We're in our sixth year at Live Oak and adore the school. The tk/kindergarten is pure Waldorf magic…read more(play-based, pre-literacy taught through stories preparedness for writing by developing hand strength with finger-knitting, etc.). The grades have a lovely balance of Waldorf and mainstream education but are unwavering in teaching to the whole child. The curriculum is true to Waldorf in keeping pace with the child's development and is designed to match the children in where they are in their experience of themselves and the wider world. Our middle school is also a gem! Handwork, movement, and music is integrated into all the grades K-8 The parent community is very involved, invested, and warm. The teachers and staff are loving and committed. As a community we celebrate and receive grounding in our seasonal festivals and traditions. We have been very happy at this school which feels like a second home.

From the very beginning of our journey as parents, we had our hearts set on Live Oak--- a strong…read morecommunity based TK-8th grade school focused on educating the whole child through thoughtful and intentional Waldorf inspired curriculum and philosophies. Something that I learned on a school tour and is a great example of how they teach is that the children learn to sew by hand in Kindergarten, and continue throughout the grades, and then when they learn about the industrial revolution, they get the chance to sew on machines. They get to embody and truly understand how that dramatically sped up the world. We began in 2020-- quite the intro! Now in our 3rd year, we are so excited about the leaders of the school and all the new ideas being shared and soon to be in action. We could not be happier or feel more blessed by the teachers our children have, and to be at school that still has blackboards, little to no tech in lower grades with a strong arts foundation and focus. It has strong parent engagement, and it is clear that our voices matter. Their is so much kindness and care oozing from every corner, as well as cherished traditions, rituals and special seasonal events in every grade knitting us all together as families. Each kid from TK- 3rd grade has an older "buddy" from a higher grade which bridges the divide even further and creates a real sense of connection. My 1st grader got to wave to an 8th grader and feel quite special that they got to spend time together. I have watched graduates of this school grow to be in their 20s and let me say, WOW. Inquisitive, critical thinking, sensitive, open minded, independent, creative, respectful, unique and wildly talented humans!

My kids have thrived at SV. The teachers, counselors and the administration work to support each…read moreand every student. The sense of community is strong, and there is a strong focus on morals, values, and accountability. I feel the school works in tandem with the parents to develop students of character. The families are wonderful and the teachers are supportive.

My son transferred in sophomore year and had a great high school experience. He made lifelong…read morefriends and had some amazing teachers.

This school is very fun with FABULOUS food such as dominos pizza, costco hotdogs, and other foods…read morethat are either restaurant or cooked on campus. The snacks to buy are Izzes, Snapple, chips, ice cream bars, etc. the cookies are FABULOUS LIKE THE BEST EVER!!! The electives are nice too like art, robotics, wood shop, digital media, KTV (Kenilworth news), and photography where you develop in the darkroom (8th grade only). the teachers are great ESPECIALLY the history teachers (and they know it lol) There are great sports teams and PE opportunities. In 7th PE you do circus skills, badminton, archery, and other very fun activities. In 8th you do softball, basketball, flag football, etc. For both you do dance and self defense One last thing to add is that there have been kinda a lot of bomb/shooter threats every year. for some reason people decide to keep the Wednesday/Thursday before Spring Break tradition of fireworking the bathroom (NOT COOL DUDE) But don't let that discourage you!!!!! You'll be fine!! the benefit of the firework Is that afterwords you sit in the basketball courts for like 2 hrs (UghHHhH) while the police doggies go search the school and the therapy corgi Hopper visits (PUPPIES YAY) Yeah. I'm tired of this grandpa (that's knee slapper) There you have it Kolts AND THAT'S KTV (No but seriously this school is lowkey good?! better than petaluma jr)

MR GOERKE SUCKSS FIRE HIM he doesnt let us drink water in class he yells at us for nothing and…read moreacuses us of random stuff we didnt do and calls us in for lunch detention everyday for no reason and he even gets mad sometimes when ur asking a ligit question also mrs blake sucks to

We live in Novato, so Spring Hill means a daily commute for us, but honestly, I'm happy to make…read morethat drive every day knowing my kids are receiving this kind of education and are this well cared for. It's worth every minute. I genuinely cherish those 20 minutes in the car, on the way there or on the way home, listening to my kids get excited about their day. My 2 year old will tell me all about how creeks evaporate and how the rain coming down is really just that same creek water returning from the clouds, or about the flower arrangement she made today with her friends and teachers. My five year old talks about practicing her B sounds in class, or tells me stories about what she read with her classmates, or the painting she did, or the field trip hike she's taking with her class to learn more about the lifecycles of plants and animals. Those little windows into their day are everything to me. We honestly didn't plan on switching schools. We were happily settled at another school and figured we'd stay at least another year. Then we toured Spring Hill, and that plan fell apart pretty quickly. The Montessori toddler and primary classrooms completely won us over, and once we saw how the older kids on the TK-8 campus learn through hands-on projects instead of worksheets, we were sold. We enrolled both of our kids and haven't looked back since. The difference has been huge. My two littles have thrived, academically, socially, all around. They come home talking about what they built or figured out that day, not just what they memorized. That kind of engagement is hard to fake, and it's made learning feel exciting instead of like a chore. The teachers are honestly the best part of this school. They're deeply engaged with each child, taking the time to understand how every one of my kids learns best and meeting them exactly where they are. Schools we toured had classrooms of 26 kids to one teacher, with kids parked in front of tablets for large chunks of the day. Spring Hill takes a much more deliberate approach to technology, so kids can stay present and engaged. Teachers actually have the bandwidth to work 1:1 with students. Seeing that other environment, the contrast was immediate and honestly a relief. I do want to be upfront that the school has been through a lot of changes lately. What's kept me feeling good about it is that the board is made up mostly of parents, and they've made it clear they're relying on feedback from families like us to help guide where the school goes next. It doesn't feel like decisions are happening behind closed doors. It feels like something we're building together. If you're considering it, go see it in person. Walk through the classrooms, see the kids in the middle of a project, get a feel for the community. That's what convinced us to change course, and it's been one of the best decisions we've made for our kids.

We absolutely love Spring Hill. Our kids are thriving here and learning so much more than they did…read moreat their previous schools. The teachers are passionate, engaged, and really get to know each child. They challenge students to reach their individual potential, so the learning feels incredibly personalized rather than one-size-fits-all. Academically, it's hard to beat. we've especially loved seeing our kids become genuinely excited about math and the project-based learning in science and other subjects. We also appreciate that the strong academics don't come at the expense of social-emotional development. The school really supports the whole child and creates an environment where kids feel known and cared for. There are lots of community events, and the parent community is warm, welcoming, and tight-knit. We've been incredibly happy with our experience and, most importantly, our kids love going to school.

My comments apply only to what I experienced attending a freshman football game on October 5 2023…read more If you are physically disabled, there is no seating for you on the bleachers. Yes, there is a ramp leading to the bleachers, but all entrances to the bleachers involves alot of stairs. Bleachers are for non handicapped only. You must use stairs to access the bleachers and once there, handrails are few and the bleachers/ foot path narrow. The only seating for mobility impaired folks is on the home team side. If you access the field through the small gate on the street lof Hayes street, take the long ramps leading to the snack bar. The cemented patio area of the snack bar is your seating area. If you have a non handicapped person with you that needs to sit beside you they must bring along their own folding chair. If you are handicapped you wont be able to sit on the cement "seats" because they are to low and steep to acces. Your other option is to not take the ramp up to the snack bar and instead go along to the home team side toward the bleachers and sit on a small cement wall at the base of the snack bar area. There are about 4 levels of bleacher like cement seating which are difficult for even nonhandicapped to access. There is only one railing to use to pull yourself up. If you need a walker, cane or wheel chair you either access the snack bar level of the cement, or the field level of the cement on the home team side. There does not appear to be handicapped access on the visitor side. The cemented handicapped area is at about the 10 yard line. The only bathrooms are on the snack bar side of the field. There is only one open snack bar on the home side. A small snack bar annex on the visitor side was closed. Bathrooms were clean and stocked . Snack bar had good selections and griiled burgers/dogs. Parking is also a bit difficult. In order to avoid a long walk, mobility impaired are best served by parking on Hayes street along the football field. Get there well ahead of the game to get a spot. If you park at the school itself, or by the little museum near the football field, you come out on the visitor side and have a long walk to the handicapped cement seating area at the home side. One last observation. There is no American flag. There was no national anthem at the start of the game.

ZERO. STARS. I…read moregraduated with a lackluster sense of how to begin my college journey and a crooked pelvis that I'm STILL treating in 2023. I took Ms. Yannes Anatomy in my junior year and we had to do this bogus lab of pricking our finger to draw our blood. Due to the intensity of peer pressure as well as the instilled desire to attain my A in that class, I continued to do the lab only to end up passing out, falling off of the high chair I was sitting on and ended up with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and a concussion. A PAINFUL injury that was NOT my fault, due to someone else's inconsideration for a full proof lesson plan- I have had to suffer for years post graduation. The school did crap about it and when I contacted Ms. Yannes about the damages, she ignored my plea. At LEAST place padding on the floor or do the lab on the FLOOR (if this lab will unfortunately still be in the curriculum) to PREVENT other kids in the future from ending up in excruciating pain and paying thousands of dollars to find a treatment due to inconsideration. I wouldn't wish this pain on even my worst enemy. I have been in a depressive state ever since graduating back in 2021 due to the irresponsibility of a teachers' lab program as well as the lack of consideration for students. Secondly, an old man would keep wandering by the front of the school and verbally harassing girls my age. My friend and I were hanging out by the drop off area by the front of the school, the man approached us and asked us if we've seen the show "SEX ED". When I politely asked him to step away he continued to talk to us. My friend and I went to the main office to fill them in on this incident and one of the female higher ups waved it off saying that he usually comes by and is senile. Imagine having your child be harassed on campus just for the school to ignore your child's emotional stress and physical pain after having them pass out, falling off a three foot stool and have ligament damage for years to come. P.S. PSA. Sitting on your butt and pushing out assignments that include 30-50 page chapters to read for students and for them to memorize for tests that you give out is NOT considered teaching. Bless.

I went to Cinnabar for kindergarten, 4th and 5th grade…read more I have memories of going to Fort Point in SF to spend the night, camping at Walker Creek, hating my teacher Mr. Chaplin, being kept in from recess because some of us couldn't write a descriptive enough paper on how to ride a bike, I had a crush on Holly Dietrich and gave her math problems as a love note, being the best at shot-put in my class, really wanting to play the drums in band but the teacher not letting me, being made fun of for walking like Fred Flintstone, loving my teacher Mrs. Lewis, getting an A on my Alaska report and playing lots of dodgeball. The school I guess was for the poor kids as noted below. Stats 2007 Number of Studens: 226 Low Income: 45.6% Caucasian: 54% African-American: 0.4% Asian: 2.2% Hispanic: 42.5% Native-American: 0.0% I had a pretty bad time here I think in 5th grade. The next year I went to my 3rd elementary school.

The teachers and principal Kern go above and beyond for the students. I am very impressed. And…read moregrateful that my son is happy here and getting a great education.

The play was amazing! Very talented group of kids. It was legally blonde you would swear they…read morewere all professional. It was so good. It was very well organized, and I hope they put in another place soon

Principal handles serious issues unprofessionally. AP testing got disrupted, for some reason my…read morename got thrown into the pot of kids who were causing trouble (I was not one of those kids nor did I do anything wrong), and he threatened me saying my test scores would get revoked, I wouldn't be able to attend prom, or walk on graduation day. They found the real culprits and never apologized for the immature behavior. The same thing happened to my friend. No thank you.

Our daughter started here in second grade, post-pandemic, and she was really behind academically…read more From day one, the teachers gave her such thoughtful, individualized attention. The small class sizes make a huge difference -- the staff truly gets to know each child and meet them where they are. Two years later, she is not only fully caught up to grade level, but absolutely thriving. The warmth, patience, and genuine care from her teachers have made all the difference. We are so grateful for this community and the way it supports the whole child, not just the academics. Our experience has been incredibly positive, and we couldn't be happier with her growth here. We feel so lucky to have the perfect school for our amazing child!

From the owner: The Spring Hill School is an independent, private Toddler through 8th grade school in Petaluma, CA…read more Our school provides a project-based, STEAM-focused education. We respect individual students and offer differentiated learning to encourage them to discover their talents, realize their potential, and succeed. Spring Hill integrates the latest educational research and combines this with rigorous academics, experienced teachers, and a safe, nurturing environment. At our school we have created an educational experience designed for the whole child. We foster a connection between our students and the natural world through art, science, and technology. We encourage creative critical thinking and self-sufficiency while grounding our students in a rigorous academic environment. We also highly value the social and emotional wellbeing and development of our students; we mindfully work to ensure that each child feels seen, nurtured, and socially supported. Every child loves to learn. The Spring Hill School's programs honor this innate curiosity by inspiring our students with differentiated learning, academic rigor, hands-on experiences, and just the right guidance at just the right time for each individual child.

This school is cool I met nice friends here some of the subs were rude but teachers r pretty nice…read moremy class where always very loud so my teachers would have to yell over us but it wasn't really yelling it was more she has a loud voice they very nice.

Sid.v you have know idea what your talking about you can't write a yelp review about a place you…read morelooked at. This is a great school and I actually went hear so I might know a thing or two about it. It was a great jr. High experience, much better than kenilworth.

I would not recommend this school to my worst enemy. The staff and administration seem FAR more…read moreconcerned with potential liability than the overall well-being of the students. And quite frankly, many seem under-qualified for the positions they hold. This school is incredibly understaffed and underfunded - and it shows. To start - my first grader was allowed to walk away with a stranger on the FIRST day of school because his teacher "assumed" the adult he left with was a parent. When I spoke to the principal the next day, she asked me if my six-year-old "knew where he was supposed to go" and stated she did not have a full understanding of the transition process because she was new. She then attempted to place blame on the Boys & Girls Club and my child. When another student's family member mentioned to the teacher how chaotic the first grade classrooms were due to a lack of staffing/support, parents were swiftly sent a notice that they would not be allowing family volunteers back into the classroom until the "behaviors" were under control. Seems counterproductive. When my son's behavior was in question and I had asked to observe in the classroom, I was quickly limited to 45 minutes and had to be accompanied by an administrator. I was told this was standard policy. My son showed no behaviors during my observation time. When I mentioned this, his teacher stated she "didn't think he would show behaviors while I was in the classroom". I brought this up during a meeting with the superintendent, he seemed to question the limitations placed by the school and stated they should be welcoming me to observe if there is such concern. Mind you, he had previously been principal at McKinley Elementary. When my son was sick and asked to call me during school hours, he was told he could not contact me because he did not have a fever. When I questioned this with the teacher/administrators, I was told that the school typically does not let students contact their family members for illness related matters unless a fever is present. A family member of another student had witnessed an adult in the cafeteria yelling at my son for kicking a milk carton and was so bothered by it that she felt the need to intervene by telling the staff member that she was being inappropriate. Though my son's teacher was made aware, she was not the one who informed me about what had happened. I was notified by the family member who was witness to the incident days later. I was also told by my child's teacher that administration had prevented her from speaking to me about certain matters regarding my child and my concerns. We only saw results/change when we went above school administration by notifying the district office and superintendent about our experience. The current principal's exit was announced less than a year into her new position and it's clear to see why. These are just a handful of examples. I have spoken with many families who have shared similar experiences. In my opinion - there are MUCH better elementary school options within the PCS district and within our community. I encourage any family considering McKinley Elementary for their young ones to do their research beforehand, tour other schools, and talk to family/friends who are familiar with McKinley Elementary. We felt comfortable having our child attend McKinley due to their "stellar" reputation and it was a huge mistake. Don't let the awards plastered all over the school fool you. I hope this review helps to inform other families.

If you value your child's emotional wellbeing and overall development this is not the school. The…read morecurrent principal gaslights parents instead of taking accountability for the rampant bullying and lack of structure and fulfillment for the children. Teachers encouraging parents not to speak to other parents about each other's children and experience at the school is verbally discouraged by educators. The school is also blocking transfers to other districts. There is no way this school has 5 stars. Overall traumatic. Ask the parents of students. Not the administrators.