Our daughter is in Kindergarten with Ms. Perez and Ms. Umanani, and we absolutely love Challenger School. The teachers do a fantastic job of tailoring their approach to kids with different personalities, making learning both highly effective and incredibly fun. Our daughter loves everyone there, from her classroom teachers and Extended Care staff to the administrators. It is a wonderful, supportive community where kids truly thrive! read more

I am delighted to recommend Challenger School - Middlefield to any parent seeking an academic and caring environment for their child. My child attended Preschool since he was 3 years old and our experience has been nothing short of outstanding. The teachers ( Miss Jia and Miss Aboli) are compassionate, patient, and highly skilled in early childhood education. The curriculum is a perfect blend of academic learning, social development, and creative play, all within a safe and nurturing environment. Since attending Challenger, my son has grown in confidence, developed important social skills, and discovered a love for learning. I am grateful for the wonderful foundation the Preschool has provided, and I highly recommend them to any family. read more

My daughter started preschool, and I truly feel it's one of the best decisions we've made. Before we enrolled, I had heard that the school offers strong academic learning, particularly in phonics, science, speaking, and more--areas where my daughter had struggled. I was a bit worried about whether she would be able to keep up with the curriculum. However, after six months, my daughter came home and proudly showed me that she could start reading a book by spelling out the words herself. Since then, her phonics skills have improved greatly, and she can now easily read many simple books. From speaking with other parents, I've learned that this level of progress is not typical, and I'm really grateful for the way the teachers help students advance their skills. With this year's experience, we've decided to continue with the kindergarten program so that she can keep improving in many other areas. read more

I highly recommend Challenger Middlefield. My daughter had a truly meaningful and joyful experience here during her Preschool 4 and K Prep summer camp. Challenger excels at teaching phonics through songs, which is also my daughter's favorite part--she sings every day. She even sings a song taught by her teacher before dinner each day: "I am grateful for many things." I'm so happy that she not only gained knowledge at school but also learned about sharing and gratitude. She also made many kind and friendly friends here. I'm truly glad I chose this school. read more

My children joined the Preschool 3 program at Challenger Middlefield last semester, and I am incredibly grateful for the care, patience, and dedication that the teachers and staff have shown them throughout their time here. Enrolling my children in each of the Preschool 3 classrooms has been an incredibly positive experience, and I am especially thankful for the wonderful teachers they've had: Miss Rebekah, Miss Melissa, Miss Azita, and Miss Vishakha. Their experience and approach to nurturing young children's emotional development have made such a positive impact on my children. When my children first joined the class, they did not speak English, and I was worried about how they would interact with the other children and teachers. However, all of the teachers provided such a supportive environment, patiently guiding them through their transition. They encouraged my children to express their needs and feelings in their own way, slowly helping them build confidence in using words and short sentences to communicate. I am also deeply appreciative of the school's pick up and drop off policy, allowing parents to walk their children into the classroom and pick them up at the end of the day. This opportunity for daily communication with the teachers has been invaluable. My children, who were very shy at the beginning of the year, now love going to school and eagerly give hugs to all their teachers at the end of the day. It's evident from the changes in them that they feel loved, supported, and excited to learn. The expertise of the teachers at Challenger has truly impressed me. I was concerned that my children might struggle with the curriculum due to the language barrier, but the teachers have made learning engaging and fun. Through the use of pictures, arts, and music, my children have been able to learn phonics and a variety of other concepts such as science, seasons, colors, and days of the week. I also love how the school fosters independent thinking, encourages speaking up in class, and helps children develop confidence in themselves. Additionally, my children have grown in their ability to take care of themselves--putting away their school bags, wearing their jackets, and cleaning up toys. This emphasis on independence is something I greatly value. The progress reports we receive each semester are also very helpful in understanding our children's academic and social development. The ability to meet with Miss Sharon, the preschool director, and the teachers to discuss ways to further support my children has been invaluable. I truly appreciate how Miss Sharon and the teachers take the time to pay attention to each child and work with parents to support their growth. Overall, I highly recommend the preschool programs at Challenger Middlefield to any parents looking for a loving and caring school community that nurtures children both academically and emotionally. The attention and dedication shown to each child, along with the supportive environment, truly sets this preschool apart. We are incredibly grateful to be a part of this wonderful community! Thank you, Miss Rebekah, Miss Melissa, Miss Azita, Miss Vishakha and Miss Sharon! read more

My daughter Anna attended preschool at Challenger and she has been growing so fast both academically and emotionally. Her teachers are very supportive and caring! read more

My child has had such a great experience in the preschool program at Challenger Middlefield campus. His teachers have truly been a gift in our child's early learning journey. I want to give Ms.Rebekah an extra shout out. From the  very beginning, she showed so much patience and warmth to my son. One of the most meaningful things we've seen is how she's instilled in him a genuine love of learning. He comes home excited to share what he's learned, and it's clear that he feels proud of himself. We've also seen such a noticeable improvement in his fine motor skills. His cutting, pasting, and drawing skills have improved greatly and he enjoys doing them now! He comes home everyday asking to make crafts and read books. read more

My child transferred to this school for first grade. Both my family and my child really love it here. Challenger school has a well-designed curriculum that emphasizes academics, the teachers are responsible and patient, and the school offers a wide range of engaging activities that are fair and inclusive, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate and be recognized. We truly love this school and look forward to more experiences in the future. read more

Challenger School Middlefield Campus certainly lives up to its name.... It's ideal for parents who want their children to be challenged academically. The school is a strong fit for families who value a traditional teaching model focused on core subjects that are addressed at levels above what one would expect from a typical elementary school. Our son joined Challenger Middlefield for 5th grade and his teacher was instrumental in helping him catch up to a curriculum that was perhaps a grade level above what he was expecting. In the end, he rose to the occasion thanks to his teacher's focused attention and support. All completed homework is accounted for and graded, and tests are graded and returned promptly. This provided us with immediate feedback on our child's academic progress and challenges. On a related note, the well-defined syllabus with two weeks' visibility on all daily homework requirements and tests (along with documentation of any missed work) helped teach our son to plan ahead and be accountable for his academic performance. Board work time 30 minutes prior to the official start of the class day (for students who arrive early) provides another opportunity to review key math and grammar concepts. An afterschool program is available for children to complete their homework. Uniform requirements and a well-managed classroom both support focused student performance throughout the day. Finally, we were thoroughly impressed with Challenger's approach to Science Fairs and seasonal school performances. The amount of effort dedicated to having high-quality fairs and performances was obvious in the final product. We owe a debt of gratitude to our son's 5th-grade teacher and to the head of the lower school who gave our son personalized support and encouraged him in a firm, fair and friendly manner to become his best self academically! read more

Our daughters have been with the 3's class on Challenger Palo Alto campus since early 2024. They also had 2024 summer camp there. Girls are always excited to share with us their days at school with happy faces - what they learned, what teachers told them to do or not to do, who they played with, etc. The progress they've made is incredible. Big shout out to their teachers: Ms Eunice, Ms Claudia, Ms Rebekah, Ms Mellisa, Ms Vishakha and Ms Arzita! read more

Two kids at challenger currently, one in four year old program and one in kindergarten. The teachers are engaged and welcoming. We have found challenger helped our kids feel comfortable going to school, speak, and read. They have a structured curriculum that covers a variety of material. Additionally the students learn manners, discipline, and communication. read more

Challenger Middlefield is an amazing school with some of the most caring and responsive teachers and staff. We have two children there (currently in second grade and preK) and both of them love going to school there! They are engaged with the curriculum and really like their teachers. While our older child is doing well, our younger one is struggling a bit due to him being quite young in his class. What really stands out to me is how much time and effort his teachers would spend really helping him absorb the content, patiently explaining things, and making it fun for him in the meantime! read more

Challenger school is a such right choice for my son,especially we meet the wonderful teachers Ms.Madhumita and Ms.Claudia.They are caring and dedicated teachers who create a warm and welcoming environment for their students. My son loves coming to school because of their kindness, patience, and understanding.They put their heart into work! We really appreciate both teachers,and for sure we will continue studying here. read more

**PROFIT MOTIVATED SCHOOL - that doesn't care about its kids - avoid at all costs*** We sent our kiddo here for 2 years and it led to stunted emotional development. She is now at the public kindergarten and so much happier. For the first time she has told me "she loves her teacher and her teacher is kind". We thought that the complaints about Challenger were related to it being too academic. We have high academic expectations and our kids have all been academically gifted. Challenger's curriculum is ok, its too rote focused, but this was not the core issue. The teachers and staff at Challenger are cold and rigid. As a contrast I vividly remember the 1st day of school at oldest kid's school where there were balloons and the teachers warmly welcomed all the kids. At Challenger (this was preschool), the teachers yelled at all the kids to line up. A number of kids were sobbing - they just ignored the crying. BUT the biggest challenge was the school's for profit orientation focused on efficiency and risk mitigation. -As an example you should know that Challenger does not complete teacher evaluations for private school admissions - likely to discourage kids from leaving. IF YOU HOPE TO APPLE TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL, DO NOT GO TO CHALLENGER AS THIS IS A MAJOR DISADVANTAGE. - We were told nothing about our daughter all year. When we asked for a parent teacher meeting just to check in (our daughter had no behavioral issues), they didn't say anything helpful. The only feedback you get is a very generic evaluation at the end of the year. - What was most appalling was that when my daughter came to school with a bunch of scrapes after falling off a bike, instead of calling me, they called Child Protective Services!!! With 3 thriving kids, who have gone to many different schools, we have never experienced this before. it was absolutely shocking. Hope this review is a helpful warning to prospective families!!! read more

My kid join the preschool 3s class last year. We are very happy with the decision based on the kid's progress and interaction with the school faculties. My kid has progressed a lot both academically and behaviorally. She learnt the alphabet and now really love reading, especially the cute, little fun books with letters from the school. My kid also learnt to be more independent. She always tries to help at home and finish her food independently, which can be challenging before. The interaction with the faculties added another layer of joy. Miss Aztar and Miss Vishakha are passionate teachers and love the kids. The kids always leave the classroom with a big hug and big smile on their face. To my surprise, Miss Sharon, the program director, who I felt a little intimidating during my tour, is also super invested in the kids. During my progress conversation by the end of the first semester, I noticed that she actually knew the progress of all kids. Not to mention the other staffs in the office who learnt the name of the new kids in the first week and greet the kids with their names every time. It is a very welcoming and passionate faculty community. If you are looking for a school that can help to cultivate reading habit for small kids and a loving community, I would highly recommend it. read more

Our daughter attended Challenger School in Palo Alto campus for preschool and kindergarten, and we had a really good experience overall. The academic program is structured and challenging in a way that helped her grow in both confidence and core skills. We're very thankful to Ms. Perez and Ms. Sharma for their support and dedication. read more

I am absolutely thrilled with Challenger School! My child started in their preschool program, and within just a month, I was amazed at the improvement in her language skills. The progress she has made is incredible. I love the curriculum and it's so well-rounded, covering everything from phonics and math to science, art, dance, drama, and music. The schedule is thoughtfully designed to engage kids in a variety of activities that keep learning fun and exciting. Most importantly all the teachers are outstanding and very experienced. They always welcome the children in the morning with a sweet smile, and are patient, calm, and incredibly knowledgeable, creating a positive and nurturing environment for the kids. I've seen remarkable results in my daughter in just a few months and I am so happy that my child is continuing with challenger school and growing really well.I am very happy with my decision to enroll her at Challenger School Middlefield. read more

Challenger is an outstanding school that truly prioritizes student growth and learning. From the moment you step in, you can feel the welcoming and supportive environment that makes both students and parents feel at ease. I have two children here and their teachers are phenomenal! Ms. Rafii, Ms. Jain, Ms. Tewary, and Ms. Somasundar are dedicated, patient, and incredibly skilled at making learning engaging and effective. They go above and beyond to ensure every student feels supported and encouraged to reach their full potential. The school also offers great facilities, a well-rounded curriculum, and a variety of extracurricular activities that help students develop not just academically but socially and creatively as well. We are so grateful to be part of this wonderful community! read more

Good school. It may not be ideal for every child, but my daughter is very happy here. As a working parent, I truly appreciate how supportive and reliable the school is. read more

Our son attended the preschool and kindergarten programs at Challenger in the Middlefield campus in Palo Alto. We are very happy we made the decision to enroll him there. Challenger has delivered, not only a solid academic curriculum at such an early age, but also an engaging experience that keeps a child interested and happy during his/her learning. We are especially thankful to Miss Perez and Miss Sharma who have worked tirelessly to provide the students in the kinder class with a safe, exciting, and fast-paced learning environment. Our son has learned a lot, grew more confident, enjoyed all the activities/events at Challenger, and made many good friends. read more

My daughter went to preschool and preK here and we really enjoyed it. The teachers are very loving and caring, but they also teach kids to be independent. There's a big emphasis on phonics and reading, and I'm very glad to see that my daughter's huge progress and interest in reading. I was a little worried about the short outdoor time (a little over an hour a day), but that's a tradeoff to make and we tried to take her to outdoors play after school to compensate. This type of academic focused school is definitely not for every kid, but we are glad that it worked out great for our daughter and would highly recommend. read more

My daughter started in the preschool program at Challenger Middlefield after being in a play-based school and we were initially concerned about her adjusting to a bigger class size and a more structured curriculum. But she loves being at school is thriving there! She picked up phonics and counting within a few months, and enjoys tracing letters and drawing. The teachers Miss Rebekah and Miss Melissa do a great job of keeping her engaged the whole day with various activities while encouraging her to be independent. She comes back home singing new songs related to holidays, reptiles, phonics and what not! read more

Perfect experience. I've been a student here from preschool until 8th grade. They prepared me well for high school!

So, you've decided to put your child into Challenger School. Um... think again. The first caveat I have for you is the high tuition entailed with enrollment. Challenger costs around 30,000 every year, at least at the Middlefield campus. I'm assuming the reason you picked this location is because of the proximity to your home; if so, you should spend more time on thinking of public schools in your area. For example, according to Niche, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) ranked #1 in both California and the United States when it came to the best school district. The public schools in this area are incredibly top tier. Bonus, it'll be easier for your child to transition from middle school to high school without crippling social anxiety (which is incredibly common among graduates.) In addition to this, public schools generally offer more opportunities for students to interact with others, pursue non-academic interests, and participate in visual and performing arts. Unfortunately, although Challenger School appears good on paper, they lack an extracurricular identity and nudge social skills to the side. The biggest counter argument I hear from this is the fact kids who graduate from this school are usually one to two years ahead of the curve. Ahead of what exactly? You have no opportunity to pursue interests like engineering or design during school and one of the biggest drawbacks is you won't have any sort of musical experience, a stark contrast to people who go to public school districts. Colleges like to see well rounded people. So what if you have all A's? If you haven't pursued a passion or lack a unique talent, how are you going to stand out. I know a lot of parents who send their kids to Challenger are immigrants, I am the son of one too. I also know that many other nations use academic performance as the only metric for admissions. Unfortunately, academics is a small part of admission processes in the US, you must also realize this early on and especially when it comes to enrolling your child at Challenger. Now after this warning, let's go look at my review of Challenger as a school. STEM Challenger is pretty STEM driven. We generally have around 2 hours of STEM driven classes every day. Let's break this down into Math, Computers, and Science. For Math, Challenger is a solid one year ahead of public schools throughout preschool to eighth grade. As a high schooler, I am currently taking math classes above the average peer. Generally, it's just plain memorization which works effectively combined with the math homework that provides reinforcement. In eighth grade, we learned geometry while the average public middle schooler learned Algebra 1. Moving on to science, it's generally incredibly basic and nothing tuition worthy. We basically read a chapter of a textbook every day and then have science homework. Each year has a specific topic we focus on, such as biology, physical sciences, etc. Unfortunately, the reinforcement is terrible with most students just memorizing facts for the test and then forgetting them. In fact, I've forgotten everything I've learned during these classes. Be warned, however, because of funding, the books are 20 years old. According to one of the textbooks, solar panels are just a new and developing technology. Finally, we have computers. You learn Turtle (a Python drawing tool) for elementary school and Python in middle school. Useless. The department is understaffed and the curriculum is slow and produces no beneficial output. For Python, the only focus on syntax which is practically useless in the age of auto completion and AI. Language Arts Challenger also places a major emphasis on language arts with two or more hours dedicated to it. Literature is well structured, though it's incredibly biased and many times glazes over some parts of history. The Diary of Anne Frank was removed for no reason which muddles our understanding of the Holocaust. Grammar is good, though it's interesting that we have to learn it for 8 years straight when autocorrect and ChatGPT exist. I would continue but I'm getting tired of writing. Here's what you need to know: Biased history and economics courses, no well defined speech class, PE is a joke, and the administration is terrible Let's stop at the last one. They flagged down reviews without context. When I was attending this school, $800 was robbed by a fellow student during an economics project. Instead of stepping in or calling for the police, the administration decided to do their own "investigation" and dropped the case. To this day, I don't know who stole the money. For middle school, the math teacher has an issue with putting boundaries between her work and personal life. We heard things we shouldn't hear from a grown up, including relationships, traumatic pasts, etc. She sometimes even took out anger on us due to personal issues or if she didn't like a student. There's everything I could fit in with the word count. read more

A great school with teachers who are experienced, professional, and genuinely care about their students. It's a rigorous program that will prepare students for higher education. read more

Challengers preschool program goes above and beyond! The teachers truly care for the students and the accelerated program is really giving my child an early advantage. read more

This school is good! The teachers are very nice and very professional. Both of my children would like to study here. They are very happy every day and learn more every day. We are very happy to choose this school! read more

Please please don't choose Challenge Palo Alto, unless your kid needs nothing from school: no need teacher help, no need teacher's comfort. Even as an adult, I feel the teacher and stuff there are too cold, not even mention a 3 years old. I admit that their phonics is famous, but first of first is: you need to make kid happy, and happy to learn. They train kid like train dog, always use order language. Not allow kid to cry, for whatever reason. Not allow any accident, all kids' fault. read more

I went to this school since preschool and as a now highschooler I can confidently say this school has a pretty good preschool but everything else is terrible. Theres no track, library, or anything. For pe you run laps around the parking lot. The heaters and airconditioners in the middle school buildings pretty much never worked and it was freezing cold in winter- and they dont let you wear jacket. the walls in the middle school buildings were also paper thin and you could constantly hear the adjacent class. The staff varies a lot. The fifth grade teacher and the third grade teacher were both genuinely amazing and helped me develop in so many ways, but a lot of the other teachers straight up sucked. My class was also extremely problematic and when a girl was getting straight up bullied the school did nothing to help, even when she had a panic attack. The curriculum however is actually pretty good, excelling in most subjects and helps kids develop speaking skills. The history class was a little biased but overall still decent. I think unless you live right next to here, or if youre sending them to fifth/third grade, just pick a different school; theres much better options. read more

I have two children at Challenger School. They like it very much. They said their teachers are helpful and responsible, and I find them improving quickly in academic. We are happy about the school and will stay with it as long as we can. read more

One of the biggest problems of this school is that many teachers pick favorites, choosing only to work with the good students rather than with people who actually need the help and don't understand school lessons. I believe some teachers actually only like the more popular kids too, seeing how they barely did much when a student was being rudely bullied by her peers. They gave a speech which stopped the bullying for about a week, but soon enough it began occurring again.Some teachers are even bullies themselves Instead of encouraging students, they brutally put their students to the ground as a result of a few bad grades. Also, I don't know why the teachers think being strict is better. My classmate told me that she saw one of the teachers go to one of the meaner, less understanding teachers for help. She then started yelling more. Now she is trying oh so hard to be strict and controlling, forcing students to participate or else you get a zero. Even when you decide to change your past ways and participate, she sometimes won't notice if you've got a reputation for not participating--so much for turning over a new leaf. A few teachers are much better at teaching and more understanding, but others are just plain mean and ignorant, paying attention only to the better students and not willing to help the students who actually need it. Do we really want these people to be our teachers and leaders? Do they want us to bully people? Do they want us to solve all our problems by yelling and intimidating others?! You gotta be kidding me! But what is absolutely the final straw is that the principal herself also shows preference over students. There was a girl in my class who ripped the flag, yelled at teachers, cheated on the test that determined if we got the scholarship, and even kicked the teacher, but they still refused to take action. Eventually, after the school received much backlash, she was eventually let go. Challenger office staff have no care for the students' health whatsoever. One of my friends had a severe headache, and had a high temperature, yet the staff said he was fine and told him to go to class. It was later figured out that he had covid 19. Basically, if you want your child to get yelled at, controlled, and bullied, sign 'em up for Challenger--brainwashing kids since 1963. read more

Great location! Teachers at preschool are professionals! Kids are making tons of crafts over the year!

The school emphasizes on STRUCTURE , DISCIPLINE, and RPETITIVE HOMEWORK to get kids academically advanced in an early age. By comparison, there is little showing of creativity or passion in nurturing a kid as an individual. The school provides a physically safe environment, but is that mentally safe for a kid to express themselves? The school provides a rigid curriculum, but will it alone enough to prepare the kid to thrive in the future? Maybe they ARE effective, for some. read more

It doesn't seem that this school values new families. I tried to book a tour (virtual was the only option given) and was sent an email telling me that I would get a text for a FaceTime link the day before when I had my scheduled virtual tour. Never got one. I then called the day of in the AM asking for the link. Still never got one. Then 1 hour before the tour was supposed to happen, I call again and this time I finally got the text link. 1 hour later: I join the FaceTime and for almost 15 min no ones shows up. I call the office again and the woman told me she didn't know where the director who was supposed to give me the tour was but she would let her know that I tried to the tour at our designated time and she would call me back. Never got a phone call. I then emailed Rita, the headmaster, who originally emailed me confirming my tour date and time to explain my situation asking when I can reschedule. And I never got an email back!! I feel insulted and disrespected after being ignored over and over again. We decided not to proceed with trying to apply. Can't imagine what it's like being a parent at this school! read more

"The school is extremely tolerant of bullies and will not take any actions." During the 4 weeks stay, my 4-year-old son started having nightmares and became more and more "sad". We withdrew him from Challenger immediately after we found that the teachers picked on him. It was HORRIBLE. I was not surprised when I heard that a Pre-K student were hit by one of his teachers on Oct. 3. The case is currently being investigated by the police and child care licensing. Challenger has strong academia and strict discipline. For the kids who are not ready, it is not the right place. We believe that it is normal that some kids do not fit Challenger. However, when it happens, it is totally wrong to push out kids by mental bullying and frequent punishments. read more

K-2 was great for my son but after it my he had no life except for coming home , eating, sleeping and studying most of the rest of the time. There were No sports at the school and extracurricular activities were limited to singing songs. Third grade and fourth grade were basically a nightmare.. The fourth grade teacher was nasty and when we found out he was going to have the same teacher in fifth grade we moved him to the public school system. He continues to blame that experience for him not liking school. read more

my daughter started their preschool at their youngest age of 2 yrs 9 mons. She was the youngest in class, very quite and shy, with little English exposure before school. I was very concerned especially everyone told me how academic/strict Challenger is, but daddy feels we should set a good foundation for our kid so we give it a try. Teachers in 3 yr old preschool are all amazing. We had Mr Jorge and Ms Lucy and they're so patience, caring, and the same time make learning a fun experience. My daughter was very quite and lack of confidence in the first half yr, the teachers work on her personality and encourage her a lot, the 2nd half yr she improves a lot and her phonics are strong. Now she's in the 4 yr old preschool, still with good teachers. Her teacher would tell me what areas we can work on at home, and they also find ways to improve her speaking skills. Everytime I sneaked into the classroom, i see the kids are happy and energetic to learn. Overall the best things we noticed are, kids are disciplined, polite, eager to learn, they think learning is a fun thing not a burden, they have good schedules know when they should do what /not do. All these together truly set a good fundamental for young children. I have to say my kid isn't the brightest nor the smartest, but after the yrs with Challenger, everywhere we go, people make compliments about her. I agree on the review below about the Cons, I wish they've more fun events/class too. And I also wish they've classes teaching non-academic things to increase creativity. There're always things school won't be perfect about, but at least the "fun and creativity" part is not hard to substitute on the weekends. read more

My kid has been in there since preschool and he have had a really good time since then. His preschool teachers are very loving and caring (Ms Liz and Ms Priya). They taught kids to care each other while learning a lot academically. Ms Rama and Ms Nithya from K are very responsible and always try their best to communicate with us even though its not easy during the pandemic. My kid is always very happy to go to school and enjoys the time spending with his classmates and teachers. All projects finished at school are very cute and lovely. My kid still always thinks of his teachers after he already left their classrooms. read more

Never send your kids here if you don't want your kids get bullied either from other kids or the teachers. The school is extremely tolerant of such behaviors and will not take any actions. read more

We've been at this school for 5 months and it has been amazing so far. It is not an easy task to hold the attention of 3 and 4 year olds and teach them reading and math, but the teachers are excellent and they make it extremely fun for the kids. Our son is probably one of the laggards in his 4-year-old class, and we were initially worried how an active, high energy, and somewhat immature boy would fit into this kind of structured academic environment. It's been 5 months, and to our surprise, he LOVES school. He comes home and is so happy to practice what he's learned and sound out letters and words to us. I never expected he would be so intrinsically motivated in academics at such a young age, and that is 100% to the credit of this school. We have been so impressed with the progress he is making, not just in academics, but also in self care skills, social skills, and discipline. As other reviews have alluded to, this is a school with a very traditional method of teaching kids with heavy emphasis on academics and discipline, and it is not a place where children or parents will be given white-glove treatment, so it is not for everyone. Expectations are high on teachers and those high expectations also apply to kids and parents as well. However, I can tell from the interactions that the teachers and administrators truly care and want the kids to succeed and be happy here, and they all work incredibly hard. But instead of telling us how wonderful our child is to keep us happy (what parent doesn't want to hear that?), our teacher tells us very tangible things that we can do with him to help him improve his skills and behaviors. This can sometimes be hard to hear. but when we got over our initial defensiveness as parents and actually started listening and doing the things they suggested, we have been amazed with the results. This is not an "easy" school, but we couldn't be happier! read more