Love this school!! I graduated here back in 2003 and they had the best teachers ever. Shoutout to…read moreMr. Tevis Burke!

Worst years of my life here. Food is terrible, staff is awful. Teachers' favorite children who…read moredon't put any effort into their work. System sucks, teachers who can't teach go here, they ignore issues, and one of the science teachers has a case of touching a minor's chest. Would not recommend going here.

My daughter is in 7th grade and very happy here. I have been so impressed with IVA since my…read moredaughter started last year. The communication from the school and the inclusiveness has made it a great experience for us. Students are respected, their voices are heard and they are made to feel like their opinions matter. The virtues are there to make them feel empowered as students. The weekly advisory meeting they have once a week for all students is great because it helps them understand and know the virtues and how to apply them to their work. Sixth grade is a learning curve and IVA gets that. One thing to know about the school is that since kids are coming from all different schools and school settings it's easier to make friends. There are no clicks in place. This year they also made it phone free. No phones at school. However, they can use them after school. I have read past reviews that said the school is not diverse and not for people of color. This from our experience is not true at all. Maybe in past years this was the case but it is no longer this way. IVA is very racially and socioeconomically diverse. It is a true representation of Long Beach in that regard. If you are a parent who wants to volunteer and see what is going on at the school there are plenty of opportunities, field trip opportunities, dances every year, a chili cook off, and family breakfast/lunches hosted by the school. There is a weekly newsletter, outlining all events coming up. How you can get involved, sports info, field trips etc... They make it very difficult for you to miss something. My daughter loved the dances last year. They are more like a fun party. There is no pressure to have a date or anything like that. They make them very low pressure like come in your PJ's etc... It's just an opportunity to hang out with friends outside of school. The staff and teachers will all know your child's name. I think this matters to my daughter. We live in Belmont Heights and had an opportunity to send her to Rogers as well. It's not quite our home school but it is a lot closer to us than IVA and I wanted her to go there. She would have had friends closer and I wanted that for her. However, after my daughter toured IVA in 5th grade, she made her mind up that she wanted to experience the smaller school and smaller class setting. She loved seeing students laughing in class with the teachers and sitting at little tables. The teachers were young and they didn't look miserable. The principal, Mrs. Bryant who led our tour was very dynamic and genuine. My daughter noticed these things and pushed for us to let her try IVA out. Her experience so far has not disappointed her. She has liked or loved almost all of her teachers. This is so important and this is coming from a student who struggles in school. She has an IEP for a reading disability. School is not easy for her. This is another reason I was hesitant on IVA. I wanted to her to have more options concerning her IEP and a bigger school can provide this. So far, her accommodations at IVA are working for her. She has also made friends with a great group of girls who are from all over Long Beach. In truth this is something I was also dreading but it's ok! She is happy! The parents of her friends are the type of parents who want the best for their kids. They will drive. This is how most of the parents are at this school as well. When volunteer sign ups come out for some event, the list gets filled up fast! Most of the parents at the school care. So far my daughter has joined Track and Cross Country. She also wants to play soccer this year. They do have team sports at IVA but it is on a smaller scale than a larger school. It's great for kids that want to try sports but might be intimidated at a bigger school with a lot of talented athletes. Not to say that there aren't some talented athletes here but it's not the focus of the school. If you're wondering about academics. I have heard wonderful things from parents who have had older siblings that graduated from IVA. One parent in particular shared with me that when her son started at his private High School (Bosco) after IVA, he was placed in honors classes which surprised her because her son was a B/C student at IVA. She felt the education he received at IVA was top notch, taught him how to be a student and actually engage in what he learned. Lastly, I just want to give a shout out to Mrs. Gordon, the dean of students and Mrs. Bryant the principal. These women care about your student. The love and dedication they put into their job is truly impressive.

its not the best school in the world but not the worst. The students are sort of rude to my child…read more If you really want your kid to go there so be it they have really good state teat results though. Try it for ur self

My son is a Senior at Poly and a member of the Varsity Basketball team. He also is in the CIC…read moreprogram. If you have an outstanding student and want a free private school education, send them to Poly.. The PACE & CIC programs are outstanding. The teachers, the Administrators and Councelors in these programs really care, go the extra mile and are quality people. These programs are a feeder to the best schools in our country, including the Ivy League. If your child is a talented committed athlete send them to Poly. It is not easy to make the teams at Poly- including the girls teams. But this is an inner city school with a lot of talent. Poly is the number one feeder school to the NFL AND ESPN's High School of the Century. Music program - fantastic. There is a lot of pride among the students and parents. And it is amazing how successful this school is despite what's available to them. Gyms- old and need to be upgraded. Pool - terrible! Needs a remodel. The common area - needs work. I really wish Snoop Dog, Cameron Diaz or a wealthy alumnus would donate a lot of money to start a fundraising effort to upgrade the school. The basketball coaching staff is respected and loved by players and families. And they give so much time, so much effort VOLUNTARILY. These coaches care, are talented themselves and want to make a difference. My son transferred to a private school after attending Poly two years and realized he made a mistake and transferred back for his senior year. Go jack rabbits!

This school has been so very good for my daughter. She is thriving, excelling and being mentored…read moreby her teachers, counselors and staff. The classes are demanding and challenging as I think they should be. If there was a 6th star, I would mark it.

My son likes attending this school. It is a good alternative for the traditional school setting…read more Teachers and staff members there are caring and helpful. Students work at their own pace. My son was turned off with school until he started attending. His grades are up also. He feels safe there, and that is a great relief for me. There aren't many options fo socializing but they do have a few activities. If you have working student and is serious about completing school then this is a great choice for you. It is definitely worth checking it out.

ok school kinda sucks i reported a teacher giving me their number and i got dismissed for not…read morehaving enough evidence and the schools offer was to have me go to a different center while keeping the creep teacher around, didn't end up happening but as soon as i graduated they let the teacher come back. also the coach for the girls soccer team so if you want to send your kid to a school where teachers allow each other to be unprofessional and ask for your child number send them this way and ask for emilio!

We are not year-round family at Westerly, but we consistently return for their summer camp…read more Our eleven-year-old son had attended all the local summer camps in Long Beach--JCC, 49'er camp, the city's parks and recs--over the past few years, and he ranks Westerly the highest among all camp experiences. The staff is accommodating, the hours are flexible (7:30 am to 5:30 pm), and he has a great time.

What can I say. Our family loves Westerly! Our eldest started at one of Long Beach's blue ribbon…read moreschools, but with the huge classes we decided to take a look at Westerly and we couldn't go back. Since then all our kids have thrived in their Westerly experience. It starts with a sizable campus with a beautiful grass field for sports and activities, newly constructed learning studios and the amazing arts village. What a great place to learn. Then the passionate teachers and staff deliver a whole child program, with a better than 10:1 student/teacher ratio. The Westerly program includes: Curriculum and instruction - Enthusiastic teachers with a well thought out curriculum and small class sizes enabling teachers to adapt the curriculum to the needs of your child. Technology/STEM - Westerly recently hired a full-time Director of Instructional Technology to enhance an already strong technology/STEM program throughout the curriculum. Think coding in class, 3D printing, science and engineering fairs, etc. Visual and performing arts - Incorporated in the curriculum is an annual school-wide play lead by the folks at TKTC. The visual arts program is second to none with the kids being exposed to public arts projects, ceramics in the new ceramics studio, mixed media, painting, photography, etc. I wish I could take the classes myself. Wildcat, the after school program is a blessing. Our kids beg to go to Wildcat to play with their friends, work on yearbook, take film, dance, music, robotics and other after school enrichment activities. Athletics - A legitimate, well-run PE program with enthusiastic instruction and basketball, volleyball, football teams throughout elementary and middle school. Music - Every child takes both general and instrumental music as part of their Westerly experience. Spanish - Kindergarten through 8th grade all the kids get introduced to the Spanish language through a dedicated Spanish instructor. Leadership - This is quite possibly one of the most amazing parts of the curriculum. Continuing on the theme of whole child education the Director of Student Affairs leads an amazing program that goes so beyond student council, creating leadership opportunities for so many children. Programs like student council, district representatives, green team, etc., start in Kindergarten and the kids grow in responsibility as the children grow themselves. Each child also gains leadership responsibilities as a student mentor, where each older student is paired with a younger student as a mentor. Service learning and field studies - As the kids grow in maturity so do the service learning and field studies. Our children have enjoyed trips to Catalina and other local camps, but the highlight of the program is a one week trip in 8th grade where the whole class travels to Nicaragua to conduct a service learning project, practice their spanish, and are exposed to a different culture and way of life that they are used to. Community - Westerly is a place where without question every family places a priority on securing a great, well-rounded education for their children. Being in an environment like this is so fantastic. Independent school is not cheap, but in our minds it's the best gift we can give to our children. Westerly also offers significant financial aid support, so if that is an issue be sure to discuss your situation with the school to see if they can make something work for your family. P.S. This may sound like a paid ad, but it's our true feelings about this place. It's really special.

School is great. I actually go to the school so fun makes you do so much fun stuff and feels you…read moreprotected.

And although they are a little bit too sensitive with everyone's feelings, it's a great school and…read moreI love my kids teacher teachers

the way they treat us is bad and the students in detention don't get to eat before detention…read more That's 15 minutes that everyone else can eat but not them.

I don't have anything good to say about this school…read more When I went here, the teachers would single me out on purpose. I had a disability, and they used it as ammunition to psychologically abuse me and make me feel like I was inherently a bad kid. Instead of helping me to learn and grow from my mistakes, they would use them as a weapon to weaken my self-esteem and confidence. The kids bullied me and picked at me because I would always hang out by myself. Sometimes, it was just for simply existing. I didn't understand why that was. I wasn't really the type of kid to be problematic, I was just always in my own realm, my world. When I talked about it to the teacher, they would only tell me to 'tell another teacher.' While I did receive an education, the school's approach to handling bullying and supporting students was terrible. While school is a place that is fundamental for learning, all I've learned from this school was that kids suck, and people suck. Whether my experience makes a difference or not, what matters is that I've lived it, and what I do with it is up to me.

This school is not WASC accredited, they do not teach your children the proper curriculum for their…read moregrade level. They falsify your child's grades to make it appear your child is learning. A lot of students were tested from this school that have left and are behind several grade levels. This school is solely after your money and when your child is suppose to be in school getting an education, I found out that they took our children out of school to pass out flyers for a fundraiser without the parents knowledge. My child attended the school and now has to take district test in order to keep the credits from this school. This school didn't offer to help my child with this situation and made it the parents fault.

We are so grateful to have found Success Work Academy. My 5th grade son has multiple learning…read moredisabilities and is very behind academically. For the first time in his life, he is motivated to work, feels more confident about his abilities, and is learning! I think it's a combination of hands-on learning, small student/teacher ratio, and above all, the superpowers of founder Valanitta Jingles. Some people just have the motivating"it" factor, and she has it in spades! She told us when we started that soon our son would be asking to go more often (after-school homework help, Saturday tutoring), and she was right! He feels capable there and his confidence is rising. We are thrilled with Success Work!

I love this school soooooooooooooo much I transferred from another school and my transfer has been…read moresmooth

So I noticed they took my other post down so lest re post it. my daughter has been be bulled by…read morethis little girl and the school won't do nothing about even though the little girl was sitting threatening messages through their school website to my daughter saying that her and her sisters were gonna jump her and kill her I did nothing about it. The did nothing about it well next year pops and they put the in even though I asked them not to last year and because they did that the bullying continued my daughter's grade suffered from it when she went to go tell the office that she was still being bullied. They told her to stop coming in and telling them that she's bully well a week goes by after that and the little girl sprains my daughters, wrist and shoulder during a violent confrontation on the school, which they did call to afford me I also want to put out how they're bullying at school is so bad that a kid has attempted suicide In the office right now and they are no help I ask if the can call my daughter teacher to ask how how she need for her field trip. And they said we can't call and disturb the class, but we can take our kid out of her class and she can disturb the class and ask. If you ask me is stupid that the took her out of her class when the could have just called. They are way too lazy and rude to be working

Our daughter has been attending St. Barnabas Catholic School since TK, and the difference has been…read moreincredible. After a difficult experience in public school, we were heartbroken seeing her not get the attention and support she needed. Everything changed when Mrs. Kellam invited us to have her try a day--and from that moment on, we never looked back. The teachers truly care and make every child feel seen and supported. The communication is strong, the environment is nurturing, and the focus on both academics and character really stands out. Our daughter is now confident, happy, and thriving--and we are so grateful we found this school.

St. Barnabas School (SBS) is a wonderful school. My son has attended K-5th so far. The faculty…read morecares about each student and makes school fun! Students can also participate in extracurricular activities. I chose SBS after attending an Open House. Two very excited graduates and one current student (at the time) told me about their experience and how fun the school was. We are very happy with our choice!