Pretty much loved this school for myself from PreK to 8th grade. I'm class of 2009. Shoutout to Ted Carroll the principal, Shawn Huls of the 7th and 8th grade, and the amazing sweet janitors over the years. Thank you for making it a great time of adolescence and maturity for me Holy Angels !!!! Go Angels!!!!!! Always and forever!!!!!!! read more

Holy Angels School Arcadia - Elementary Schools Near Me - Arcadia, California

Today, my seventh-grader walked in the door after school and within minutes says how much she loved the last class of the day because Mr. Z was talking about heaven and hell and purgatory using C. S. Lewis texts and it was "so cool and so philosophic" (her word!) and how all the lessons with him are so meaty and interesting and she loves all of it. He connects every lesson with "life stuff" (Again, verbatim.) It all just spilled out of her, she hadn't even put her backpack down, she was so jazzed. So grateful for that. The cool Mr. Z is husband to Mrs. Jackie, whom my daughter also adores. Mrs. Jackie spoke to the class about grit and it completely won my daughter over. They talked about being resilient and how to handle difficult things. My daughter had been struggling with juggling her schedule with club basketball, school, and friends, and that class helped strengthen her resolve and rise to the challenge. I hope hope hope Mrs. Jackie can squeeze a few more life classes with our 7th graders before Baby Z makes his/her appearance! All this to say, thank you, Ziomeks, for being at Holy Angels, for being the cool role models our kids can look up to and listen to! They are only two of the staff at Holy Angels who I know surround my children with love and humor. Holy Angels is home and haven. We are so thankful to belong to this community.Today, n read more

Parents should be aware of what teachers do during class hours. I live in the neighborhood and they often BLAST secular rock music during "learning hours" - it's so LOUD that it travels blocks!!!! Several neighbors have called the police and the front desk now even ignore picking up the phone when they're doing this. Isn't this supposed to be a Christian school?? I'm sure the tuition is no joke and parents have no idea what is happening. Even Arcadia high doesn't do this. read more

So sad that there are no nuns left at this school. I attended during the 60s when most of the staff were the sisters. Many great memories. Equally sad that enrollment is a fraction of what we had during that time. read more

I'm the parent of two Holy Angels students, an 8th grader who got into his top choice Catholic High School and is getting ready to transition after 10 years in this close knit community. He felt well prepared for his HSPT test and loved playing sports. My second student is in TK, he is well prepared for Kindergarten and describes Holy Angels as the "best school ever!" He's been to excellent early ed programs the previous two years, so that's a great compliment. The strengths that led us to choose Holy Angels over other catholic schools affiliated to our past parish have only gotten stronger. The community is diverse, inclusive, families and students are respectful and involved. The staff and Mrs. Dyrek (principal) value collaboration, clear and frequent communication and the infusion of faith and character in everything. I love that computers, music and Spanish are a core part of the curriculum. My sons value service, think of the wellbeing of others, feel connected to their friends & appreciate their teachers. You can't measure the peace of mind you get as a parent when you know your children are valued and cared for. My sons both have used afternoon daycare & like it a lot, especially the kind teachers. I have multiple colleagues who have enrolled their children in Catholic schools in the foothills area and as we spoke of our experiences with the Covid-19 transition to remote learning, I felt blessed. My observations and their comments highlighted that my sons are getting so much more actual teaching and support. I credit the strong emphasis in technology, the continuing education opportunities, and the teachers commitment to continuously improve. That foundation allowed Holy Angels staff to hit the ground running & give our children a valuable experience despite these circumstances. Visit an open house, request a tour, ask your questions, you'll see these strengths for yourself read more

We feel very fortunate to be a part of Holy Angels! We send all 3 of our kids here and they love it. If you are looking for a faith based and strong education I highly recommend Holy Angels. It's not just a school, it's a wonderful community to be a part of. read more

Every parent/guardian holds a personal expectation when it comes to the learning environment for their children, this is ours. As new parents, our expectation was to find a school with a holistic approach, a well-rounded learning environment in which our children would be challenged, encouraged, nurtured, and inspired. We did our homework just as you are doing now, so we asked around, and luckily we had family friends who had sent their kids through Holy Angels who shared their positive experiences with us. We selected Holy Angels on the strength of recommendations, our positive takeaway from their Open House, and a genuine conversation with then Principal Ted Carroll who interviewed our extremely shy son who perhaps discovered comfort and reassurance in the playful yet structured interaction. Our oldest child, class of 2019, left with so many cherished memories and friendships we hope lasts a lifetime. The teachers including the aids all played an integral part in my child's development, both spiritually and academically; they all deserve a Yelp review of their own if you ask me. While bittersweet as it was to have concluded that journey, we are blessed with two more children who are currently creating their own experiences and memories at Holy Angels. The school community was also important to us and over the years we have been fortunate and blessed to create friendships, capture memories, and untimely, grieve together as a family. There is no shortage of school spirit here and children live and breathe school spirit so much so that as parents it's easy to be infected by their innocent enthusiasm and sense of pride. However, no school is perfect and no school is without criticism, but all schools have the opportunity to improve. And this is where my personal experience has taught me is that Holy Angels is always improving, and yet as they seem to approach the bar they keep raising it. Holy Angels School is a rich institution raised by a pillar of commitment to providing a gold standard Catholic education. The value-added proposition they proclaim has not disappointed me - and even in times of question, resolve has been fair and respectful; and for that I am thankful. At the time of this review, we found ourselves navigating through unprecedented times with our professional, personal, and academic lives upended. And with all in-person activity shut down schools needed to introduce a new platform to educate. Holy Angels School pivoted from in-person to distant learning in a matter of days. While many neighboring schools spent a week(s) structuring distance learning, Holy Angels School accomplished this in a matter of days. My children experienced two days of interruption, a tremendous feat!. Led by Principal Dyrek, who is without question a revered leader, quickly identified the challenge and put her teachers to the task. Over a couple of days, teachers and staff developed an online curriculum tailored to each grade and within a couple of days, Prinicipal Dyrek and teachers were back engaging students, reassuring them distance learning was not an end to a means but a means to the end. Principal Dryek embraced the opportunity and quite possibly relished in announcing each school day via her youtube channel the day's activities. The opening announcement included the Pledge to the Cross, Salute to the Flag, and morning announcements, just as if you were on campus. Parents and Faculty virtually lent their musical talents via Zoom concerts which we all enjoyed and found a sliver of escapism. Holy Angels School did a tremendous job of keeping our children engaged, educated, and close during a time of uncertainty. And for that, we are all thankful. Holy Angels School is the best school for my children, I hope it is for their children too. read more

Holy Angels School Arcadia - Elementary Schools Near Me - Arcadia, California

Our son has grown up at Holy Angels School. From the moment we attended an Open House and were lead through the halls by 7th and 8th grade student ambassadors, we immediately felt a sense of community. Friendly, poised, engaging, and obviously proud of their school, we knew this was what we wanted for our own son to aspire to. Through the years, our son received from each teacher exactly what he needed. You see, the teachers at Holy Angels not only hold students accountable for academic excellence, they recognize the social and emotional needs of their students. They truly care about our kids. As parents, too, we felt immediately welcomed by fellow parents and it was easy to become an active member of the community through attending various events, volunteering, and serving on leadership committees. Being relocated to CA with no other family nearby, Holy Angels quickly became our family. Staff, students, and parents all work together to help and support one another, especially in times of need. Holy Angels School offers so many opportunities for our kids. From art, PE, technology, Spanish, music, daycare, after school clubs and enrichment classes, CYO sports, a huge field and playground, field trips, academic resource support, and more fun family events than I can count! I feel compelled to address how well HA teachers and admin have handled the transition to Remote Learning due to the current COVID pandemic situation. Within hours of getting the news that we'd have to close our building, our staff went into action packing students' desks and materials, dismantling and distributing Chromebooks, and learning how to use Zoom to continue instruction. It was seamless. Our son keeps a consistent schedule, meeting with his teachers for classes at least 3 times a day. He is held accountable for attendance and assignments, and is challenged to meet standards in creative ways using the resources we have at home. In addition, our principal keep us informed with daily announcements broadcast on YouTube. She begins each morning just as we would if we were at our physical school: with prayers, pledge, and good news. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYSQ-PZh318GNtlpjuH2VXA https://www.facebook.com/holyangelsarcadia/?ref=bookmarks Holy Angels did not miss a beat in recognizing and addressing the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of our families during this uncertain time. Our Early Ed (PK, TK, and K) teachers meet with their students virtually to read bedtime stories and say prayers. Some classes are having lunch together via Zoom. Our music teacher Zooms a sing along concert weekly. We are invited to pray the Holy Rosary together over Zoom, too. Then there are all of the ways our admin and 8th grade teachers have gone above and beyond to bring our 8th Graders the graduation celebration they deserve, albeit different and remote. From social distanced home deliveries of caps and gowns, to virtual presentations of class traditions: May Crowning, Staff Appreciation, Goodby Circle, and finally Graduation. In these uncertain times, I am so grateful for Holy Angels School. If you are looking for a school that can meet the needs of your children and your family academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, whether in person or remote if that is deemed necessary, look no further than Holy Angels School. It's the best decision we ever made! read more

Holy Angels School Arcadia - Elementary Schools Near Me - Arcadia, California

I'm giving 2 stars because there are some good people there, but one of the reasons we left was because of the clique-ish behavior by many, including parents and teachers. We wasted too much time dealing with nonsense and need our child to grow in a more positive environment. Despite having some good teachers this is not conducive to a good learning/community environment. Interactive educational children's events, as opposed to entertainment, should be the priority. I was not impressed with sense of entitlement by students and parents. Volunteer help is only embraced if you fall into "lock step." read more

Holy Angels may seem like a good idea on the surface, A private Catholic school with a diocese approved curriculum, but I assure you this is not the case. The biggest problem with a school like this is the favoritism. If you, as a parent, do not have the extra time to be close friends with the faculty, then your child will suffer for it. The students who get the attention of the faculty are the students whose parents are involved, and actively insert themselves within the very "tight-knit" social circle that the faculty establishes. Students, whose parents are not part of this social circle, are ignored, and treated very unfairly. If you work too much to be involved, you may want to consider a school that doesn't subscribe to this unprofessional behavior. Furthermore, some of the teachers are archaic, and verge on verbally abusive. Mrs. Seiler, who taught 5th grade, is especially verbally abusive, and would take pleasure in punishing the children whose parents she was not close to. You could hear this lady yelling at the kids from down the hall while approaching the classroom. Furthermore, a computer teacher by the name of Mr. Jaco, once called my child an "idiot." The PE teacher, Mrs. Gorman, specifically would target my child and really seemed to have some kind of vendetta against some of the kids. I did notice that Mrs. Gorman was very close friends with some parents, and it would follow that she probably put extra effort into these children at the expense of others. These are just some of the specific instances that come to mind. It seems that the faculty and staff at Holy Angels think they could get away with a lot, and the school does not have the same accountability that you would find at a public school. I actually moved my children to a Christian school because of this, and could not be happier with the level of professionalism and quality of education. Now that I am able to compare the two schools, my children's new school is magnitudes better in every category! Please do not assume this is a good school because it is private. This school lacks professionalism, has an established social circle that excludes some children, and favors others, and simply fails in being an effective and fair learning environment for all the students. read more

Unfortunately, a very bad experience at this school and left early. For a religious school, that preaches doing good and being kind, there are a group of popular kids who bully the rest of the class. They also show some racism and the cliques are real, not only in the kids, but the parents, shame on them. If you are not one of the white, popular group, they will bully you and other families and not invite you to class activities. When you go to events, you will notice that these families do not engage with everyone else or attempt to make others feel welcome. And obviously the teachers and staff are closer with those families as well. These parents, their kids, and some of the staff unfortunately ruined any chance I had to be a practicing Catholic, because the examples in front of me showed that they were not practicing what they were preaching. They continued to bully after I had left, by spreading lies that I hated them to the other students and turned everyone against me. Better off at a public school. read more

Holy Angels School is nothing but exceptional in all aspects. We are facing unprecedented times and the teachers and staff at Holy Angels didn't skip a beat. Communication has been timely and clear and we are very fortunate to continue to have virtual morning assembly every day! Holy Angels is also proving our children with many opportunities to stay connected with their friends through events such as weekly virtual concerts and a virtual talent show. The amazing pre-k team even went to the extent of doing material drop on the porch of every home so our children would have all of the materials needed to continue their learning. I was incredibly impressed with how my 2nd grader took responsibility with his assignments and I know he was able to do this with ease due to the structure and environment in which he was taught every day at school. An education centered on faith, values and community is why we came to Holy Angels and even with how our world has changed during this time, Holy Angels continues to fill these vital aspects of my children's education daily. I can't speak more highly of the staff and the leadership at this school. read more

Although this is a catholic school and we are Chinese. This school make my daughter so many fund and she enjoys the school from 5th to 8th grade. This school is very small but connected to each other so close. I love it read more

I could not feel more blessed to have the opportunity to send my children to Holy Angels school. I would truly recommend this community to anyone looking to be part of a faith filled community that helps nurture our children into compassionate and respectful people, while also offering an exceptional education. As a former student of Holy Angels and now a parent, my experience with the faculty, staff, students and parents has only been positive. If you are looking to be part of a community that supports, respects and treats you and your children like family, then Holy Angels is the place for you! read more

We came to Holy Angels knowing we wanted a superior, strong, and faith-filled education for our children. This we have gotten 10-fold. What we did not anticipate was the overwhelmingly strong, unified, and caring community that came along with it. It is such a blessing to know our children safe, loved, and getting an awesome education and childhood experience. We are proud to be Angels! read more

My daughter is a student here and has been for 5 years and I highly recommend this school. There is a new principal this year which has taken the school to an even higher level. The teachers are beyond caring and go above and beyond for all the students. If I go to drop off early I always see teachers in classrooms tutoring students and putting in extra time. This is not a school where the teachers are running out the door at 3pm. They put in lots of extra time and energy and make sure that each child is individually excelling. The staff and principal make it a point to know the students and parents and communicate what is going on to everyone. If there is a problem you will be notified right away. You won't be shell shocked at the end of the year if there is a problem. You will be notified right away and involved in solving the problem. This school truly teaches and acts to the catholic faith. They are inclusive and welcoming. The new principal has made it a point to really work hard to follow what the school was meant to be and the students and parents can see the difference. There is a good selection of clubs and after school activities and sports. The security at this school is great too. Locked gates and cameras you have to buzz into to even get onto the property. A lot of other schools I looked at did not have this feature. If you are looking for a parochial or private school I highly recommend this school. read more

Holy angels is home for us. If you are looking for quality catholic education and a sense of community come here. The school community expects and relies on parent involvement. Parents and students are engaged and share similar values. They have a new principal who is also a parent so she gets it on many levels. They say it takes a village and this place is an awesome one! read more

My daughter is currently a student and my son just graduated last year - Iove the staff and the kids are a great! I always know my children are with parents and teachers who treat them like their own. Great academics and teachers always available to give extra time to help in all subjects! read more

Holy Angels is wonderful parochial school. I was a parent here for both my sons entire elementary school career. My sons' education at Holy Angels prompted me to return to school to earn my teaching credentials. I feel very blessed to work with the incredible faculty and staff. Our students and their families' diversity creates a well rounded environment academically and spiritually. read more

Worst school ever, there cheap, they have Tk, and Pre-K to hold kids back an extra year so they could be "smarter". Favoritism, bulling, unfair treatment, the janitor screams at the kids to pick up their trash, the new principal is absurd. She kicked 3 students out of the school for telling on kids that punched them in the face. I'm pretty sure if your sending your kids here, you could do better then this pile of rubble. Plus half the social studies stuff they teach here is wrong read more

I have 2 children at Holy Angels and during these unpredictable and challenging times, I have witnessed first hand how much the staff and community at Holy Angels care about my kids. All the measures our school has taken to ensure the health and safety of students, staff, and the school community is admirable and a testament to the school's priorities. I am so proud that our school was 1 of the first 4 schools in LA county cleared to open to on campus learning. Between remote learning and on campus learning, what Holy Angels offers is a choice for families. Despite today's challenges, my children feel supported, challenged, and are flourishing academically. Our school has continued to offer not only the academic core classes remotely, but also Spanish, music, art, and physical education! More importantly, as a family, we feel connected to the Holy Angels School community with fun, safe, and creative events such as a drive thru back to school night with pictures and prizes, an on campus drive thru trick or treating event, Halloween and Christmas drive by home tours with treats, beautiful Zoom concerts, yard signs delivered to celebrate student award recipients, and our family favorite are definitely the community scavenger hunts. To find out more about why my family keeps coming back to Holy Angels School year after year, check out #whyholyangels read more

Small, typical parochial school. Catholic school with a very conservative base. Currently the building is being remodeled and will be expansive and modern. Parents are higher strung and can be rude. Teaching staff is limited in their credentials but appear to be very hard working and strive to meet the demands of parents. Calm, quiet environment. read more

My 4 children have attended this school for the last 5 years, and I could not be more pleased and happy with the education they've received. I do not know what the last reviewer meant by 'typical', because it is not so. There are great, mediocre, and charity based parochial schools. My husband and I have been raised in them and we've seen the whole gamut. Holy Angels is one of the great schools. It is led by a strong principal who who inspires his staff and the school parents to create a sense of community. My kids have never felt so welcomed and this was the 3rd parochial school we took them to. We are introverts by nature, yet we always volunteered at every school they have been to. Both the teachers and other school parents welcomed us and showed us how to navigate the policies and practices of the school. Holy Angels by far is the place that we have found structure, fellowship, and a good education for our kids. The teachers are all well credited, and you can check that with the faculty webpage. There is a zero tolerance for bullying, especially cyber bullying. Our principal Mr. Carroll is quick to not only address such things with the kids, but also with all school parents all within the week if not by the next school day. The faculty here is proactive, and they teach kids self-reliance and how to be responsible for their own actions and accept the consequences. No child is given a free hand. This school has instilled good morals and virtues in our children, that we are sure will carry them into adulthood. read more

My kids have come to the school and done great. The teachers care, challenge the students, and hold high expectations of them. The community is supportive and active and the principal and teachers are accessible and approachable. Love the PK, K, and 1st grade. Things just keep getting better! read more