This message is for ALL prospective parents!…read more I have heard about this school from my patients who's kids attended this school when the previous administration was in charge. This is a family run business and when Jackobson's were in charge, it was much different. They used to look and pick for truly bright kids to built a strong foundation. Now their daughter, Laurie Wolke, is in charge and it is all about money and connection. Upon applying, I truly believed in all fairness that this school is all about the "whole child" as they keep claiming it to be. But with all honesty, it is ALL about "connections": who you know, how much you donated PRIOR to your admission application. Let me explain to you how the admission process works: 1. You apply and you get interviewed by the ATHLETIC coach. He was a great enthusiastic man. I never had any school to have their athletic coach to interview the prospective parents. This was surprise to me. 2. They did kid's evaluation with group of kids. I thought this is a good practice to see how kids interact with each other. But apparently, this was a fake formality too. They (the owner and the administration) had no clue who your child is and what their potential or ability is. They did NOT care how bright and social your child is. They had already decided who to accept at that point. Unlike other top private schools, they do not do separate individual evaluation of your child. During kid's evaluation day, the owner, Laurie Wolke, approached a prospective parent and hugged him. Later, I found out that some prospective family members had been donating money and backscratching them for years prior to their application process. Some families knew exactly how many applicants they had and all the specifics that were not known to honest prospective parents. Then I found out, those connected family's kids got accepted. Talk about favoritism. 3. Then you get an email that your child is on "wait pool". Letting you know that they do not offer "wait pool" to everyone. Supposedly, you should feel excited that your bright child made it to the "wait pool". 4. What motivated me to apply to this school was their ability base group since my child had been reading and writing since he was 3 years old. My impression was that the administration does not care if your child is well-rounded, reads or writes, plays multiple musical instruments or speaks multiple languages. Obviously when applying you know the tuition is over $30K. So, money was not an issue for my family. We have only one child and invest all in him. I just never wanted to believe that you need connection and donation PRIOR to admission process. I always believed that good manners, hard work and intelligence is the way to fairness in this country. But these good qualities do not apply to this corrupt school. If you search, you will find other genuine ability based schools other than this one that claims to care for the "WHOLE CHILD". Bottom line, if you really truly want to be part of Laurence family, pull some connections and contribute money way ahead of time to get in. Don't be naive and believe in fairness when you are dealing with Ms. Wolke.

Although I found this school to be academically superior than others, the administration is…read moreinferior to all. My child attended kindergarten through second grade until I decided to take her out of the program to relocate to another state. Upon our arrival back to Los Angeles, we wanted to re-enroll her. Keep in mind this was the same academic year in which all dues had been paid. Mr. Jacobsen wanted to charge me again for what had already been paid. It was a very low thing to do and enrolled at a better school.

My 400th Yelp review!…read more @ReadingtoKids is a grassroots organization that aims to inspire the love of reading to children living in underprivileged areas of Los Angeles. Every second Saturday of the month, volunteers go to different elementary schools in the LA area. At these schools volunteers read books to kids that range in age from kindergarten to fifth grade. (Currently there are seven different elementary schools that Reading to Kids volunteers read at. They are Alta Loma Elementary School, Esperanza Elementary School, Gratts Elementary School, Los Angeles Elementary School, Magnolia Elementary School, Politi Elementary School and White Elementary School). Volunteers come from all walks of life. From students to young professionals, all have a common goal of improving the reading and learning skills of elementary school kids. Reading to Kids volunteers are dedicated to giving these kids the opportunity to succeed in life. At the end of each volunteer session, the kids are given prize books that they can take home. The hope is they can acquire many prize books that will help them further love reading. One of the most endearing moments for me as a volunteer was when at the end of the reading session, a little kindergarten boy came up to me and asked if I could read his prize book to him. As I sat down to read the prize book, more kindergarten kids circled around me and together they listened and pointed to the different pictures in the book. The smiles on the kids faces after was so heartwarming. Soon after one of the parents walked up to me, smiled and said "Thank you." That too was another wonderful moment. Many of the elementary students that come to these reading clubs do not have the privileges that most kids have. They do not have the advantages of having a library, of having a Barnes and Nobles at every corner or of having the latest cell phone. Many come from low income families, they live in impoverished areas and English is their second language. The fortune of these kids comes in attending these Saturday morning reading clubs. These kids go to these reading clubs because they want to learn. They want to succeed. They want the opportunity to have a better life. Seeing these kids so eager to read and to learn, is a humble reminder that learning is a privilege that many take for granted. I love Reading to Kids and I'm thankful to my high school friend who first introduced me to this great volunteering opportunity. The elementary schools kids are simply endearing. I also am amazed by all the good hearted people who volunteer. I am in much admiration of the amount of folks that go out and sacrifice their Saturday mornings to volunteer. (Some stats: Reading to Kids has an average of about 300 plus volunteers reading to an average of 780 plus children every month). I being a volunteer myself know that giving up a Saturday is totally worth it. The opportunity to be able to make a difference in these kids' lives and give them a better chance to succeed in life is simply priceless.

Many moons ago, I worked at a continuation school in Compton. The high school students I worked…read morewith didn't know basic multiplication, had no textbooks and were reading at a 5th grade level. Saddened by how badly the educational system had failed these kids I wanted to do something for them. I wrote a letter to Scholastic and they sent over boxes and boxes of books so we could create a library on campus! Around that time I somehow got on the Reading to Kids e-mail newsletter and have been meaning to get involved. I finally signed up and did it! Here's how easy it is to get involved. -Sign up online -Show up (they provide a light breakfast) -Read to the Kids -Do an arts and crafts project with the kids -Go to El Cholo for free appetizers and meet other volunteers -Repeat once a month You can read to kids from kindergarden to 5th Grade. You read in pairs. You get anywhere from 3-8 kids. It's so easy and these kids are so fun to be with, I think everyone should spend one Saturday a month doing this!

This place is amazing. The people that run it are amazing. They save lives of young people children…read moreand adults of all types going through human trafficking and are always there to help. They've helped me with so much. Miss Ventura is an angel as well as the founder and everybody else running Children Of The Night because of them I have my GED, which I am also on the picture from the very first Children Of The Night ‍‍ graduation ceremony

Dr Lee is the best with her resources She the best thing…read morethat happened to me But her staff Mayra and Victoria are soo rude and disrespectful it just makes it hard to ask for help when dealing with people that don't care 5 stars because it's not Dr Lee fault

The Wesley School website has a link to a document titled "Adult Student Boundaries" on the Program…read morepage. It's unclear if the document was intentionally posted or someone made a mistake. In any case, it's pretty unsettling, especially from a K-8 school. This isn't boilerplate language -- many of the bullet points feel disturbingly specific. Wesley made headlines a few years ago when they arranged for their staff to cut the line and get Covid vaccines in 2021 before they were eligible. Prospective parents might want to think twice about this school.

If you are looking to place your child in a private school, I highly recommend considering The…read moreWesley School. Yesterday, my husband and I were lucky enough to attend their prospective parent open house and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. The morning began by having us sit in on their twice weekly school assembly (called "Community"). It hit to the heart of what it means to be in a community! It was inspiring. Completely led by the students themselves, yesterday's assembly was entirely run by the second graders! What a joy! It really set the stage for what proved to be a very enjoyable morning. Everyone we met made us feel instantly at home...the staff, the parents, the security team who helped us find a parking spot and especially the two 6th graders who gave my husband and I our own special "VIP" tour! Their engagement and passion for sharing their experiences truly warmed our hearts. We appreciated hearing from so many staff members who are clearly committed to providing the most nurturing educational experience for the students. We know the students at Wesley are in very capable hands.

This is a review for the preschool. Sarah the director is an excellent sales woman. When I toured…read moresunnyside she told me about their aftercare program which included yoga. Sounded cool! I sent them an $1800 deposit and first month's tuition but when I asked about signing my daughter up for aftercare they told me it was not available for all students and there was a waitlist. I went to speak to Kathy, an admin, in person and she confessed that her waitlist was not "real" and that it was based on who they deemed needed it the most once school started. Huh? My husband and I told them we needed it and couldn't make it work without aftercare. They said they could not make room for us in aftercare and also that they would not refund our deposit OR our first month's tuition even though it was two weeks before the start of school. They took $1800 from us based on promises they could not or would not deliver on. Skip this pre-school! It's a cash grab.

This is a review for the preschool. The priorities of this school seem to be focused on raising…read moremoney and having a cult of celebrity and wealthy parents, NOT on the children. The values here are very off -- this is a money and power focused preschool. If those are your values, this may be the place for you. However, if you value an inclusive, warm, kind, supportive place that focuses on developing the whole child, with values such as empathy and compassion, look elsewhere. Sarah and her assistant Kathy are entitled, grandiose and narcissistic and very insincere and money focused. As leaders of this school, they certainly do not cultivate a warm, inclusive place where all are welcomed, even though they sell it hard. Don't be fooled.

Best private school in the valley. Teacher are on hand and parents are encouraged to be involved…read more Amazing experience

I'm glad our child has graduated this year. Change in some teachers and principal Matt coming on…read moreboard in 2025, and implementing changes that parents and kids are not comfortable with...I felt like we started at one school and finished at completely different one, and the sad part was that many students were not looking forward to go to school... And a spike at tuition, without any heads up to the parents felt wrong. In a good sense I would NOT recommend TCS , even if the school would lower the cost of tuition... very sad

Oakwood Secondary School has been absolutely the right choice for my family. My daughters started…read morethere in seventh and ninth grade, and from day one they have been encouraged to explore their interests, challenge themselves, and become the best versions of themselves. The academics are strong, and the arts program is exceptional. One of my daughters is an athlete who has thrived in the soccer program, benefiting. The parent network is welcoming, communication is excellent, and I feel both informed and genuinely heard whenever I have questions, concerns, or suggestions. Most importantly, the teachers and administrators truly care about their students. They know the kids, believe in them, and consistently go the extra mile to help them succeed academically and socially.

As a parent, there are very few decisions that have had a greater impact on our family than…read morechoosing Oakwood School. Looking back, my only regret is that we didn't find the school sooner. Today, I'm the proud parent of two Oakwood alumni, one attending the University of Southern California and the other at the University of Redlands, as well as an incoming seventh grader. Watching our older children leave Oakwood so well prepared for college has given us tremendous confidence in the education they received. What always stood out to me was that Oakwood never asked our kids to choose between academics, athletics, or the arts. They were challenged in the classroom while also having every opportunity to pursue the things they loved. Both of our older children played varsity sports throughout high school, baseball, soccer, and softball, while also thriving academically. Perhaps the best example of Oakwood's philosophy is our daughter, who is now pursuing degrees in both Neuroscience and Cinematic Arts at USC. To me, that's exactly what an Oakwood education represents: students who are encouraged to explore multiple passions rather than being placed into a single lane. Beyond the academics, Oakwood is a community that genuinely knows and cares about its students. Our children were supported, challenged, and encouraged to become confident, curious young adults. If you're looking for a school that prepares students not only for college but for life, I can't recommend Oakwood highly enough.

Great Principal and Assistant Principal, has a good community feeling about it. They always have a…read morenurse and a librarian available and the STAR after school enrichment program is really good.

"I really wish I could say this was a good school. I feel ashamed that we kept our child here for…read morealmost five years. When a child no longer likes going to school because of their teacher, it is a major problem--and this isn't the first year we have had issues here. The fourth-grade teacher holds all children in during recess and lunch (which is illegal in many districts). She even tells the students she receives multiple emails from parents saying she is being 'mean,' yet she continues to hold them in class. Furthermore, the students are required to leave their backpacks and lunch bags outside. While these items are left unattended, other children walk by and steal from them. Despite multiple calls and emails to the principal to inform her of the teacher's behavior and the theft, nothing has been done. This is a serious problem."