic we have witnessed virtually no teacher turnover which has led to seamless continuity as the kids cycle through classes. Each class has a bit of its own feel to it depending on the focus of the teacher(s), however what is consistent is that there is a clear curriculum and excellent parent-teacher communication. As the older one has hit his stride, it is apparent that he feels a part of the community as we do as parents. It will be sad once graduation finally comes, but luckily we have two more kids to go!