Canyon Hills School - A Few Cool Accolades…read more I was here for the volleyball championship match? So lots of energy. Canyon Hills volleyball spirit team was a standout--frequent, loud, and full of excitement. It's rare to see a cheerleading team dedicated to volleyball (or at a match) honestly, I was a little jealous of the enthusiasm they brought to the game. WONDERING WHAT THE SEATING SITUATION IS LIKE? The stands are tight, so be prepared for a close-knit experience, but that only added to the intensity of the match. Parking is a bit of a walk to the gym, watch the one-way it can be awkward to figure out if your rushing to the gym. WHAT MAKES A SCHOOL STAND OUT BEYOND SPORTS? It appears Canyon Hills does a lot for student engagement. The Soprano team (??), and their singing was delightful. They participated in the St. Patrick's Day parade, which speaks to involvement in the community and dedication of at least this teacher and 20 students beyond athletics. IF YOU'RE A FUTURE ADMINISTRATOR Ever been to a campus where you can see everything happening at once? The open space design is appreciated, to catch nefarious activities , making it easy for administrators to oversee everything. I'm not an employee of the district. I'm an educator and we need to give shout outs to when we see schools doing well. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste " Booker T. Washington

We visited the gym. It's pretty old, like some other San Diego Unified High Schools. The bleachers…read moreare the older classic wood ones, but a bit more sturdier than other high schools with older gyms. The bathrooms in the gym have air blowers that do not blow hot air. There are no paper towels. The gym foyer is still painted with the old Serra HS colors and has the Serra Conquistadors still on the walls. The gym also has the old colors and the Serra Conquistadors on the walls. Super disrespectful to the community of Native land people who fought to have the Junipero Serra (Oppressive Murderer of Native People who took over San Diego) High School changed. Well maybe "it's not in the school budget" is the reason for this issue, just like other schools. Gym floor, walls, banners, paint, all pay homage to Junipero Serra. I will say that my family heritage is Portuguese but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.

Excellent School with fantastic teachers. Charter schools were a perfect choice for both of my…read moreboys and Altus is really caring about my kids success. With Altus - my kids are college prepared! At Altus the teachers are very helpful. Every time my son needs help, he can text a teacher and gets a response within minutes. The centers are open for extra help if needed. I can't say enough about Altus

I love Audeo. My son was struggling with distractions at his previous school and his teachers would…read morenot help him the way he needed and Audeo Charter took him in right away and he was able to get his grades back up and have a successful future. The teachers really care about the students and check on their students regularly. Audeo has given my son the future he deserves.

This school, KUMEYAAY ELEMENTARY, in Tierrasanta, IS the WORSE ever…read more I've lived in San Diego for almost 20 years: never seen anything like this piece of work! What a pity, when we moved to beautiful Tierrasanta (which we LOVE), my family got stuck with this excuse for a learning establishment. BTW: my children attended elementary school in Clairemont, and it was a 'shining star' of a school, compared to Kumeyaay. They have hundreds of rules, OMG ( ! ) I don't have alot of time to go into details (there are many more) but the primary two are: #1. RAISE MONEY $$$, constantly! Yep, this large school, in (above San Diego-average) wealthy Tierrasanta, Thier motto seems to be: COME UP WITH NEW (and IMPLEMENT immediately) WAYS TO RAISE MONEY. Constantly. Weekly. ...including asking young school children to call parents with 'cute' messages of, basically, please HELP US with money.... so a new (MONEY-raising) EVENT, every week or so, is par for the course, and still another message (along with a thick RULES book) to the students: "NO HAVING FUN!" (unless you mean FUNd-Raising). Ha Ha. Ahhhh Arggg! (I can't help but start humming, if not singing, the P. Floyd standard, "Another Brick in the Wall," whenever I have to go on their campus :) #2. AND, especially, "NO HAVING FUN around HOLIDAYS" Here's the jist: unlike before-praised, Clairemont (and most other elementary schools), they don't do holidays, here. Well, barely! Two examples (a) Halloween (no Carnival, nothing), they let the kids "parade around" in NON'scary" costumes/NO MASKS" and "no costume shoes" early first thing in the morn, only, and then take EVERYthing off -- before school started. NO carnival, Nothing. (b) Christmas (oops: "winter season- days-before that 25th thing/deal): Nothing. Unlike Clairemont school, who had a dance/play/etc., before un-nameable holiday, I did not see an flyer, receive any communque (my son had nothing to report from the first 2 weeks of Dec...no activity; no event, NOTHING. "Celebrating ANYthing (oh whoops: except if MORE $$ is involved --- please see # 1,above) ist Verboten at Kumeyaay Elementary !!" P.s. I wrote the above review, late last December, after that, y'know, one-day holiday-thingie, but now that I've posted it, let the fun begin. Let the Coyotes howl: P.s.s: "Ah, the truth, what a thing it is! I sacrifice so much for it, with people: I forego, for truth's sake, discretion, tact, polite manners, elegance, grace, poise, balance, good taste, conformity, image-role, fashionableness, hypocrisy, and lots of other things--amass sacrifice, at truth's altar. God! is truth worth it? I hope it is. It better be,.." -MARVIN COHEN

This school is amazing! They have so many extra classes for the children. Art/music/Spanish/…read morescience. We choiced our child into this school from a nearby neighborhood and it's the best choice we have made!

Some of my better childhood memories were from Tierrasanta Elementary. I think went to school there…read morein 90 & 91. It was pretty chill from what I remember. My brother went there from Kindergarten through 5th grade. I remember walking home with my friends and cousins through the canyon everyday after school. It was fun. There weren't very many bullies there, and there were the adults back when I went there ran the place very well. I'm not sure how the school is now. I'm just glad I'm first to write something about this school.

*Whoa, a yelp review for a school. What will they think of next??*…read more Graduating class of 1999! I l o v e this school. Everything from the bungalow classrooms to the grassy hills and the wildflowers that we used to pick and string into a necklace. I also had some of the most amazing teachers, friends, field trips, art projects, multi cultural fairs, and et cetera. It's no surprise I still have vivid memories of my 5 years that I spent here. Anybody that graduates from Tierrasanta will walk away with the best elementary school experience a kid can have. Go roadrunners!

Special ed here is a joke if ur child has an iep they will be lost in the cracks. The school was on…read morethe news for lossing a student with ASD he left school grounds durning class and walked home by himself...this is a child with autism......all while he was supposed to be in class thats the level of care this school offers. The principal is completely incompetent and quite honestly doesn't even seem to care very sad!

All I can say about this school is that if you have a child with an IEP, then steer clear of this…read moreplace. Choice them to any other school in the area. The principal can care less about children with IEP's. Wish I'd known this before I moved here.

This school has the worst support for children with special needs. All they care is about getting…read morefunding for their "special needs" programs. They chase you around and threaten you with not giving you support if you do not sign their paperwork. Dealing with Mr. Weddon was the wort experience that my child had at this school, he is the reason why my child was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression and now he is a principal at another high school.

From my experience of going to Farb, I have learned that the staff really cares for there students…read moreand wants to make sure they always succeed. In my eight grade year, I had the perfect schedule. For science I had Mrs. Blaisdell. For math I had Mr. Cabrera. For English I had Mr. Warnke. For History I had Mr. Hess. And last for not least I had Mrs. Rankin for AVID. Mrs. Rankin is the one that helped me the most making sure I made my way up to Oregon State University. She pushed me to my limit and sometimes even higher. Farb is a small school but they have a big heart. The counselors are outstanding and always know how to make your day better. I am now going to San Jacinto High School as a 9th grader with a swing ready to be thrown at the work. I wouldn't have made it this far for all of my outstanding teachers and staff that helped me up when I was knocked down. Once a Firebird. Always a Firebird.

I'm very grateful for this unique public charter school that my kids love. They enjoy going on…read morefrequent field trips, learning through projects, not having homework, and having great friends and kind teachers. I appreciate that their curriculum includes SEL (social emotional learning) and that the students aren't allowed to have cell phones while on campus. The highlight of our experience has definitely been the fantastic teachers! Adrienne Reighard has been a phenomenal teacher for my third grader. She's genuinely interested in getting to know each of her students and finding ways to support their learning. She's so calm, patient and kind, yet firm enough that the kids listen and respect her. She goes above and beyond to create a supportive and efficient classroom environment. And as a parent, I really appreciate her clear, consistent communication. Becca, the 3rd grade teacher's assistant, is also proactive and really gets the kids. Patrick, the Spanish teacher, is one of the most dynamic, engaging, and effective teachers ever. His students love the fun activities and catchy songs he incorporates in his class. He makes learning fun! He also teaches chess and woodcarving and it seems like he can make any subject interesting. Kristy Fitts and Christie Fullerton were also great teachers, and planned lots of engaging projects, field trips, and holiday-themed activities. Nathan, the nature studies teacher, is fantastic and plans some great hands-on activities for the kids, like making their own salads to eat and making their own hugenkultur beds for gardening. For families who prioritize a nurturing environment with smaller class sizes and a variety of electives, this school has a lot to offer. The academics are more relaxed than rigorous, which would be a good fit for those prioritizing a balanced lifestyle. That said, we have found that the school has been navigating some challenges with managing disruptive behavior effectively, which impacts the learning environment.

We have been at this school since my son was in 1st grade and my daughter started Kindergarten. It…read moreis truly a special and unique school. My son particularly loves learning about animals and the ocean, and there is a Nature Studies class offered, taught originally by Mary and now Nathan. Both excellent! They learn not only about animals, but ecosystems and plants. My daughter told me the other day that they are growing things in the outside garden and making salads from what they grew that they actually get to eat! We have been pleased with all of their teachers so far, but my son's 4th teacher Alexa really stands out. She is vibrant, engaged, and kind, and I can tell genuinely interested in the students and eager for them to learn. My son is sad to see this year come to a close because he has enjoyed the year so much. He has generally not been one to seek out opportunities to lead but Alexa has trusted him to do that, and I can tell it has boosted his confidence. My daughter's teacher this year for third grade is Adrienne. My daughter loves her. She said she is so patient and kind, but she get's the kids to learn. My daughter told me the other day that she wants to become a teacher because of Adrienne- what better testament to her teaching skills than that! My daughter will be sad to see the year come to a close as well. And finally I want to give a shout out to Natasha, the theatre teacher, and Sam, who teaches ceramics. Just wow. The theatre program at Innovations is truly one of a kind. She puts on so many shows, it is hard to see them all! I have enjoyed each and every show I have seen. My kids have also enjoyed classes with Sam. This is also a unique opportunity that not every school has to learn pottery, and working with ceramics to make various things like flowers, pizzas, ghosts, snow men. I love the projects they bring home. No school is going to be perfect, but as a family we are very grateful we found such an amazing school.