Our family has a long history with this school, which makes this review especially difficult to…read morewrite. While there are dedicated teachers, our recent experience exposed deep problems in how serious student concerns are handled. Following a bullying incident, the school's response was slow, procedural, and fragmented. A safety plan was eventually produced, but it relied heavily on the student to manage unsafe situations and lacked clear staff accountability. Even more troubling, the plan was finalized without including all custodial parents in the process. Instead of focusing on corrective action and supervision, the school increasingly framed homeschooling or withdrawal as the "only viable path," which felt more like avoidance than resolution. Parents entrust schools with their children's well‑being. When concerns are raised, families should be met with transparency, collaboration, and urgency. Sadly, that was not our experience.

Our family is so grateful for this school. For the last four years they have really enriched our…read morechildren and helped grow their faith alongside their education. I highly recommend this school if you're looking for a great Christian based education and wonderful environment for your schooling.

My younger child graduated 8th grade at VDA this summer. I agreed with everything Allison said in…read moreher previous review. As a parent of two strong STEM kids, VDA provided the best Language Arts in Orange County and was our only viable math solution after exploring all public/private options. We are deeply grateful VDA allows self-motivated students to accelerate while building a solid foundation. By graduation, my kids completed all high school math curriculum, respectively, placing into the next math level on high school placement tests. In our experience, VDA teachers are collaborative, and offer actionable guidance. Here are some details about our experience: Lower Grade Math: VDA uses Singapore Math, which I find far superior to Common Core, as an engineer. To schedule math at the exact same time across all classrooms, each elementary teacher adopts one grade level. Faster paced math learners can move up one or even multiple grade levels. This flexibility was crucial to keep my kids challenged and engaged in school math. Middle School Math: High-school Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 follow Singapore Math 6A/B. To deliver quality, two middle school instructors (math/science) plan availability outside class schedules. Regular track takes 3 years to finish Algebra 1, spending significant time introducing functions and quadratic factoring. Seeing this pace, my older child decided to move to the advanced track (one curriculum per year). Instruction occurs in 30-minute sessions 3 days/week before or after school. During regular class, students work independently or collaboratively at the back of the room. My kids adapted seamlessly. Though VDA opens doors to all rather than cherry-picking, it crafts the best possible setup given its resources. LA: look at their schedule posted online. Departmentalization tells everything. Ms VanDamme, Mrs Steele, Mr Lewis, Mr Cobra definitely built a great foundation to my kid's writing and literature analysis skills. Two Tips for Prospective Parents: Accreditation: Many public high schools do not accept unaccredited math/science credits from VDA. If returning to public school, it is an option to arrange accredited coursework through another institute. VDA accommodates, but plan ahead. No-Homework Policy: Great for reducing daily friction, but can hide learning gaps. We supplemented 30 minutes of competition math at home for math modeling training and study habits, plus 15 minutes of daily reading outside of class reading assignments to cultivate a lifelong reading habit. I will miss the Friday morning coffee tradition with other parents and all the teachers who are more of mentors in enlightening my children's education. Thank you.

As parents, we all seek the best educational and developmental environments for our children…read more After 3 years in public school, we realized that both of our kids were getting lost in the large classes and needed a small school environment to thrive. We sought out a school that with small classes, stimulating curriculum, engaged teachers, and a supportive social environment. Vandamme Academy has exceeded on all levels - and we only wish we had enrolled sooner! The small classes and overall school environment are what first brought us to Vandamme. We love that each grade level has only one class with roughly 15 students. The homeroom/subject matter class structure makes a huge impact in that it allows students to form relationships with multiple adults (and role models) at school. As we approach the end of our first year at Vandamme, we have seen how much maturity and confidence our kids have gained through these relationships. It is also clear that the teachers truly get to know each student's learning style, personality, strengths, and areas of need. The rigorous academic program is thoughtfully designed by Ms. Vandamme and the teaching staff in a way that challenges and inspires students. We love that the teachers specialize in subjects that they are passionate about. In doing so, they pass on their interest onto the students, so that students become interested and engaged in each subject. Just last week, I was blown away when my fourth grader asked to go to the library for books on Shakespeare's works. Beyond academics, we love Vandamme's positive and inclusive social environment. Students seem to come from diverse backgrounds and neighborhoods throughout our county, and the school staff does a great job of modeling kindness, inclusion, and respect. I've had the privilege of volunteering at two school events and chaperoning one field trip this year. In all instances, I've been so impressed with how responsible and respectful all of the students are. The food is also wonderful! While we don't order hot lunch every day, my kids always look forward to Chef Faustino's healthy and delicious creations. We are so grateful to Ms. Vandamme and the entire staff for providing a learning environment that not only enables ours kids to excel academically, but also build character and confidence.

My daughter went to Grace for a year... and boy it was amazing til they drop the ball early this…read moreyear. School was closing d/t financial problems. Everyone was heartbroken bec of the news. 4 stars for the staff, because they deserve the recognition. They are AMAZING. For the upper management, i have nothing to say. The fact that you kicked our kids in the curbed just like that says a lot. Thank you GCS staff for providing a memorable school year for our daughter, thank you for our teachers and aides, Ms Kim W for the assistance and everyone who kept the school going til the end! its heart breaking but we should all move on, I hope the decision of the management to close the school is worth it.

We loved Grace for years. A wonderful school. I would highly recommend the school to anyone. My…read morechildren went to the school from pre-K to sixth grade.!

Pathway School has truly been a gift and a blessing for our son…read more He entered Pathway in 5th grade after attending public school, where he struggled with ADHD, dyslexia, slow processing, and orthographia. Traditional classrooms often left him feeling frustrated and unseen, and his confidence in reading and learning continued to suffer. Since joining Pathway, everything has changed. Their personalized learning approach, combined with small class sizes and genuine care, has helped him improve his reading by four levels over just two years. More importantly, he feels seen, heard, and encouraged to embrace exactly who he was designed to be. We're especially grateful for the school's strong Christian foundation and values. Every teacher, aide, and staff member leads with compassion and a heart for these precious children. Pathway also does an exceptional job partnering with parents, offering regular, transparent communication about his growth and progress. We give Pathway our highest recommendation--it has been truly life-changing for our family.

Pathway has done wonders for our son as well academically as socially…read more He fell through the cracks of the public school system. This is our 3rd year at Pathway and I would recommend this school to any parent who's kiddo struggles in school. Pathway will give them the confidence they deserve!

I really wanted to love this school, but our overall experience was very disappointing…read more In my opinion, the school maintains a narrow model of 'ideal' student behavior. From what I observed, they are quick to flag children who do not fit this specific mold, often suggesting professional assessments as the primary solution for behavioral differences. I also had concerns regarding supervision. I would receive incident reports that lacked any true insight into what actually happened--situations that likely could have been prevented with better oversight and supervision. For a full year, my child was miserable and would cry every morning, dreading school. After changing his school, the transformation was immediate. Seeing my child thrive in a new environment made me realize the issue was the school. Another major concern was how feedback was communicated. On multiple occasions, teachers raised negative comments about my child directly in front of him, which is entirely inappropriate and not how concerns should be addressed. These conversations should be handled privately with parents--not in a way that can embarrass or impact a child's confidence. What was even more troubling was hearing my son's peers repeat the same language to describe him--terms I had previously heard used by his teachers. That was very telling. It strongly suggests that the language modeled by staff was being picked up and repeated by other children. Therefore, I would have to agree with the shaming and scolding reviews left by others. On a practical note for parents: avoid sending your children in any nice clothing or shoes. In our experience, new items were constantly ruined by the dirt on the playground. Overall I would not recommend this school and I recommend not to be fooled by the pretty magical environment.

My twins have been at Willowbrook since preschool and will be entering 6th grade next fall. They've…read morethrived in every way here....academically, emotionally, physically, etc. The social emotional learning they've been introduced to has been phenomenal. The minute I set foot on this campus for a tour I fell in love. The campus embodies the natural Laguna Beach spirit, surrounded by animals, beautiful trees, a creek, quaint buildings, birds, and happy kids! We've grown close to several families throughout the years thanks to all the activities held on campus. The class sizes are small which was the main reason for choosing private over public. The meals are healthy and delicious. The staff is so wonderful. The commute is 15-20 minutes from Irvine.

Third year, filing my taxes at this church! Learned about it from Lake Forest newsletter free…read moreservices. And I always make a commitment to give a donation, and attend a service. Abiding savior, Lutheran Church, as a wonderful food bank donation center, and some really kind and considerate people!

Nice looking church to come. Wish they can be less on money. Weird to have a musical offering aside…read morethe main one. Clean restroom to use here. Family friendly as a whole. Preach is on point though.

Fulbright is a hidden gem - it is tucked away on a quiet street and you won't just happen upon it…read more We are so glad we found this school! My daughter is excited to go to school literally every day. With a Montessori approach, there is not homework, exactly, but she is motivated to keep learning at home. She takes an interest in all kinds of topics and even wants to pick out books related to her classmate's research topics and to do her own projects in her free time. There are thoughtfully chosen books for literature circle, and the children get together in smaller group to discuss them. There are opportunities to delve deeper into topics that are of great interest to the group, or to individual students. Ms. Cherish is in charge of the elementary class and she is a blessing. She is one of those teachers who seems to bring out the best in everyone. I'm not sure how to really describe how wonderful she is - like Ms. Honey from Matilda plus some Fairy Godmother powers? The children really trust her and look up to her and it shows in the warm, positive atmosphere. My daughter has grown so much this year, and she feels very much a part of a learning community that Ms. Cherish has created in this class. More generally, I can also comment that things seem to really run well under Ms. Maha's leadership, like everyone pulls together to create a smoothly running ship. She is very present and available. Communication is great and families know what to expect. All the random curveballs one must deal with in a typical school year? We haven't had any of those since coming here. Finally, though this school year has not ended yet, my daughter is already asking about when next school year begins. This school and the teachers in it inspire children to want to go to school and to want to learn.

This school feels like a second home. Thank you to the amazing teachers for the love and care you…read moregive every child, and to the wonderful director for leading with so much heart. It's because of you that our children grow with confidence, kindness, and a true love of learning

Fusion is an amazing school! My son is a full time student there and went from struggling daily…read morewith public school to not struggling at all, getting better grades and receiving the attention and specific care that he needed to flourish and actually enjoy learning. The public schools are simply not able to help students with even the simplest of learning disabilities. Fusion changed my sons life and he likes learning now!

Fusion is both a one-on-one school and tutoring center. My review is for Fusion's tutoring…read moreservices. Ive spent countless hours over the last couple of months searching for a tutor for my 9th grade son. I think I interviewed 6-7 private tutors and one other well known tutoring center. None of them felt right until I met Marissa Johnson, the Head of School at Fusion Academy. Marissa was very welcoming, knowledgeable and thoroughly explained all of the different tutoring options available for my son. She also spent a good amount of time giving me a tour of the facility and even introduced me to some of the teachers. All of them seemed really happy to be working there. And all of the teachers and tutors are highly qualified - Not just someone looking for a part time gig or side hustle. Another thing that really impressed me was that I didn't feel like "just a number" - but instead felt like they really cared about my son's academic success. Fusion is a bit more expensive than other tutoring centers and private tutors but to me they are totally worth their fee! Also if you purchase a tutoring "package" the per hour cost decreases which I found helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Fusion to anyone looking for either a tutoring center or one-on-one school.