The recent issues in the middle school here are very sad. Inexperienced and power hungry…read moreadministrators are ruining an otherwise vibrant and exciting learning environment. We hope this can be corrected before the school goes further downhill.

I just have to write a recommendation for Almaden Country Day Schoo!. We have been there for 2…read moreyears and have had a GREAT experience. They came highly recommended and I was obviously looking for a school with academics as a priority. Math and Language Arts are THE integral part of the school day. I feel confident my child will be more than ready for the most prestigious high schools. One hundred percent of this year's graduating 8th graders applying to private high schools were accepted I just heard. Wow. The hands on Science program and "Maker's Space"(which teaches children coding, robotics, 3D printing, electronics, etc.) are both phenomenal and I cannot say enough about their Art, Music, P.E., Theater, Foreign Language and Library programs. The difference however, with ACDS is its focus on each child. The moment I enrolled I knew I was entering my child into knowledgeable hands under caring and dedicated teachers that would encourage his gifts as well as continuing with academic rigor. Whether it be their after school sports or enrichment programs as well as the over 40 electives in middle school, he would find "his" path. Since that day, my child has broadened both in his academic knowledge and most importantly, his self confidence. He is an 4th grader and loves his school! The tenured teachers, under an exceptional Head of School, encourage self exploration and provide the opportunity for each child individually to find their path while still adhering to curriculum. No school is perfect and I am totally aware...but they ask. In a yearly survey we are asked, How are things? How can we do better? Does your child feel challenged and accepted? Do you feel a part of your child's education and development? Do you and your child feel a part of the community? (Along with much more!) Its other accolade is their TLC program which is one of the only specialized programs of its kind in the Bay Area. It provides 4:1 ratio for children who need small group education (within perimeters) in Math, Language Arts and Social Studies while integrating for other studies into the larger classroom experience in preparation for high school. It is a supportive environment with specially trained teachers that allows children to feel confident in their learning. My child has benefitted tremendously from this program while still feeling accepted within the larger program. ACDS has intentionally planned for seamless transitions within children's daily routines. I encourage anyone interested to go to their website or an open house and see for yourself. I encourage you to talk to other parents! Several! Or even the kids (whom by the way give the open house tours.). Your school choice is a big decision I know. I was there. The more information the better so you can make the decision what is right for your child and your family. ACDS was the right choice for mine.

Horrible. The teachers were fine, but everything else is atrocious. NB: if your kid is getting…read morebullied, the school will turn a blind eye and do absolutely nothing. They cater to the people who fit their mold and that's it. I highly recommend IF you want your kids to have an education that's on par to what we received 30+ years ago.

Fantastic school with a great community, which is the thing you'll hear parents rave about most…read moreoften. We've been here 7 years and counting. If you see a negative review, click on the person's account and you may find that they like to give negative reviews. Maybe it's you and not everyone else AB, just sayin :-)

I hate the school because they gave detention to my brother for being late 4 times, and I have an…read moreIEP program (individualized education program) because I have a hard time paying attention, and they don't extend their assignment for me, and they don't remind me to do anything!!!! Just to work, and they don't repeat it to me. and that's why I have Fs in the school

Many activities in this school. Got my grades up right after I switched schools to this one.read more

This is a pretty good school, considering I help my kids do their homework and they know it. I do…read morethink they could read the kids different tricks to memorizing and math and spelling etc. I do think the parking and pick up situation is fabulous compared to a lot of other schools I have attended myself and picked up kids from. It is located in a great neighborhood so definitely consider this school if you are new to the area!

today is the official (or unofficial) start of another exciting holiday season! since i expect to…read morechow down heartily this evening, i wanted to get a hard workout in this morning so that i can say i earned my turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. LOL! i appreciate this annual turkey trot, since it is a smaller-scale local event in san jose whose proceeds benefit the bret harte middle school booster club. participants had a choice of two events to either run, walk or "trot:": 5k or 10k. i chose the 10k so that i could have a more intense workout. the pros: -choice of bib and packet pickup the day before or the morning of (the latter was helpful for me since i live a bit far from this event). -perfect race day conditions, mid 40s and sunny at the start, low-mid 50s at the end. although it felt chilly when i first arrived, i warmed up quickly under the sun. -mostly flat course that touched los alamitos creek trail and some of the school's neighboring streets. beautiful foliage at this time of year! -correctly measured course, which is much appreciated given the number of short/long races out there. i got 6.23 miles on my garmin which is very close to the official 6.2 miles for a 10k. -free and easy parking in the school's parking lot which was also right next to the start/finish area. participants could also park along the residential streets next to the school. -race started next to leland high school's track, so we were able to warmup and cooldown before and after the race -restroooms available at both the track house and main school building -flags to mark each mile in the race, which were pretty accurate -friendly volunteers directing runners along the course and handing out water -low registration fee of $15 per adult (early-bird registration) or $20 (standard) or $25 (day of registration). cost does not include a t-shirt, which is an additional $10. i appreciated having the option of purchasing a t-shirt to save some money on the registration fee. the cons: -while it was a nice course, i did not appreciate that the second half of the 10k shared the same course as the second half of the 5k. by the time the faster 10k'ers (like myself) got to the halfway point, we had to share the very narrow trail with the 5k walkers, strollers, pets, and small children which was very frustrating since it was hard to maneuver around them and move ahead. even though i was constantly shouting "on your left, runner behind you" most of the walkers simply ignored me. it would be nice if walkers could be educated about this bit of running etiquette for the future to allow less congestion on a shared trail. -for the 10k course, there was a section that was unclear and not marked properly, so the runners in my pack were uncertain whether that was the turnaround for us or whether to continue. even though there was a volunteer standing on the course, it would have been easier, better if that volunteer had a sign that we could see from a distance to avoid confusion and stopping to ask for directions. i heard that some thought this was the turnaround point and ended up only running 5.7 miles vs the full 6.2 miles. this created some confusion and difficulty in sorting out the official results and race winners. -there weren't many refreshments at the end, just some water, coffee, and pre-cut bagels. as a frequent participant in local area races, i'm accustomed to seeing some fruit, electrolyte drink, and wider variety of post-race refreshments this was definitely a good race for families and individuals alike. it was nice to see a lot of runners dressed like turkeys or wearing turkey hats, as well as the school mascot on the course. my biggest recommendation for next year would be to split the 10k and 5k courses into completely separate courses so that the 10k runners aren't forced to slow down behind the 5k walkers in the 2nd half.

This was my first year running this event / course. For the last three years I ventured with the…read moreSJ Downtown crowds. When I learned there was smaller event and better price I decided to give it a try. Pros. Good cause, Price, Option to Buy T-shirt or not, nice trail, well marked trail and volunteers. Race time texted to me. Cons. Age Class Grouping, I didn't see any restrooms. No finishing bling. Good Parking but oor directions before and after. I didn't see anything post race for refreshments. The finishing line had runners and others just hanging around, they need to be moved on and to the side. No photos. I like getting some finishing medal but that's just me and it would take from the cause or cost us more so it's just a side note.

I have the highest praise for this school! My grandson (now a sophomore at Pioneer) attended…read moreCastillero, and now his sister is a sixth grader there. The academic program is strong, with elective classes of high interest. The Music department is outstanding! I'm so grateful that my grandson had the benefit of learning to play the cello; his sister is now doing the same. (As a retired teacher, I'm pretty savvy about what makes a quality school. I definitely put Castillero in that category.)

My friend goes there her name is Brooklyn she is probably one of the best on our girls a team…read more basketball team called cagers. Sports are very good at castillero. I highly recommend their sports.

I have to be honest. I didn't had the best start at ST. As with SJSU, I won't review the…read moreenvironment. So I just list the pros and cons. Pros: - Teachers that really helped through this high school were Ms. Rice, Mr. O'brien, Mr. Shank, Ms. Martinson, and Ms. Milner (who doesn't work here anymore). - The Key club, Anime club, Interact Club, and Camp Everytown club were very welcoming. - I was able to take a school bus to the high school from where I live. Only for students with disabilities though. Cons: - The counseling was horrible. They had me started in both ESL and Special Ed courses for my first year, which I felt that I did not really need to be in. This made me behind a year from my class. Also, they made it hard for me to switch around my classes. - I couldn't take enrichment for some of my courses during the summer because they were not offered due to the budget cuts. Community college was the only option. - Writing Tutoring was hard to come by. - Math Tutoring was only available on certain days when the teacher was available. - The library was often close. So I had to study in one of my teachers' classrooms. - Having your ID out on your neck was mandatory. - The alternate schedules where you didn't know when you are going to have a certain class during that day. Overall, it was a okay school. I only made connections with a few people after the 2009 graduation.

If I could give it zero stars I would. While I was there the school would call my house EVERYDAY…read moresaying I wasn't in one or more classes BUT I WAS and so I got yelled at every single day because of their lack of paying attention.

Enrolling my daughter into the TK program is probably one of the best educational decisions we made…read morefor our daughter. We watched her blossom in every aspect shortly after she joined. Mrs. Krofts is so amazing. Our daughter is more confident and excited to learn than ever. The Principal stands at the entrance to greet the students in the mornings, my daughter always runs up to him to give him a hug. We've had a great experience so far. I 100% recommend the TK program if you have a kid of age. They also have a good 'Home room' program that stays open till 6pm, it's convenient and relatively cheap. Most other schools in the area offer programs that close at 5pm which is not as convenient for working parents.

We have had our son here since he was in TK and have had an overall very positive experience the…read morewhole time! He's currently in third, and while there have been hiccups (my child has ADHD, so learning is always an adventure), we've felt very nurtured in this family-like environment. The communication is clear and we never feel like we're bothering anyone if we check in. Additionally, the principal has a wild ability to know everyone by name. It REALLY adds to the family-like aspect and makes you feel like you belong.