I attended Mark Twain middle Between 2021 and 2024 when I graduated there and I've been harassed…read morebefore, and if you got a problem with bullying don't talk about Dean as they will either do nothing or try to downplay the situation, however the rest is good like the campus, I honestly won't put fighting as a problem as all schools have fighting problems, anyway the school has some good administators like Assistant Principal Kerrie Egerton helped a lot with the harassment I've got being there.

You guys need a better buss driver for the 6th and 7th graders she is extremely rude. She also…read morescreams at the kids when she feels like it. She takes forever to get to Shenandoah. She NEEDS to be fired

His teacher was NOT kind. She physically assaulted my son - Took his hands pressed them together…read morethen slammed them down on his desk. He was "fidgeting too much" she said... A 1st grade boy. Principal seemed to think this behavior was acceptable and nothing was ever done. We stayed at this school for the 1 year and immediately withdrew our son at the end of the school year. This place sweeps things under the rug and doesn't care for their students. Avoid at all costs!

My grandson is in the 2023-24 kindergarten class. The principal, administrative staff, the 5 TK/K…read moreteachers, & their teacher aides all work collaboratively. They are truly amazing professionals - not only smart, but well-educated, efficient, kind, proactive, inclusive, welcoming to everyone, creative, technologically advanced, & academically focused. We feel blessed by having him as a Mar Vista student.

"Our experience at Walgrove elementary school has been absolutely wonderful! The large campus -…read morebeautiful wild-lands and Garden - theater, tap, steam studio, chess, etc. and the teachers are truly loving and dedicated. Parent involvement is strong, which creates a real sense of community. We feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a supportive and enriching environment. Couldn't be happier!"

Awesome community! Academics are strong, plus great steam offering, amazing extra curricular…read more(violin, chess, ridiculously musical theater, etc) , plus a HUGE campus with lots of nature. Really don't know what more you could ask for!!! We've had two kids go through the school!

Nothing is good about this school. Super inexperienced…read moreprincipal and AP. Very rude teachers and staff. They are lucky they even receive food to give to all the kids, every thing else is old and rubbish! Will not recommend this school.

An update on my son's last year here was very disappointing. I pulled my son out because I did not…read morereceive the help I needed. Parents be aware of the school surroundings and do not ignore your children. You are your child's #1 advocate

The school cafeteria food gave my child food poisoning three times throughout two grade school…read moreyears. They need to upgrade their food system. How dissapointing...

Almost had a heat stroke and threw up but when I went to tell the attendance office the assistant…read moreprincipal sent me to class (which was PE) with no questions while my face was pink and sweating. All the other staff cared and tried to help except Ms. khellahar

Going into this profession I was beyond excited to jump start a career surrounded by children and…read morelike minded adults who wanted to make a change in children's lives. While working with children was a nice experience, considering I have always been able to gain a child's trust since I was younger, I was excited for the connections I was building. Two months into my employment I started to realize how toxic the team is at the Sawtelle /Mar Vista location. I don't believe they have the best interest in the children who attend this location. They never came up to me to evaluate my performance but instead went straight to the director and told her a bunch of lies. If they are genuinely concerned about your child's well being don't you think they would speak to me immediately about my performance? That certainly did not happen. The director took their word and ultimately told me " you're not fit for this company." Seems to me like they just wanted me out but in the end they did me a huge favor! I wish blue oak the best but they should definitely re-think the people they are hiring. As of right now this location only seems to care about getting through the day and making sure they have someone to clean the classrooms, not a genuine authentic team building atmosphere.

The proof is in the pudding! Upon graduating from preschool at Blue Oak, our 5 year old son is…read morearticulate, confident, competent, independent, self-aware and kind. Words like, "inspired, identity, collaboration, advocacy, equality, mentorship, hospitality, and community" are not only commonplace in his vocabulary, but they are part of who he is and how he understands himself and his world.  We moved our son to Blue Oak after having completed 1.5  years at another local preschool when we had serious concerns about how he was being treated and how he was learning to behave.  The contrast between these two schools could not have been more striking. When my son joined his Blue Oak class mid year, the teachers prepared the class to welcome and embrace him. A few weeks before he started, they placed photos of him and our family in the class room and spoke all about him at morning meetings. They asked the children what they wanted to learn about him and asked them how it might feel to be new to a group of already established friends (using the opportunity both to ensure our son was welcomed with so much warmth but also to teach the other children empathy). They scheduled a playdate for him and us to come meet a few of the children prior to his start date. On this play date, we were all welcomed with such warmth. All of the teachers and administrators greeted us by name (before we introduced ourselves) and you would have thought my son was  a celebrity based on the reception he received from the children. The children (not the adults) gave us a tour and showed our son their favorite things to do at school. Additionally, the administration had a family in his class reach out to us to welcome our family to the community and set up a play date outside of school so our son could build rapport with their son prior to starting school. How they handled this transition was a glimpse into how they do everything; with so much deliberate intention;  knowing that every action, every conversation, every word impacts others (and especially these precious young souls).  I was so worried about my son when he started at Blue Oak, not so much about the transition, as I immediately knew that Blue Oak had that handled, but concerned he'd continue the behaviors he learned at the other preschool - hitting, kicking, biting. I heard nothing from the teachers for the first few weeks, but immediately started to see pictures of my son on the blog looking content and focused, engaging with new friends, digging, wire cutting, climbing, reading quietly in cozy spaces, sitting in small storytelling groups "collaborating" with others and I couldn't help but compare it to the scenes I would witness at pickup at the other school we had just left - unsettled children, chaos, yelling, hitting, frenetic energy while the teachers were eating or gossiping with parents or each other, in short - dysregulated little nervous systems in desperate need of competent adults with both the will and skill to support and guide them. If only that other school could learn from the brilliant directors and teachers at Blue Oak!  .  When we had his first parent/teacher conference, I was in tears when the teachers shared that on his first day at Blue Oak, a friend took a toy from him and he hit that friend. The teachers said that they fully expected this behavior given the environment he had come from and that they were thrilled that they had this opportunity to work with him and teach him the norms and behavior expectations. They explained how they worked with our son and the other friend on conflict resolution (without shame or blame) and THAT WAS THE LAST TIME he ever hit at school.  I remember feeling so relieved, our son was going to be fine...and now after his 1.5 years at Blue Oak, I see that he is so so much more than "fine." He is thriving! I feel so beyond proud of the 5 year old he has become and see nothing but a bright future for him (based on this critical foundation of respect, social and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-regulation and love).  Send your child to Blue Oak if you believe your child is capable far beyond what conventional societal wisdom would assume and if you want your child to be seen and honored for exactly who they are. Your child will be treated consistently by all adults (admin teachers and aides) with nothing but respect, kindness and the healthy structure and boundaries that they need to explore their limits safely and to grow to be their "best self"...and DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED! I think I might have had we not had the "other" experience at another school first. This school is the real deal. You will count yourselves among the luckiest (and blown away by the results)  if your child (and family) have this experience.

I'm still here with my younger children and honestly the school has lost its magic. It was a domino…read moreeffect starting with the influx of more private school families moving over to Richland with their entitled behavior, then Covid, then a few families with insanely litigious approach to dealing with the staff not meeting their demands. The principal and coordinator both quit because the families became just too much to deal with. We lost a lot of truly wonderful teachers. Now we have a principal who is rude and oblivious and always defensive. She's all talk and no action and has no energy whatsoever. Our former principal, who granted had some shortcomings as well, was such a positive presence on campus. He engaged with families and students in an upbeat and excited manner every day. I wasn't his biggest fan, but the environment that he fostered was really special. We felt like we had a voice. Like he cared what the parents thought. This new principal acts like we as parents are always in the way or annoying her or doing something wrong. She doesn't remember anyone who isn't constantly kissing her behind. I've had many face to face conversations with her and she still never knows who I am or who my children are. We used to be welcome on campus, it was such a warm and loving environment. Now you have to jump through a thousand hoops to get approved to volunteer and for some reason only the select few parents get approved.

We moved to Westdale (Mar Vista) a little over five years ago and I have to say that it has been…read moreamazing to witness the evolution of Richland Avenue over those years. Committed parents, energetic teachers and staff and a dedicated Principal have turned Richland into a hidden gem of a neighborhood school. With about 300 students, Richland provides a comfortable, family-like environment with all of the academic support and encouragement of an Advanced Learning School. We have a learning garden on campus, after school French classes and Arts, Music and Sciences programs. My daughter is in the TK/K class, which she loves. I have to say that as a parent, I don't take for granted the fact that she adores her teachers and says "Bonjour" every time she sees Principal Granade (who knows every students' name). She feels comfortable asking questions, interacting with everyone at our school and is 100% encouraged to be herself. All that and her teachers have above and beyond supported her love of math and science. Just in case it's helpful as a frame of reference, my daughter's first, school experiences were spent at a reputable, private preschool and my entire K-12th grade experience was spent at two, small private schools. Richland is my first public school experience and I truly believe that my daughter is being nurtured, encouraged and challenged academically just as I was growing up.

YES APPLY YOUR KID HERE i loved this school sooo much you dont get it its so diverse and has so…read moremany opportunities to do art class, music class, orchestra, and coding, its a amazing school and I learned a lot from it i went here from 2016-2021 and it was the best time ever as a student please do aply your kid here

Great school, amazing community. Mrs. Fields' leadership is…read moreprogressive and inclusive. The teachers are wonderful and involved. Come take a tour and talk to the current parents for a more accurate overview of what this small but exemplary local school has to offer.