My daughter is wrapping up the third grade at ACDS. Our family has been with the school since her…read morefirst grade year. It's interesting to note how I just mentioned "our family" in reference to ACDS, because it's true - from the start it never felt like it was just my daughter being welcomed into a classroom. My husband and I were also ushered into a community of parents, children, teachers, administrators, and staff that truly are a community. This sense of familiarity and care, right from the start, was welcome. We looked at ACDS for my daughter after having been with a couple of other schools in the region that seemed to emphasize academics above all else. Academics are of course important, but I also wanted my daughter to have the chance to play and explore other possible interests. ACDS has a full complement of enrichment and extracurricular activities. Science, art, drama, music, you name it. There's a choir and a band. And every year every grade puts on a theater production, which I'm hoping next year can be done in the brand new Event Center. When school closed for COVID in March of last year, ACDS was ready for it. They moved their entire educational program online within a matter of 3 days, and it has been going strong ever since. When the school reopened for in-person learning in the fall, they continued the remote learning option alongside it. My daughter is presently the only child left online in her class, though she will be returning to school next week. Her teacher has been in close touch with me to make sure that she feels included and supported. The real gift is that my daughter has felt she is an active and important part of the community no matter where she physically is in relation to the school. And speaking of the teachers, wow! Dedicated and enthusiastic sound cliche but I assure they are not. The thought and energy they put into their lessons, especially even across two learning platforms, is phenomenal. If they had a high school, I would be planning to send my daughter. But for now I will just enjoy the stellar preparation she is getting for whatever step she chooses next.

The recent issues in the middle school here are very sad. Inexperienced and power hungry…read moreadministrators are ruining an otherwise vibrant and exciting learning environment. We hope this can be corrected before the school goes further downhill.

My 3-year-old son started Challenger Preschool with almost no English and significant separation…read moreanxiety. He is also a highly sensitive child, so I was honestly very worried. I had heard that Challenger was a very structured school, and I wasn't sure if he would be able to adjust. To my surprise, everything went much better than I ever expected. By his third day, he walked into school without crying and even took naps there. That was something I never imagined would happen so quickly. Over the past six weeks, he has come home happy every single day. He is always excited to show us the artwork, drawings, and classroom projects he made. It's obvious that he enjoys his time at school and feels proud of what he accomplishes. The biggest surprise has been his English. Before starting school, he couldn't speak any English at all. I wasn't expecting a three-year-old to make so much progress in such a short time, but now he comes home pointing out letters, telling me their sounds, and sharing words that start with different letters. Watching his excitement about learning has been incredible. I also want to mention that the teachers (Miss Sonali and Miss Hema) are much warmer and more caring than I had expected. Although Challenger has a reputation for being strict, our experience has been that the teachers are patient, gentle, and attentive to the children's emotions while still maintaining a well-structured classroom. On the days I picked him up early, I saw happy children engaged in activities, and the classroom had such a positive and joyful atmosphere. A special thank you to Miss Sonali and Miss Hema. Your kindness, patience, encouragement, and dedication helped my son feel safe, loved, and excited to learn. As first-time parents sending our child to an English-speaking preschool, we were naturally anxious, but you made this transition so much easier than we could have imagined. We are truly grateful to have had such a wonderful preschool experience. I would highly recommend Challenger to any family, especially those who are worried about sending a child who doesn't speak English. Children are often much more capable than we realize, especially when they have caring teachers like these.

The best decision we have made for our son's early education by enrolling him at Challenger…read morebareyessa for preschool. Ms Priti and Ms Prerna have been wonderful teachers to my son. In just a few months he has made such an amazing progress in phonic, reading, spelling and writing and most importantly he loves learning. He absolutely loves being in their class and has already decided that his little sister should have them as teacher as well :) thank you for making his preschool experience so special.

What a great day! I was so impressed with OSD School's commitment to supporting its community. The…read moreschool provided food and daily house hold items (like shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, blankets, and more) for the students and their families during the holidays, which is such a thoughtful and generous gesture. It truly shows that OSD is dedicated to taking care of its students and their families both inside and outside the classroom. We are so lucky to be part of such a caring and positive school environment!

I'm extremely disappointed with the overall quality of this school. Unfortunately, our experience…read morehere over the past few years has been frustrating and discouraging for several serious reasons. First of all, the leadership is completely unstable. The principal seems to change every year, and that lack of consistency trickles down to the rest of the school. It's hard to feel confident about any long-term improvement when the administration is constantly changing. Beyond academics, the school really doesn't offer much extracurricular activities which is a missed opportunity for students who want to explore interests outside the classroom. But by far, the most concerning issue has been how poorly bullying is handled. My child has been bullied--physically and verbally--by the same student for three years in a row, ever since 2nd grade. Even though they've been in separate classes since 3rd grade, the bullying continues at recess. We've reported this multiple times, and nothing meaningful has been done. No disciplinary action has been taken against the student responsible, and we are baffled as to why the school refuses to take stronger action. To make matters worse, when my child finally stood up and defended herself after being hit, she was the one who got in trouble and was warned she might be suspended. That kind of response is incredibly unfair and discouraging. It sends the message that defending yourself is more punishable than being the one causing harm. Yard duties are also a major problem. Either they're not present during conflicts, or they simply ignore the situation altogether. When someone is hurt or gotten into arguments, they were nowhere to be found to supervise the kids or just stood by doing nothing. There are also some strange and frustrating inconsistencies with staff behavior. On one occasion, my child stepped on a roach and was told not to kill it because "it's nature"--yet the school doesn't apply that same level of care or concern to the kids who are being harassed daily. A teacher once even told the class that a rock is a living thing, which is just flat-out incorrect and makes us question the quality of education being provided. We've also had some concerns about the overall school environment. For example, there were a few instances of theft in my child's class, but it didn't seem like the teacher was able to address them effectively. Every year, the good kids my child connects with end up transferring to other schools, and now we're starting to understand why. The ones that stayed doesn't like the school either. Over the years, we've noticed that several families who value a positive learning environment have chosen to move on, which has made us wonder if ongoing issues are prompting those decisions. When I ask my child if she misses this school, she immediately and firmly says 'No' without hesitation -- which, to me, speaks volumes about her experience there. This school desperately needs better leadership, more active, caring, and responsible staff, and a serious commitment to creating a safe, nurturing environment for all students. Until then, I would not recommend it to any family.

I wouldn't be surprised if Yelp takes this review down (FOR A 2nd TIME) but that would be…read moreincredibly disappointing, considering this platform is meant for people to share all experiences, not just the positive ones. The administration at this school is fully aware of how poorly they've treated their staff. Instead of addressing the issues, they seem more focused on hiding the truth. For this matter my daughter will not enroll in this school. The front staff are so rude! They need to be trained on proper customer service. And the principal is rude as well. They all need better training! But what's done in the dark always finds its way to the light. To any parents considering this school please think twice. For the sake of your children and the educators who deserve better.

Merryhill has been a wonderful experience for our family. My son thrived under Ms. Charu's…read morethoughtful and dedicated teaching--she truly brought out the best in him. The staff and school community are warm, supportive, and create an environment where kids feel encouraged and excited to learn. We're so grateful for the positive impact this school has had on our child.

The 5 stars are for Mr Max, Miss Krystal, Ms Andy, Ms Madhavi and especially Ms Naila. We enrolled…read moreour child into pre school for the very first time & couldn't have been more nervous, coming out of the pandemic. Everyday for the first week, my child cried with anxiety. The comfort Ms Madhavi & Ms Naila gave him, warmed my heart. The changes that we've seen in him are dramatic. My child can put on his own jacket, write letters/numbers, knows how to do some basic math & sings all day long! He used to be extremely shy, but now he's opened up so much. He comes home and tells us that Ms Naila helps him at school. What parent doesn't want hear that?? We are keeping our fingers crossed that Ms Naila will be our child's summer program teacher. Overall, tuition is a little hefty, but we are happy with his development under Ms Naila's care.

Ms. Naila is the best PreK teacher! She goes the extra mile to ensure each child shows progress and…read moremakes learning fun! Highly recommended for the start of children's learning journey.

What a wonderful school! My son finished Kindergarten here, and is now in 1st Grade. He loves…read moreschool and always impresses me with what he's learned. We've been particularly happy with the emphasis on deeper conceptual understanding of material, so it's not just rote memorization and regurgitation. Word problems were a significant part of Kindergarten math, and I'm positive I wasn't doing word problems that early when I was a kid. The teachers and administration are very receptive to feedback and concerns that inevitably crop up during the school year. We've been happy with the way they've handled issues, and clearly customer service is an important part of their philosophy. Tuition is on the higher range of private schools, but in this case you truly do get what you pay for.

Our daughter has gone to Harker since their inaugural preschool class started . She loves it and so…read moredo we . Teachers are great and after school programs are plentiful . Even though it takes an hour to get to school we think it's worth it.

Looking back on this place, I'm glad i moved to a different school. First off, why were uniforms a…read morething? I know it's to fight against gangs or whatever but like, it is an elementary school???? No one is gangbanging at 3rd grade. Second, the school lunches sucked, like really sucked, they all tasted bad except for the pizza. Everything but 2 lunches taste bad in my new school, and i can just get a second option. Third, the teachers, only a few were ok, the rest were not, but one specific P.E coach threatened to break my finger. Im no Saul Goodman but i think its a crime to threaten a minor. when i was like in 3rd-4th grade. same coach also did not appreciate how i did cursive, a useless skill. WHEN I WAS IN LEARNING LAB! SHE DOESNT EVEN TEACH THERE! MIND YOUR DAMN BUSINESS LADY! While on the topic of the learning lab, all of those teachers sucked. Don't even need to elaborate. Field trips next, these were one of the only good parts about the school. Science camp in Livermore was cool and so was the one in Saratoga i think. Great america was also cool.

Christmas in the Park with Rocketship Mosaic Elementary!! Scavenger Night!! How does Jake get to…read morebe so lucky to be a rocketeer?!! This school is the best! Not just academically but also when it comes to kindness, love, care, and character building for all the children modeled by teachers and staff. Even though it is not a religious school, I feel there are more love and compassion in this school more than any other religious place I've been to. Everyone, the principle, teachers, staff, students, fellow parents, all are so caring and making every member of the school feel so special and loved. Children need love! I feel so good dropping Jake's off each day at school and he loves going to school so much! Alexander keeps saying how come Jake's school is so cool and all Jake's teachers love him so much!! They also organize a lot of cool events. They want the children to be well rounded. The school relies heavily on staff and parent volunteers since it does not have much funding and it serves mostly low income students. Yet everyone serves with all their heart !! Still contemplating on moving Alexander over to Jake's school. ROMO with all our hearts!!

The YMCA childcare program at Booksin has a great team of teachers who care for their students and…read moretheir safety. They are trained and supervised by a select group of professional childcare directors who are hired by the South Valley YMCA (which manages the Childcare programs in San Jose Unified District). They are also required to take CPR and First Aid training courses in case of emergencies. While their childcare program is a little bit pricey compared to its competitors (Engenius, Kingdom Crew, etc), the benefits with the YMCA are worth it because the teachers help the kids have fun while learning about honesty, responsibility, caring for others, and how to solve conflicts between each other. They also offer financial assistance for those who need it (check with South Valley or the website). It also has a good learning curriculum and a variety of summer programs, which kids can enjoy. Of course during the mid-pandemic, the teachers will make sure to wipe down the classrooms throughly as well as the materials and toys. Right now, they are required to teach kids how to wash their hands properly. Overall, I definitely recommend the Booksin community to register their kids with the YMCA After School Childcare program and the Summer programs.

Great school and great students. Some of the parents hinder the atmosphere with unrealistic…read moreexpectations & idiotic behavior.

Overall a pretty good school. They offer drama and other activities for the kids at a young age…read more They also have many after school programs that are very inventive and unique that should help with your kids imaginations. Overall, a nice school for your kids.

Great schools and teachers! The front desk ladies are super rude! They have an attitude and they…read moredon't even try to hide it. Everyone is super sweet except those two at the front. Really bring the energy down.

Awwww.. Im glad this school is still around even though its now a different name and a different…read moreprogram I miss San Jose... The old San Jose.

It's a great school with teachers who are dedicated to their work. It's flawed due to the lack of…read moreresources provided by the district for programs that promote individuality through art, music, theatre, etc. The students who attend this school are primarily low income and are learning English as their second language. I'm proud to be an alum of Bridges Academy and current college student at Cal Poly SLO.