The preschool director is on top of things and the staff is nurturing and caring of their little…read morestudents. There is potty training available for the littlest ones and actual curriculum for helping the older ones to be ready for learning. All done at appropriate levels for the children.

Bethany Christian School is amazing. The teachers, administration, and head of school work every…read moreday to make sure the kids are happy, loved, and learning and growing at their own pace and full-potential. The entire staff at Bethany are genuinely kind, loving, smart God-fearing and God-loving people. The kids are kind, smart and blessed. I can't say enough good things. If you're looking for a loving, Christ-centered school for your child/children, do give Bethany a chance. Their admissions director is wonderful. Call the school for a tour, I'm sure they'll be happy to accommodate!

I am truly grateful to Immaculate Conception School and all it has done for the growth and…read moredevelopment of my daughter. My daughter has been a student here since 2015 and I am so proud to see the young lady she is becoming. My daughter is a happy student and succeeding academically. She is also in sports and other key clubs that the school offers. As a strong leader, our principal has brought forth many new programs to IC like STEM and empowerment classes for our kids. I know that our principal always acts in the best interest of our students and strives to continue to bring great success to Immaculate Conception School. Being part of the IC School family motivates me to be involved because I enjoy the IC community and all that it stands for. I am definitely a proud parent of IC. Lastly, I look forward to my little one starting TK in the fall. The TK/ K teachers a hard-working team who are experienced and provide an outstanding program.

Former student here. I graduated in recent years and figured I'd write a review about my…read moreexperience. First of all, this establishment claims that it "empowers students to be innovative and creative problem solvers." However, this statement completely contradicts what I went through. When I was a freshman in high school, I was placed into an honors math class and felt that I was prepared for the year ahead of me. This honors class was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken even though I had taken the exact same class in eighth grade. My math teacher would often say that "You guys have seen this before" or "You guys should know how to do this from middle school." I didn't. I had no idea what I was doing when I got to high school and felt incredibly behind from all of my peers. The fact that the subject I felt the least prepared in was math coming from a self-proclaimed "STEM Academy" was beyond me. I know my limitations and math was not it. I had all A's in math while attending this school. One of the biggest things I NEVER learned in Algebra I at IC was mean/median/mode. I remember that everyone of my peers in that freshman year Honors Algebra I class already knew this from middle school.

Emmaus is leaving your child with family ! The staff get to know your child and encourage your…read morechild with God's love ! A safe, loving environment is the best learning environment. This past year my daughter had so many activities she was looking forward to. Lots of love, Christian atmosphere and higher learning. If you are considering Emmaus just do it ... you will be glad !!

Our two boys just completed their first year at Emmaus and we could not be more happy to have them…read moreenrolled here. The school is academically rigorous and will challenge your kids, but the class room sizes are small enough that every kid gets personal attention to help them learn and thrive. The teachers and staff care about each student and everyone knows all the students by name. It feels like a family. Because of the small class size, all of the kids know and are friends with the entire class, so we really haven't seen an issue with bullying. This was a huge plus for our older son who is shy and introverted. He was able to come out of his shell and be himself. Our Kindergarten student went from unable to read at the beginning of the year to reading the entire Dogman series to himself (2nd-3rd grade level) by the end of the year. The school has a strong moral center that drives everything they do. Christianity is not just a name attached to the school, but an active part of the learning experience. Children memorize Bible verses, participate in weekly chapel, and develope a strong moral Christ centered core. We highly recommend this school to anyone looking to give their kids a quality education.

My grandchildren were transitioned here from a very prestigious catholic school where they were not…read morehappy. I as the one who picked them up, was usually greeted with, "this was the worse day ever!" Some parents were friendly, however most were not. When we arrived at San Gabriel, I was surprised to be greeted by some very friendly people who I acknowledge as great friends now! That was the same welcome my grandchildren received from not only the students, but all the staff as well! Dr. Barillas has been so friendly and is always there when needed! She always makes it a point to come up and strike up a lil conversation with me when she sees me. I like that! At Other schools the principal hides. I don't understand why there is so much negativity. I feel we all should look for the positive and make this school shine! The education my kids are receiving is great! The classes are smaller than others which allows the teachers to be more hands on if the kids need help. I appreciate all of the staff here! Thank you for welcoming us.

My experience with SGMES has been nothing but great. Teachers & Staff are so welcoming and kind, it…read morereally makes dropping off my child so easy. Teacher to student ratio is ideal, tuition is extremely reasonable and the schools hot lunch is a big hit with my child. My child loves school, which says so much...but one thing that is so important to me is that she feels safe. Looking forward to the years to come where we can continue to experience the small but great community that is SGMES.

Like so many parents in the Pasadena area researching private schools, we did alllll the tours. We…read morehadn't heard much about Saint Mark's and always assumed from the name that it would lean heavily religious, which wasn't something we were looking for. We also didn't like that it ended at 6th grade (something we later decided was actually a plus). Toward the end of the touring season we decided to stop in simply because it was close to our work. I am not exaggerating when I say we walked out of that little school under the shady pine trees like "this is The One". Coming from a strictly play-based non-academic preschool, we really wanted to continue letting our kids be kids, learning through play and curiosity. But we also knew we wanted them to be challenged academically. And not to sound boastful but we have nice kids; we wanted them surrounded by other nice kids. I didn't want my kids to lose their sense of just being nice, kind humans. What we found at Saint Mark's was a balance that really worked for us. Academics are strong, learning is hands-on and meaningful, and the kids are still excited. Their teachers clearly care about them. The kids are happy. And nice. Polite and well spoken. During the tour, they looked like they were having a good time being at school, laughing, joking with friends at lunch, singing on the way back from recess. Overall we've been really happy since enrolling. We are now in our third year here. Watching what they do, even in Kinder, has been impressive. They have Writer's Workshop and write diary entries about their Halloween class pumpkin decomposing in a tub for months. In another unit, they raised tomato hornworms we brought in from our garden and watched them transform into hawk moths, documenting the whole process. For Valentine's, I offered to drop off homemade pink play-dough to our worldly first graders (an homage to my pre-k co-op years), assuming they'd say the kids were too old. Instead, they embraced it with rolling pins and cookie cutters. The teachers are so special and genuinely know each kid as an individual, even across grade levels. Small groups in the classroom let kids learn together at the same level, wherever that may be. When my DK-er had a rough start to the school year, his teacher rearranged the daily schedule to help him feel comfortable/safe and wrote me daily emails of his progress. And speaking of progress, I never expected that it would be normal for a progress report from his teacher to include a personalized letter detailing his personality, strengths, leadership, character... It was just so unexpected and thoughtful. I'll admit that when we enrolled, I was focused entirely on academics, student/teacher ratio, kind teachers, diversity, outdoor space, and letting kids be kids. While Saint Mark's checked all those boxes, I didn't realize how special the community would be. They interviewed us as parents and not just our kids, which felt like they care about building a community of families with the same values. (I joke that I would vacation with almost any of these families, and we could definitely get through a zombie apocalypse together) Socially, there are grade-level parent parties in the Fall so you can get to know the other families, sans kids. There are events like the Fall Fest with petting zoos and bounce houses and bake sales and confetti eggs, there are potlucks and picnics, book fair, hikes. There is an annual gala fundraiser where parents can let loose for the night, as well as smaller socials that make it easy to build friendships. There are ways to be ON campus: classroom jobs and PA positions and many ways to give time/talent/donations. You can sign up to stuff red envelopes for Lunar New Year or hand out hot lunch on campus and spy on your kids while they eat. After the fires we did consider relocating. And while it may seem unusual to be temporarily housed on another campus, our kids do get to use the beautiful outdoor spaces, fields, gym and basketball court at EF. What I was initially worried about has become somewhere the kids love to be. We did still have moments of doubt about relocating or not. Ultimately Saint Marks was a big factor in our decision to stay. I know it's wild to think elementary school is what kept us from jumping ship, but we stayed in the Pasadena/Altadena area because of this school. Our kids love it and we love it for our kids. We plan to remain living locally through sixth grade because of the school, and probably longer after hearing where the 6th graders matriculate to. We're really looking forward to the rebuild. We feel incredibly lucky that we found this small, somewhat under-the-radar school almost by accident. It's hard to explain how great the culture is here until you walk through the classrooms and campus and talk to some of the students, parents, and faculty. Like any school it won't be the perfect fit for everyone but for our family our experience has been very very positive.

Dear school seekers, Ultimately we chose Saint Mark's for…read moreour children because it displays balance- we see both modern ideas surrounding whole-child social emotional culture with a more traditional classroom/academic load and structure. Saint Mark's has true authenticity when it comes to role-modeling what community means for our children. The Episcopal elements of school feel universally welcoming to all. As a multi-racial family, we feel very at home with Saint Mark's where DEI is not a department, an option, or a fad but a natural part of the school's identity. When we chose the school we were intentionally seeking academic rigor for our kids; and because the school embraces differentiated learning groups, we know our kids will get what they need in all subjects. The children have lots of movement throughout their day with a wide variety of subjects to explore. The school maintains boundaries with being responsible, respectful, and safe which allows all the students to take risks and lean-in knowing they have a foundation of structure and support behind them. I have noticed our children's imaginations have been flourishing due to their time at school. The teachers are joyful and friendly which invites a warmth. The parent-community is strong (and fun) which is deeper than a good time when we realize we are showing our student-body what it looks like to work-together and create something bigger that everyone can enjoy. The leadership prioritizes modern changes to education while keeping the jump-ropes and math text books in close reach. To open a new campus about six weeks after the Eaton Fire is a true symbol of how strong the community is. Come and tour! All the best, Melissa

We still look back at our time at SMCNS as some of the best time spent on our children's…read moreupbringing. My now high school aged child thrived while at SMCNS and still recalls fun memories of his time there. He was accepted to every private school we applied to in the Pasadena-area, including some of the most prestigious ones, with no extra tutoring or educational supplementation. We moved away when my younger child was in attendance and finding a similar preschool in our new area was impossible. My son was much more prepared for Kindergarten than my daughter who attended a less developmentally focused preschool.

I just transferred my son from a highly rated, 2-year- wait list school in the area. He was…read moremiserable there for some unknown reason, which I still can't pinpoint exactly what went wrong. The teachers, director, and I tried everything we could think of, and my son continued to hate going to school everyday. He threw massive tantrums and pushed boundaries with his teachers, he eventually did the same at home with me and my husband. I was unaware how stressed he was for 2 months until the week my son joined SMCNS. Last couple of months, he started struggling at bedtime and sleeping 1-2 hours less at night. I thought he was going through sleep regressions or that he just didn't need as much sleep as he's getting older. Turns out he's been stressed. Since the first day at SMCNS, he calmly settles down to sleep at night and sleeps for 11+ hours through the night, uninterrupted. He is not cranky after school and does not fight over little things with us anymore. He's back to being his old happy self again. I shed happy tears seeing the immediate changes in my son, and wish I had switched schools earlier. I've been a teacher for 15 years with a child development background, and have 5 education certificates. Children need meaningful and purposeful play-based learning and develop social emotional skills to build the foundation they need to succeed in the future. I'm so glad to be part of the SMCNS community and know that my son is in good hands.

I'm going to write this review because I have literally gone through hell and high waters with a…read moreplethora of other Catholic schools that were unremarkably horrible. In nine years, my daughter was enrolled in four different Catholic schools. I feel this review may have some good insight and leverage with an honest review. Safety first. St. Luke's suggested we keep my daughter in school despite how uncomfortable I felt leaving her there all day. They advised that it was the best I could do for her. They sat with me and my daughter, and confronted all issues at hand. They made sure we understood what it was going to take for us to be able to grow out of fear and into Christs love. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it, yes. Zero issues with bully parents and zero issues with bratty kids. The platform was leveled to everyone attending. They provided an unbiased platform. Community Second. They have amazing community! No snobby, standoffish parents. They offer great community. We are not from the area, this is my husband's alumni, however, they never made us feel like outsiders. Ever. They have an incredibly sweet community! Last. Academics. Above average, by far. They set you up for success. They offer Decathlon and Robotics, and compete plus place 1st, 2nd, 3rd against other schools. These are outstanding programs the school offers. The workload is intense, substantially tougher than other nearby schools. Other Catholic schools in the area do not offer diversity or inclusion. St. Luke's offers a beautiful and diverse community, which is what my family needed. St. Lukes offers child conflict resolution, which is pretty basic, simple and fair. Classes get divided up, kids are buddied with upper to lower grades. In other words, the upper classes buddy up with the lower classes. This way, the classmates don't have time to pick on each other or bully one another. It's a pretty smart idea. At lunch, sports have a weekly rotation, which is also pretty smart. So, I think this works out, one week volleyball, one week soccer, one week kickball, etc. if your kid doesn't want to play, they can hang out with friends on the field. Btw-they have an amazing field! But, the magical part of this all, the kids get along pretty well. It's such a positive, loving, friendly and hopeful atmosphere that the kids are a very well rounded bunch. Be. Still. My. Heart. Let's face it. Parents are not the easiest to deal with. Teachers and principals are way in over their heads, are over worked, and overlooked for the good deeds they do all day, everyday. You want to place your child in the best possible hands. St. Lukes comes highly recommended. I could finally sleep at night, knowing we were treated fairly, and with respect. Was it all good? No. There is some bad, but it's not horrible. Not even close to horrible. Your kids are going to be safe here, taught well and above all, treated fairly and with respect. Thank you

If you're looking for an excellent faith based education look no further! St. Luke's has a lot to…read moreoffer! We had our son in another Catholic school for 2 years but we weren't satisfied with their low emphasis on academics and technology, yet their was a high emphasis on fundraising. After touring St. Luke's we decided to transition our son here for 1st grade. After being at St Luke's for one year all I have are positive remarks. Our son absolutely loves his school and all of his friends. This school has everything you could ever wish for. Here are the reasons you should enroll your child at St Luke's. 1. Smaller class size, student to teacher ratio is excellent. Your child will not slip through the cracks. 2. All classrooms have a small library 3. A school library is also available, which the students go to weekly. 4. They use the Accelerated Reading, Program. Students read books and take tests according to their reading level. It motivates students to challenge themselves to read at a higher reading level AND you'll always know at what grade level your child is reading at. 5. A computer lab room 6. A science lab room 7. They have field trips 8. 4 progress reports, prior to the progress reports you'll know how your child is doing. Spelling and reading and math tests are sent home weekly and you're required to sign acknowledgment 9. An art room 10. A robotics room 11. Spanish is incorporated from TK-8th grade. 12. Early drop off available. 13. After school program (they focus on completing homework as soon as they get there) 14. Chess club 15. You will receive a weekly email from the principal containing a Weekly School Family Newsletter 16. Participation in an academic decathlon. This year they earned 3rd place overall. 17. A Spring play 18. Summer school 19. Spacious playground with a blacktop and plenty of grass for kids to run around and have fun. 20. It is encouraged that families attend mass together once per month 21. Access to Prodigy, a math program tailored to each individual student Overall we love the emphasis that is placed on academics while fostering a faith based environment. The kids that come here are in a structured environment that enables them to excel academically while making them morally grounded. The communication between the administration and parents is excellent. You will love this school! So if you're reading this and you're either looking to start your child here, or you're looking for a better school for your child - bring your child here! Book your tour today and get your child enrolled. You won't regret it!

Heartfelt community, but some transparency gaps!…read more I visited Holy Family four times and loved seeing the joyful, engaged students and the peaceful atmosphere of Sunday Mass. There's a lot of heart here, but as a single mom, I want to share a few tips for other parents considering this school: * Ratios vs. Reality: While online stats say 13:1, that's not true. TK class of 20 and class of 35 beginning in 1st grade. There is an aide and teacher per grade level. It's a significant jump from the "official" numbers listed on niche and other sites describing this school with small classroom sizes. * The Assessment: My 3-year-old was interviewed alone in a small room; a tough separation if you aren't expecting it. * Transparency: Between a 3-hour Sunday commitment (Mass plus tour), 2 hr weekday school tour, a weekday interview on a different date than the tour, and the $125 fee, I wish there was more clarity on actual spot availability upfront instead of "we encourage you to apply right away." Ultimately, my child wasn't accepted which was a blessing in disguise (we found a welcoming Catholic school to start his TK adventure in the fall). The rejection letter cited "fit," and while it encouraged us to resubmit next year, I didn't consider this a viable option. It felt a bit dismissive to ask a family to repeat such a time-intensive, costly process without any feedback on what "fit" actually meant or what would change next time. I'm sharing this so other families can ask the right questions before diving in. Wishing the HFCS community all the best!

HFS builds a nurturing environment allowing students to thrive both socially and academically…read more Students are challenged to think and apply real world knowledge through various projects across the curriculum. Because all teachers and staff are welcoming at FHS, there is a deep sense of family which allows students to grow their faith and develop a positive self image. Our daughter is very happy and cannot wait to share her new learning.