The teachers are amazing, patient, and care about their students. There is a substitute teacher…read morethey call on frequently, Mrs Lagerquist, that you will want to avoid. She is mean, intolerant and lacks a gentle hand. My children cried when they knew she was going to sub their classes. But other than that I highly recommend this school.

This school is extremely underrated. I had a really good experience with nice teachers, and…read moreinclusive environment, and good free programs. The only problem is the restrooms which are probably in violation of the health code. Overall a good school and I think more people should come here.

As a parent, I enrolled my child in this Christian school with the hope of finding a true…read morepartnership--one that would nurture both spiritual and academic development. Sadly, that hope has turned into deep disappointment and frustration. From the beginning, the administration frequently spoke about "partnering with families" and "supporting every child," but our experience revealed these to be nothing more than well-rehearsed talking points. When real concerns arise--particularly when it comes to your child's individual needs--you quickly find that your voice as a parent is dismissed. The Head of School and Principal may smile and nod, but in practice, they act as though they know your child better than you do and are unwilling to make any meaningful changes that could actually help. There is also a serious lack of consistency at this school. Teacher turnover is high, and it's hard for students to build any real stability with constantly changing staff. In fact, most families tend to leave after preschool or first grade, and that speaks volumes about the experience many have here. Rather than address these retention issues, the school seems more focused on maintaining strong ties with families who are heavy donors--families who often seem to get preferential treatment and can pay their way into getting what they want. To make matters worse, the school appears more concerned with building a new gym than fixing the areas that truly need attention. Classrooms, curriculum, and student resources are outdated or lacking, yet fundraising efforts are aggressively geared toward facilities and image. It's hard to watch tuition dollars and donations go toward expansion projects while core needs are neglected. What made this situation even more infuriating was the transition to a new school. Once we left, we realized just how far behind our child was academically. After being assured for years that this school offered a higher standard of education, we were devastated to find out that was far from the truth. It felt like everything we had invested--financially and emotionally--was for nothing. Many and I mean many families when leaving Hillcrest will home school or go to another school and the first thing they say is I should've done it sooner!! This school promotes a beautiful mission on paper, but in practice, it falls far short. Unless you're part of the "inner circle" or a major donor, true partnership and support are unlikely.

Our daughter began attending Hillcrest in 9th grade. She has flourished with the love of Jesus…read moreChrist evident in the teachers, staff, and fellow students. The small class size and exceptional teachers help each child to thrive. Our family is grateful to be a part of Hillcrest Christian School.

We have been a Walnut family for almost 5 years. Our kids have had excellent experiences! All of…read moreour kids have had excellent teachers who work very hard to engage their students through creative teaching practices. Over the years we have been impressed with the schools reading instruction from their teachers and Target Time enrichment and intervention program. These practices have really helped my kids grow as readers from doing having a strong foundation of reading to Readers Theaters. Each grade level performs a school musical, participates in dance and art classes regularly, and has multiple field trips funded by their excellent PTA. All in all we have been very happy with the educational environment our children have been in and are proud to Walnut Wildcats!

What an amazing school. I spent 10 years here with my children & all I can tell you is that I…read morecouldn't have picked a better school for them. Both my children are very different yet each had their specific needs addressed and met. For some reason Walnut gets a bad rap. Maybe because it is a title 1 school. This is not a bad thing. Because of the title 1 status, my son got the extra help he needed. I would have had to pay for tutoring otherwise. My daughter was considered gifted & she got to work on more challenging assignments to keep her engaged. During the 10 years we were there, I got to volunteer in the classrooms and see firsthand how amazing the teachers are. Many have gone on to get advanced degrees. These teachers are dedicated and they care. The office staff is even amazing! What can I say, I just love Walnut. Guess who else loved Walnut?? My kids, now if that doesn't speak volumes than what else does?

So thankful to have found this incredible school. The kindergarten teacher Mrs. P is amazing, and…read moreso is the principal and staff. The school has a strong academic focus, but also places a strong emphasis on children's emotional and social development. The smaller class sizes are ideal and the CAES community is like a family. We chose this school over multiple private schools in the area based on the awesome school culture.

My kids both attended CAES (and the associated awesome preschool) when we lived in California. CAES…read moreis small enough that your children get very personal attention from their teachers but big enough that the social scene is diverse. Though the academics are current (Common Core-based), the teachers all practice "differentiated instruction," meaning they tailor their teaching to the different learning styles of each student. The school is like a big family with so many great parents, an active PTO, a devoted and caring school board, and fantastic faculty and staff who sacrifice early mornings and late nights to be sure our kids get the best possible whole-person education. My only complaints would be that (1) they don't have a cafeteria (though they do offer a "hot lunch" by way of fast food or class-sponsored meals), and (2) I'd like the school to have enough students that each grade would have its own classroom, rather than two-grade rooms (K-2 are single, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 are double). So, it's not PERFECT, but it's the BEST. And the more the kids that enroll, the better it'll get.

My kids have been here for years. Took them out this year (mid-year) because couldn't deal with the…read moreadministration anymore. 1) Their teaching methods were terrible. Of course common core isn't their fault, because it's this dumb state. But they REALLY dove into it and chose the worst principals to teach. 2) The majority of teachers were extremely fake and only responded to bribes, otherwise your kids never made it to their "favorites." The only 2 teachers who really ever cared were Mrs. Guevara and Mrs. Hise (who I might note were a part of the old administration). 3) The administration went out of their way to sweep any bullying by kids under the rug and had a policy that the kids should walk away from bullies instead of reporting. In most cases the administration basically protected the bullies and facilitated their continued terrible behavior. When the bullies kids attempted to report any bullies to the teachers, the teachers would get defensive and cause problems for parents out of spite. 4) Beware if you are divorced parents. Over the years, I've come across enough divorced parents to know that they picked a parent to side with and went out of their way to make the other parent's life miserable. The parent who brought bribes, and who volunteered, gave and received gifts from the staff continuously. Butt licking like that only exists among dogs. Just warning ya, stay away. Not worth the stress. (And sure enough, their 10 star score on greatschools.org is now a 9. Wonder how long it takes before they keep dropping further. Probably won't take too long under this idiotic fake administration. Now Yelp thinks that my review shouldn't count. And why? I was a parent of kids (not 1, but 2) who went to that horrible excuse for a school.

This is an excellent school. I know this because my children go there now. The administration,…read moreteachers, and child care experts are all outstanding.

Ascension has been an answer to our prayers. We lost our home in the Palisades fire. This community…read morewelcomed our daughters with open arms and hearts. To a degree that is unheard of. They made a spot for our TK daughter that didn't exist as they felt so strongly about welcoming our daughters into the community during this tough time. Our girls loved their school, home and community that all burned in the fire... They were really not wanting a new school, so they were VERY tough sells. I was very nervous about how this would all go. They were very resistant to starting a new school. They were the hardest won over demographic. But, within a couple of days they were completely won over. I am serious when I say it was only a few days. They were so skeptical and heartbroken. They didn't want to like the school. They didn't want to like their new teachers or friends. They wanted to go home. It was unreal how this school changed them. My TK daughter comes home every day and says "it was the best day EVER mom!" I completely get why she says it. Every day is something magical . I can't quite put into words how many amazing opportunities these kids have, their budgeting is insane. I can't believe how many things they do. I would go into all of it but it would take all night. Their teachers are truly the most incredible and gifted teachers. They meet the kids where they are at with all the patience and love in the world. My husband and I are constantly in amazement--- our kids have been through the worst of it and yet every day at this school brings a smile to their faces. I have NEVER heard a negative thing about the school. Every single family feels the same way we do... this school is incredible. The warmth, the love...is unbelievable. Besides the current families-- every time I tell someone where my daughters go to school it is unanimous across the board... It is something to the effect of "Oh my friend's kids go there and they love it!" or "My neighbors go there and I have heard incredible things!" People always go out of their way to express their extreme love of the school personally or things they have heard about it. I get the hype. Truly. Amazing. We went and toured so many schools.but this school is just on another level. Rich Gregory leads this school with incredible love and care and it shows at every level. In addition to Rich's amazing leadership-- our daughters hit the lottery with Ms. Arias and Ms. Harrington. I can't wait to see what is ahead for my girls here...We are so lucky.

Great school. Makes the kids well rounded and kind people. Great investment in your kid's…read moreformative years! We are planning on staying through th grade.

Since my last review I've had my youngest at Montesorri stars as well. We didn't even consider…read moreother places. The director Preeta, and the rest of the staff have always been welcoming, warm and great with the kids. We appreciate the Montesorri style, which includes lots of outdoor play, the individual attention to help kids learn and grow. Should we consider a 3rd child we won't hesitate to enroll there again. Highly recommend.

I highly recommend Montessori Stars as a mom of two kids who attended this preschool since they…read morewere two years old. Although it may not look like much from the outside, this preschool is truly a hidden gem in Newbury Park. Ms. Preeta and her long-time teachers are so warm and caring. They really care about your child's progress and overall well-being. They teach based on Montessori principles and there is no religious or political affiliation, even though it is located downstairs from a Hindu temple. It is clean, safe, and a great value with flexible part-time and full-time options. A weekly Spanish class is also offered for a small additional fee. My husband and I also really like that it has a warm, family-feel with staff and students from diverse backgrounds, and is not part of a corporate chain. We have always felt that it has been easy to connect with the teachers and the other parents on a personal level.

Our daughter started at Bridges Charter School in fifth grade, and the difference from her previous…read morepublic school has been remarkable. The staff truly has the time and intention to pay attention to each child, addressing any concerns long before they become real issues. She's made friends, has fun, and comes home every day excited to go back--something we don't take for granted. The level of education is outstanding, and their test scores consistently surpass other local schools. We couldn't be more grateful for the supportive environment and the joy this school has brought to our family.

Poor learning environment in providing support into middle school, or high schools. Constant…read moreteacher swaps leaving kids confused and lost in learning.