This is just the review for their summer basketball camp. My son participated this summer for a…read moreweek and had a lot of fun. There is one nice court in the church. The camp had around 15 kids. My son was one of the older and more skilled kids but he still got to work on his game and it helped get some of the rust off after a long lay off from basketball and traveling over the summer. My son also does the Shepherd Sports basketball camp but that has more kids and so less reps. I would highly recommend this camp if you want less kids and more reps.

Would not recommend this school , teachers will hide bullying and not let a parent know what's…read moregoing on , they keep deleting the reviews they don't like

The school offers a welcoming environment, but the academic standards are severely lacking. There…read moreis very little challenge or structured support in core subjects like math and reading. If academic excellence and preparation are your main priorities, I would look elsewhere.

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.

My husband and I are so grateful for this School. We were not happy with last pre school but here…read more, you can feel the love , feel the patience and love the teachers have for the little ones . My son is 3 but not potty trained so I was worried about what they were going to tell me , I don't want to pressure him . Miss Medrano is the coolest, most amazing woman . " he will when he is ready " she said as she gave my son aka heart a hug after meeting him once . At pick up he never wants to leave . Thank you Hillcrest School, MIss Medrano , Miss Guy , Principal Mrs Berg

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.

I have two children who have attended Carden since preschool, and our family has had an exceptional…read moreexperience. The academic program is outstanding, but what I appreciate most is the school's emphasis on character, manners, and strong moral values. It has provided my kids with a well-rounded education. I love that students practice public speaking every Friday, learn cursive, and participate in community service. The school does a wonderful job of honoring time-tested traditions while also embracing science and technology. We couldn't be happier with our decision to send our children to Carden and look forward to sending them to the middle school.

Our family has been at Carden Conejo for the last 5 years with our two kids having attended grades…read morepreschool through 4th grade so far. It is academically rigorous in all subjects, being one of the best in our area. Our specialists are also excellent: our kids have been able to do PE almost daily, the specialist classes (art, science, music, French, computers) all at least once or twice a week. Starting in kindergarten, the kids move with their classmates from their homeroom to the different dedicated specialist classes multiple times a day, which I think is a very mature thing to be able to do in kindergarten. They do public speaking at their weekly school assemblies multiple times a month, which I think is very special about this school. Best of all, they emphasize manners and morals which encourage human virtues, but also things like looking an adult in the eyes when saying good morning or when being spoken to, and holding the door open for an adult so that he/she can pass through first. Things that I feel our kids in the recent digital world do not really learn anymore, but will help them be successful in their workplaces (and families) in the future. Compared to other private schools in the area, tuition is more affordable, and yet the teachers offer academic support after school for kids to need it for free (although I think they should be paid extra for it). Although academically rigorous, our kids also have so much fun at school. Holidays are so fun. They have a huge fall festival at Halloween with carnival games, food trucks, trunk or treat. They also have a big festive winter holiday show, egg hunts for Easter, class parties, and a big family picnic on campus at the end of the year. They have tons of after school enrichment classes and Funtastic Friday nights where the kids can come and play in the evenings while parents get a night out. Summer camps are also very thoughtful and engaging. A favorite week is themed after the book Roxaboxen where they create their own shops and barter goods with "gems" as currency. We have loved every teacher we have had through the years. Everyone knows your child's name and each teacher invests in their students. One of my children had a little embarrassing accident at school and her 1st grade teacher handled it with such respect and tact - she treated her like she would want her own daughter treated. I think it would be hard to find a school with teachers and staff who are this invested in their students.

Not a nice management very short and rules are not ok if you need to pull out your kid earlier.read more

Everything about LSM in Simi is just amazing. We started in February of 2020 and our daughter is…read morenow graduating. We welcomed our second daughter who we signed up for the waitlist ASAP so she could attend once she was 18 months old in 2022. Our experience has been more than I could've ever dreamed. It truly feels like an extended family. We loved Miss Lorraine and Miss Michelle when they were directors and we love Miss Jacqueline who is the current director. So considerate, loving, and happy. Our kids were so blessed to be with Ms Elba (toddler class), Ms Angela and Ms Ozma (2's), Ms Debra (no longer there), Ms Lorraine, and Miss Bri (3's), Ms Rosadah (pre-k, but no longer there) and Ms Frances (kinder). I also need to mention Ms Evelyn because she's loved our girls even though she never directly taught them. I could not speak highly enough of these teachers. They are more than teachers. The guidance and love they showed our kids - It's something I will remember for the rest of my life. Honestly I can't even formulate words to express my admiration for them and gratitude. Truly phenomenal people who are a gift to this world. I am not typically an emotional person but I have been an emotional wreck the past month or so leading up to our girls' graduations. Leaving LSM and these teachers was so incredibly hard and something I am still trying to come to terms with. Our girls love them tremendously and I have the hardest time feeling like our next "big kid school" will even match this experience. I wish they went through elementary school - We wouldn't even think twice of running back!

My girls, now 10 and 12, have been going to Accelerated Academy for three years and have loved the…read morelarge campus and sport court for play, the art facilities, the professional music instruction, and the close friendships they've made. They don't always enjoy the school work, especially math and English because it's hard. But I, however, love the fact that they have corrected the six step Common Core bad habits they had previously learned in public school. They calculate faster and understand better now. Since Covid-19 hit, because they could learn at their own pace, they excelled at home, gaining more than half a semester. They can't wait to go back on campus. The school sign says they will be open 5 days a week and have 6 foot distancing. My kids have received good moral development and achieve high marks in Latin. Don't be fooled. If a kid struggles with math when they go back to public school, blame Common Core. The teachers here are patient and proficient.

I'm going to start by stating that the child that Ashley S is referring to in her review below, is…read moremy child that had just started Accelerated Academy. I pulled my daughters out of Accelerated Academy a few weeks ago. They attended the 2020-2021 semester and halfway through 2022/2023. My youngest daughter was in Ms. Natalie's class. Over time I noticed my daughter get upset pertaining to things that she had to ask Ms.Natalie for. When I asked my daughter if she would like to bring heated lunch to school, she got very upset and started to cry stating that Ms.Natalie said her older sister was not allowed to heat up her lunch and she was to only bring cold lunch to school. My oldest confirmed that when she went to heat up her sisters lunch, that Ms.Natalie was irritated and asked her "What are you doing here?" She was then told this was no longer allowed. Yet, another little girl in Ms. Natalie's class is allowed to heat up food. Depending on the mood this teacher is in, or if there will be a full moon next week. Another occasion, my oldest daughter had to go over to my youngest daughters lunch table because I had packed her lunch in my youngest lunch box. She was told that she was not allowed to share food and to walk away. My daughter didn't eat lunch that day. For the 2022-2023 semester, I volunteered to do after school daycare and did so Monday-Friday 3-6 pm. For the 5 months I have witnessed Ms.Natalie (the kinder-2nd grade class "teacher") get in children's faces, scream at them, while pointing her hands/fingers in their faces. When they would try to respond or defend themselves and explain they are not doing what she is accusing them of, she screamed even louder. There is a 6 year old child who is so terrified of Ms. Natalie that she hides her food behind her back when she walks by. I was there when she was screamed at for sharing food. I was there when this child was screamed at and berated for playing hide and seek. (In a tiny classroom, with me 10 steps away knowing exactly where she was). I've witnessed numerous times bullying to this child. This child is terrified of Ms.Natalie and the behavior that Ms. Natalie is showing this child is nothing short of abuse. I have witnessed her get in kids faces inches away from them while screaming. If something was out of place in her daycare room all hell would break loose. If she was having a bad day(which frequently happened) the kids would get the heat for it. She pulled my 10 year old daughter out of class to ask her if she used her blankets in daycare. She proceeded to give my daughter a 10 minute lecture about how she cannot use her things, (Including toys?) in the daycare room. There are two brothers in her class, that frequently cry because she screams at them and belittles them. They seem to get it the worst. My daughter has told me that when a parent does walk in, Ms. Natalie will change her behavior and act "different" Ms. Natalie stated to me that she couldn't do daycare this year (as she previously did last year) because it wasn't good for her mental health. I was told by the Pastor while voicing my concerns, that he has had to get in between her and other children because the way she was acting wasn't okay. He also said for the past few weeks he has had to let her know some things are not that big of a deal and to calm down. Now that we left, she is currently in charge of daycare again. There are so many red flags here and our children are not being protected at Accelerated. This past weekend I received my daughters progress report that Ms. Natalie had sent to her new school. In this report, Ms. Natalie gave personal information regarding my family and proceeded to state that my 7 year old daughter has a learning disability because she can't write cursive good enough. I accept advice when it involves my children. Ms. Natalie's bullying, hateful attitude and lack of respect in caring for other peoples children makes her advice as lame as she is. If anybody were to experience Ms. Natalie the way I have, you would see this was her last attempt at a dig so for a minute she can feel powerful instead of realizing she is nothing but a big, sad pathetic bully who takes her aggression out on every child in her classroom and doesn't even have the common decency to allow my child to get her things or send them to her. My daughters new teacher who has a real bachelors degree from a credited university found Ms. Natalie's comment about learning cursive laughable. She explained how learning cursive so young is detrimental to them learning other things first. Also I was told the recommendations that Ms.Natalie suggested were not necessary. The only positive thing that came from my daughter encountering such a hateful woman, is learning to walk away from a relationship when it is disrespectful and doesn't benefit your life. Both of my children were also told if they are gay, they will burn in hell.

The Butterfly Garden Preschool and Childcare is fantastic! My two year old and I spent the day here…read moregetting familiarized with the facility and program since I am looking to move to Simi Valley. I am sold! The owner Chrissy Chartrand has a two and a half year old son of her own and has loads of qualifications including a degree in early childhood education and many years of experience as a gymnastics coach. She is super super hands on and energetic! Her place has fun and colorful decorations, artwork made by the kids, and best of all, a real monarch butterfly breeding garden. It's not just a cutesy name with a token little bush of milkweed either, there are actual greenhouses for the different stages of caterpillars in the monarch breeding program. It's fun and interesting and I love how the business is modeling for the kids how to do something for our earth's endangered pollinator species! The clean and bright and spacious home also features an attractive aquarium. A plethora of toys on wheels and Chrissy's upbeat and engaging demeanor held my son's attention all day! I will definitely be signing up here if I get the job offer in Simi.

My son and daughter (3 and 2) have been attending Simi Valley Montessori since they were babies and…read morewe love it. The teachers are truly amazing, always patient and kind. These women are amazing! The kids have a great time and learn so much. We have been with them throughout Covid which was a hard time for all, but they were very understanding, cautious and communicative throughout the process. I have always gotten a family vibe from the school and the director and have been very honest (I have overpaid before and they caught and deducted from next month and even paid forward from Covid). To me that shows a lot of integrity, not to mention the extra stuff they offer like date nights, holiday shows, etc. The teachers always communicate if there has been any illnesses and also if my kid or they are concerned about something. When we were looking for childcare, my sister, who works in the school/childcare industry, really liked the way everything was set up and their policies and I am happy with our decision. I remember the first day we walked in everything was so calm and neat. Everything is always neat and clean as well.

My son is always happy and all smiles when he see his teachers! He's been going there for some…read moretime been in room one and now moved on to the toddler room. They are amazing and I am happy with the care my child gets he is all smiles when I get him from there! Love the staff friendly