This community helped me and my husband raise our family. My…read moreson and daughter have made connections that I know will last a lifetime. They were ready for high school when they launched into that stage. I highly recommend taking a look and talking to the families. Great place to get involved!

I am a graduate from the class of 2026. I liked to say my personal experience was full of ups and…read moredowns. downs: the dress code is very sexist. they only punish girls for dress codes even thought the boys break it regularly. staff and faculty do not listen to student feedback yard duties always turned a blind eye lots of bullies, very little authority ups: MOST teachers are good at their jobs and truly helped me learn schedule is good and has even balance many fundraisers and dances your child will definitely make lifelong friends, and learn the things they need to. they have a relatively high chance being teased and suggestions will not be heard.

Please save your child from this! If you're thinking about enrolling your child into this school…read moreplease read this review before so, I have been at this school since I was in TK and my sister too. It used to be a good school that kids enjoyed but now it's like prison. Many kids in all different grades suffer from bullying and harassment. My last year there which was in 5th grade because I couldn't go there anymore even if it was last year there. I was harassed by a kid who would tell girls just dirty stuff and the principal would just not do anything ,we got the police involved and she would constantly try to hide from them to the point that the case closed due to this. The kids parents that harassed me even followed a kid home and started telling him stuff and the dad even brought his own kid to fight a kid that didn't want anything to do with him. I was told by the principal that "what happens in this school stay in this school". Which was a big no, kids should tell their parents about this ,not just let happen in the school, I suffered there all 5th grade because of bullying harassment and even more while principal would just not do anything about it beacause she's lazy that doesn't help and do her dang job??? She should go to jail for all this she's done!!!! Please save ur child from this torture.

My good old elementary school. Back in the days this school was called Hillsdale but changed it's…read morename to Captain Jason Dahl elementary school following 9/11 in honor of Captain Dahl. This campus is super clean and pretty. The walls are painted the forest green and a cream color. the bathrooms are kept clean as well! That's always a plus. :) it's you're typical elementary school with K-6 in the Franklin district.

My husband and I are both educators and have worked in public education in secondary schools for…read morethe past 15 years. We were lucky that for the first 3 years of our daughters life, we could rely on grandparents for complete childcare. When going to work, our minds were at ease knowing she had excellent care and attention at home. The downside was that at 3 years old, our daughter had not had much opportunity to socialize with other children or stay with an adult other than her grandparents or parents. We were of course, concerned that the transition to child care or school might be disastrous. I cannot be more satisfied with our decision to enroll our daughter at the Challenger School, Shawnee campus. We began with the summer school option, enrolling her in a half day program, 5 days a week when she was 3 years and a few months old. This was the perfect transition for a child who had no experience staying with other adults outside of family. Her cognitive, social, and emotional progress was visible immediately. That Fall, we enrolled her in a full day program in the 3 year old class. A year later, and we are still so happy with our experience. Our daughter will be enrolled in the 4 year old program for the 17-18 school year. While the curriculum and academic expectations are indeed rigorous, the staff is so incredibly loving, caring, and nurturing. The instruction is given in a way that engages the students through music and art. The children genuinely have fun while they learn and appreciate the structure and routine. We are always impressed with the work our daughter brings home. She is only 4 and can print her name, blend letters to phonetically read and write 3-4 letter words, add and subtract numbers, and so much more. Her experience is not unique as most if not all the students in her class can do the same. On top of this, every staff member from the administration, security guards, secretarial staff and teachers are excellent. I feel as though I am leaving my child with family. This is an incredibly important feature to me as I need to feel as though I am leaving my daughter in loving and capable hands when I drop her off to go to work. We have bonded with a number of parents from her class and get together for the kids birthday parties and other social events. I cannot imagine a better place for our child. I am happy to answer any further questions about our experience if you are interested in enrolling your son or daughter. Also, the school offers a tuition incentive of 15% off through a referral program. Please contact me if you are interested in this opportunity.

Challenger provides a strong academic foundation, but the educational approach can feel overly…read morerigid and robotic. There is a heavy emphasis on maintaining the school's prescribed pace and method, with limited room for creativity, individuality, or different ways of learning. The school provides very little built in academic support. When a student needs additional explanation, reinforcement, or a different teaching approach, parents are largely expected to recognize the need and arrange support themselves. Considering the significant tuition families pay and the amount of time children spend at school, there should be more meaningful guidance, individualized instruction, and teacher led support. Bullying and inappropriate student behavior are also not addressed as consistently or effectively as they should be. Based on our experience, teachers and administrators appear reluctant to have necessary conversations with the parents of children whose behavior is affecting others. This allows problems to continue instead of being addressed directly and constructively. The extended care program is particularly disappointing. It feels more like basic supervision than a meaningful extension of the school day. Staff are frequently on their phones, and little to no academic guidance or homework support is offered. Given the additional cost, families should be able to expect greater engagement and value from the program. Academic rigor is important, but a strong school should also provide support, protect students, communicate honestly with families, encourage creativity, and respond when concerns arise. Families now have other academically strong options that take a more balanced, whole child approach. Challenger would benefit from pairing its high expectations with more responsive teaching, accountable supervision, and genuine care for each student's overall experience. Preschool and KG was great. 1-3 grade not so great.

Between 3 kids, they've attended Reed for 9 years. Not only is it a welcoming and warm community,…read morebut the teachers and PTA put on wonderful and inclusive events an celebrate many cultures throughout the year.

Read as the heart of the community! It provides an excellent education with experienced teachers, a…read moresafe gated campus, and tons of inclusive activities for students to enjoy. It's also a common meeting place for the community on weekends.

Called this school a couple of times to sign up for an open house. Left messages and email. This…read moreschool only caters to certain people and will not respond if you're a minority. Not the way of the Lord if you tell me.

My son transferred to this school for 1st Grade. It was not the smoothest of transitions, but…read moreduring those critical first few months, it became apparent to us what the strengths of this school were: 1. Committed Staff -- Everybody, from the principal to the teachers and support (student services and after school), is committed to help out the students and their parents. We had a meeting within the first few months to discuss my son's progress and brainstormed how to help him out in certain situations that we had identified as "tricky". 2. Quality of the teachers -- I saw the reviews. Fortunately, my son was placed with teachers that understood him and motivated him to get excited and persevere with the lessons. Recently (after his first year), I discovered that they strongly encourage parents at the end of each schoolyear to fill out a form that details kids' strengths/weaknesses/learning styles, etc... all to help them identify which teacher is best for your kid(s). And this pandemic was a blessing in disguise for us -- in the few times we were able to listen to their Zoom classes, we saw and heard the joy and the positive energy his 2nd Grade teachers have. These came across strongly, and the kids are excited to participate and raise their hands to answer questions. My son can't even wait to wake up for in-person classes or log onto Zoom (on Zoom days). Now I understand why his homeroom teacher has to have a big tall Americano everyday :D 3. Sense of community -- all of these build that feeling in the students that school is a safe and happy place. We felt it in the first few minutes that we looked at the playground before my son's "interview". The students recognized that my son was not a student in the school, but they welcomed him and showed him the ropes around the playground. Nobody told them to play with my son, they did that all on their own. There were some spats with a kid on the playground during the 1st grade, but the situations were always handled with care by the staff, in a very fair manner. After a week or so it stopped, and the kid picking on my son actually became his friend. 4. Academics and extra-curricular -- I must admit that the extra-curricular program (esp the arts) was the first draw for us. Robust programs that build on all the way to high school. And the after-school programs are also well-chosen and well-run. The only nit I have, and it's very minor-- is the tuition fee. It's not cheap. But I recognize that in order to recruit and keep their valuable staff and provide their topnotch programs, they will need those resources. All in all, we are just so happy with the school, and we have been telling our friends about it. If you are thinking about placing your children here -- (1) Do it as early as Kindergarten, or (2) Do it early (for the upper grades); check their admissions calendar on the website. Re-enrollment levels for the current students is high so available slots for transferees are so few, think 2-3 slots.

This review is for the kindergarten teacher Mrs. Hernandez that teaches children with autism. Also…read morefor the accomplice (the principal). My poor 5 year old had been through so much in a short span of 5 months. 3 different schools, that the district recommended to get the correct placement for him!! You know how exhausting and scary that was for my son. He's still a baby! Anyhow came to this awful school only to have my son traumatized and mistreated the first day of school!!!!!!!! The teacher came to talk to my son to introduce herself in the morning while standing in line outside. My husband was on the phone finishing up a call, when he realized in the corner of his eye, the teacher on knee level grabbing my son viciously by his chin and said "look at me when I speak to you"!!!!!!!!! My son, as well as many others that have autism, struggle to make eye contact! She of all people should know that!!! But I guess not, this school just hires anyone! If she had the proper training she would know how to treat and approach children with autism and be patient and understanding! Heres the other kicker, the principal had her back, no consequences, no punishment what so ever for her teacher. They give consequences to all kids there, even with autism but oh NO! NOT THERE CoWORKERS! She made many excuses saying that she didn't mean it and a bunch of bs. Im like how do you know she did not mean it you were not there!!!! And stop speaking for a grown woman, you do not need to make excuses for her disgusting disrespectful behavior! Imagine what goes on behind those doors, where they are vulnerable without their parent to help them communicate No patience, or understanding for them, just anger low patience, aggression and hostility for those poor children. Horrible school do not send your child to a school like this, that can let abuse happen and look the other way! Teachers, principals, and even yard duty can be bullies too!

I love this school..My boys love it too..The principal Mrs. Moira Barker..secretaries Ms. Luz n Ms…read more Sheri always have a pleasant smile..Staff are very understanding n works with U..This school give s U that home away from home feeling.. Shout outs also to the Special Ed class..The aides n Mr. Gene are wonderful n Amazing :-) 1st grade teachers Mrs. Colbert n Mrs. Hawley are Amazing as well.! There are many Beautiful n REAL staff here in this school..I wish this school existed in late 90's..I wudnt mind being a student here..lolz :-D

We absolutely love Venture Christian Academy. Our kids are happy here every day, and the teachers…read moreare truly loving and attentive. Our daughter is typically anxious with transitions, but she settled in remarkably well thanks to the warm, patient staff and supportive environment. Our two younger children also absolutely love school--they look forward to being there each day--and both took less than a day to transition with no tears when they started. Class sizes are small--fewer than 15 students in our kids' classrooms--which means real, individualized attention. We also value the well-rounded curriculum that goes beyond academics to focus on character development and a strong Christian faith foundation. It's exactly the balance we hoped to find. The campus is beautiful and well cared for, and they're actively investing in the future with a new middle school building and gym facilities underway. As parents of three students here, we couldn't be happier with our decision. Venture Christian Academy has been a blessing to our family, and we recommend it wholeheartedly.

My children are now in their third year at VCA, and I can't say it enough -- I never truly…read moreunderstood what it meant for kids to thrive in a school until they came here. At VCA, my children are genuinely known and loved, and as a parent, there is nothing more reassuring than seeing other adults deeply care for your kids! The academics and arts programs are excellent, the campus is stunning with exciting improvements ahead, and the parent community is truly special -- I love connecting with other families, often over coffee at Venture Coffee. I've been overwhelmed, in the best way, by our experience at VCA. What I love most is that the school leadership is never content to settle -- they're always striving to grow, improve, and create an even better experience for the school body and community!

This review is for the staff. While the school is a high ranking, high achieving school, the staff…read moreis one of the most back-stabbing, catty, cruel staff with whom I have ever worked. I volunteered and before beginning, I suggested meeting with the teacher to discuss how I would be most helpful. The teacher agreed that this would be a good idea. After a few conversations, this never happened. I told this teacher that since it seemed meeting was impractical given our schedules, that I would appreciate suggestions along the way to help me be more effective. No suggestions were ever given so I assumed everything was working smoothly. As I sat in the lunchroom, without fail, I overheard constant gossip about students, parents, other staff, and comments about "stupid" kids, "ugly clothes", ugly hairdos, annoying parents, and useless people. Not only did they complain, they named the people (first and last). I understand the need to vent, but there is a time and place for this. At school not knowing who was listening, is unprofessional and unacceptable. At the end of my volunteer time, I was told that I was useless, unprepared, and had never communicated with them about how to be most effective. All of this was untrue and I came to find out, they simply didn't like me so they reported these things just to get me out. Little did they know, I had decided earlier that I was not returning. I honored my commitment because I have integrity, but I would never put myself in that situation again. Beware that should you volunteer, work on PTA, or do anything alongside these teachers, you will receive backlash if you don't fit into their affluent white clique.

I can honestly say I have had the best time at Los Alamitos. I have been volunteering there since…read moremy youngest was school age and have met so many wonderful people along the journey. The teachers have been great. The welcoming smiles we get coming into campus each day do indeed spread the kindness around. Now that I have been on campus daily for years many of the students also know me and say hello to me when I walk by, and for my "little" friends in Kinder or 1st I love the energetic hugs. Los Alamitos is a great community with lots of support from local business, parents, teachers, and staff!