As a student who has gone to Bright Horizon Chinese School (BHCS) and is now a student at…read moreuniversity, BHCS was a cornerstone of my childhood and a foundational space for my friendships growing up in the Bay Area. Even outside of the after-school care provided by the school, where school buses would pick us up outside of our elementary schools, provide yummy snacks, teach us how to read, write, and speak Mandarin Chinese in class, and (though I was stubborn as a child), provide practice math and English language homework for students to get ahead. Annually, BHCS created iconic student showcases hosted at a local stage, known as "看我说中文"， where students like me would memorize important information about Chinese traditions, language, and community. Looking back, it was so funny to re-watch and see what I looked like at age 12. Although stern at times, its teachers deeply cared about our well-being, stayed communicative through me and my parents, and helped me progress in academia. BHCS has been such a foundational part of my experience in making and maintaining friendships, learning, and speaking Chinese (I can speak/read fluently, and my writing is still relatively fluent). Even after elementary school where BHCS would provide traditional children's after-school care, I still took weekend Chinese classes that would end up helping me get ahead in future AP Chinese/foreign language requirements for high school and college. In middle and high school, I volunteered at BHCS during my school breaks and would see new generations of students grow and connect with one another, which as a big sibling, was such a beautiful sight to see. My younger brother, now in high school, has followed my footsteps through BHCS's after-school care for elementary school students, and weekend classes for middle school students, and has even given back by also volunteering the same way I did in high school. All in all, as a student who has been through BHCS's whole curriculum with my younger brother following right behind me, the memories and experiences that I have had here were incredibly beautiful and are forever a part of my core memories. I still try and visit my teachers every year. 100% worth it! :)

Both my son and daughter attended BHCS, separated by maybe 6 or 8 years. The school teaches…read moreChinese speaking and writing, as well as math and supporting in school homework. Both kids had multiplication memorized before they even started elementary school, very impressive compared to their peers. The school holds performances several times a year, giving the children opportunities to develop all-important public communication and performance skills. It was amazing to watch such little children perform and speak with more poise than most adults. Beyond Chinese, math, school coursework, BHCS also had special classes in dance. (I believe the founder/principal had professional ballet background, explaining her ability to orchestrate such professional level performances annually.) CONCLUSION: 1. The boy who had Chinese exposure all his life came out of BHCS with very limited Chinese speaking and writing skills. The daughter, adopted, entered BHCS with ZERO Chinese speaking or comprehension, but emerged speaking, reading and writing perfect Chinese, with perfect accent and intonation. She can recite classical Chinese poetry and has pass ion to learn about her culture - impressive for someone with absolutely no Chinese capability when first enrolled. Conclusion- if your goal is for your kids to speak, read and write Chinese, know YMMV. Learning is so individual, and a school can only provide the teaching, but if someone resists learning, they won't learn. I can say this definitively based on my own personal experience and that of my son. 2. Regardless whether the kids learn Chinese, BHCS gave my kids an academic advantage, starting with early math, public speaking and performance opportunities, and homework time everyday. My daughter has very strong learning and memorization capabilities, which I attribute to her time at BHCS. 3. My son is now a successful corporate attorney. My daughter is very successful in high school and has the performance level to enter top universities. My son's classmates now include MDs, Management Consultants, Investment Bankers, Software Engineers, and many other successful careers. So many high performing young adults shared a BHCS history. I am convinced there is correlation between their success and BHCS. At the very least, the kids come away with an impressive network. My kids know or knew friends attending all the Foster City San Mateo schools, and out of dustruct schools. Their friends are amazed at the wide social network my kids have. These relationships seem to be lifelong friendships, as my kids continue maintaining close ties with their BHCS alumni. 4. Finally, I recognize the individuality of experience. There are many paths to success and happiness. One size cannot fit all. Some kids don't do well in a structured environment. Some parents don't want their kids to be too academic, preferring more play time. Clearly, there were many successful graduates of BHCS, yet, as the reviews show, some did not have a positive experience. I am also aware of a past member of the staff splitting off and opening her own school to compete with BHCS, employing some questionable practices. Are the negative reviews related to that? I cannot say.

My daughter started her academic journey at Futures Academy in San Mateo last year as a sophomore…read more She previously attended our local public high school as a Freshman. Futures Academy is a best fit for my daughter as it provides a personalized and flexible curriculum that allows her to continue to travel to other states to compete in tournaments with her rigorous practice regimen. My daughter loves the 1:1 teacher - student setting. Her teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic; they are passionate and mindful of her progress, strengths and weaknesses. All teachers and administrators truly care about her success and go above and beyond to make her thrive. She loves her History, English, Math, Spanish and Journalism classes. As parents, we can see a difference in her interest and learning capacity compared to her freshman school year at the public high school. Futures Academy had been very responsive and swift during the Covid-19 outbreak. They have already instituted online sessions during the first day of the Shelter-in-place order on 03/16. My daughter did not miss any school work and the online sessions had been very smooth. The school had provided us peace of mind during the outbreak. We highly recommend Futures Academy in San Mateo if your child fails to thrive at his/her current school.

Read "Private Equity Owned K-12 Schools (e.g. Halstrom Academy and Fusion Academy)" by Ed Consul on…read moreMedium: https://medium.com/@edconsul123/private-equity-owned-k-12-schools-a4d26df2d101 This is all you need to read

They do very little to support new staff and everything in their power to protect tenured teachers…read morethat have no place teaching/ have teaching practices that went extinct along side dinosaurs. Punitive teaching styles across the board and an admin that will listen to the tenured teachers regardless of how out of touch with reality they are. Students with behavioral issues are always assigned with newer teachers while the ones that have been there since the invention of electricity have the gate students or advance placement students. Very shady practices district wide and very little is done to protect lgbtqa students or any student that may be bullied. This would never be the school id chose for my child.

My Son has had a great middle school experience so far! He…read morestarted off having difficulties with a few peers, but now their all friends . The staff have been extremely helpful and supportive. His teachers have been wonderful.

We love this school so much. Wornick is an amazing community for the kids as well as the parents…read more The teachers and staff actually care about your kids - it is amazing! We are also really happy with the balance of academic rigor and focus on social/emotional learning. They are building the next leaders of the world seeped in good values. We could not be happier.

I too highly recommend this school. My child has been there since Kindergarten and we knew our son…read moreneeded some 1-1 attention and support for reading and comprehension and were concerned that if he didn't get it he would be left behind. I am so glad to say that each of his teachers has taken the time to get to know our son, understand his strength and weaknesses, frame up very relevant goals, and do everything they can to help him achieve them. He is doing quite well and keeping up. The other aspects that were astounding to me being from a public school experience was that they have the "Peace Path" that they use to teach the kids how to resolve conflicts with that goes beyond just saying sorry to taking ownership of their actions and listening to the other child to see how they can make them whole. This training begins in Kindergarten no less. On top of that they take time each morning to reflect on how they did the previous day and enjoy the wins and see how they can be better today. Heck I try do all of that as an adult!! The other reasons we chose Wornick is that they stand for the kids being international citizens, learn how to stand up in front of their peers and speak and persuade, and to learn how to learn not just memorize stuff for a test. Again all things I strive to do as an adult and they start in Kindergarten. I to suggest you visit and ask to talk to teachers, parents, staff, etc. and see what you think. Mr. King is an awesome Kindergarten teacher and we felt so lucky to have a male role model to start with. Adeelee Feldman really got into what Nikolas needed and helped him gain confidence in his strengths in first grade. We look forward to what Ms. Mahoney will bring in 2nd Grade. All the best!

Sea Breeze School was the preschool that my son went to and love it! The principal and all of the…read moreteachers and care givers were all incredible. Their loving and nurturing actions were instrumental in helping my son grow to the young man he is today. He is about to graduate high school. It was Sea Breeze school that gave him a foundation to grow both emotionally, socially and academically. So if you want to a great preschool for your child, I give it the highest recommendation. I would give it 5 Stars!

Sea Breeze is a wonderful school. My son went there for 3 years, and we were very sad to leave once…read morehe graduated from TK. The best part of the school is the wonderful teaching staff - especially Mrs Ghiozzi. She's the warmest, sweetest teacher any kid could have. Our son blossomed under her care. He still fondly remembers her and the songs she used to sing with him, and the big warm hugs she used to give him. The other teachers, including Mrs Sheldon, Mr Weber, Mrs Briones are all lovely as well. All the support staff are also fantastic. The school is well-led under the leadership of Ms Weber. We are so grateful for everyone at Sea Breeze, and especially Mrs Ghiozzi, for caring for and nurturing our son.

I initially became interested in The Nueva School after subscribing to receive job postings. What…read moreimmediately stood out to me was how frequently new openings were being posted -- sometimes seemingly every week. As an educator, that naturally made me wonder about staff turnover. Eventually, I applied for a position and interviewed with someone who honestly seemed very kind and thoughtful. I left the interview feeling optimistic, especially because I was told I would hear back by the end of the week. In education hiring, timelines usually move quickly because schools want to secure teachers for the upcoming school year before candidates accept other opportunities. Weeks went by with complete silence. No follow-up, no rejection email, nothing. Wanting to close the loop professionally, I eventually emailed to thank the interviewer for her time and wish her and her team the best for the upcoming year. Oddly, the message bounced back, even though I had been communicating through that exact same email thread previously. At that point, I honestly began wondering whether the communication had somehow been compromised or whether I had fallen into some strange scam situation. I even called the school directly to verify that the interviewer actually worked there, and thankfully she did. The school then provided me with another email address associated with their official domain. I forwarded my message there as well, but once again received no response at all. Whether the message reached her or not, the overall experience felt surprisingly unprofessional and dismissive, especially after what had initially seemed like such a warm interaction. After later reading additional reviews and experiences from others, I ultimately realized this probably was not the right fit for me anyway. Still, basic communication and professional courtesy go a long way, particularly in education, where relationships and respect matter.

Interviewed here and saw some things that were surprising to me for a school that is as well funded…read moreas this one is. i would likely avoid this school if you want your children to have a fully rounded education experience.

An amazing year at Foster City Elementary School. I my age) just left this school (5th grade) and…read moreit was an amazing year! Nice students, nice staff, And Ms Goll is super nice! I'm going to miss this school. Have a great year class of 2022.

Great school! Great teachers! But more important then both of those is the Great Families that live…read morein the community!