I attended Pinewood a couple years ago. I am now at an elite university on the East Coast. I think that Pinewood is excellent because the teachers are able to provide you with one-on-one attention. Very good for college recs obviously. Public school ones might be very general... Anyways, teachers will help you during lunch and even after school, when they are not being paid. I think it's cool how they have math help hours after school with Mr. Green (if he even works there). My favorite math teacher was Ms. Walters (Genius lady :) ) Overall, the homework is not that excessive, and, more often than not, if we are ahead of the material, we can use the time to work on assignments for a portion of the class. The English department is good, however, I would appreciate it if they would have been stricter on us. Honestly, the longest paper I ever wrote was a 10 page paper for AP US Gov, and we allocated class time to write it. In English the longest paper was about 5 pages. I wish that the length and standards for papers would increase as one takes more advanced courses. The English department prepares you well for writing 25 minute essays for AP exams, but does not prepare you for 10-20 page papers you have to write as a college freshman at top colleges (Ivy leagues, top LAC, or top UC's). Please add a writing intensive course for seniors that IS NOT GRADED, that way students can learn to write college level papers without feeling so much pressure. Just make it a graduation requirement. The Spanish language department seemed to be more demanding than the French language department. I think because Ms. Schmidt was very very strict. I think she retired now. However, Mr. Tezlaff and Madame Daniel were/are very approachable and would always practice French with you whenever you need. They want you to succeed on the National French Contest and do well on AP French! Merci beaucoup mes professeurs. If your child does have a learning disability, the school will accommodate with longer test times, separate exam rooms, and sometimes extra hours of help with a teacher, so long as you can provide a paper verifying the disability. Also, of course disability is confidential information and students are not let known of classmates' disability. It is very common for children at PW to suffer from social anxiety, test anxiety, and depression though. Extracurriculars such as sports were really fun and the coaches (thanks Craig and Jackee) are really passionate! My main complaint is that the school lacks racial diversity. Of course this is because those who can afford the school are primarily White and Asian (South Asian as well as East Asian). When there were black and brown students (some of whom are on academic/athletic scholarship) many would feel ostracized and out of place and often leave after freshman year. Please provide counseling services/ extra funding for students of color. I specifically remember always having to pay tons of money for new uniforms (they would change each season) and new equipment. I would have appreciated it if there was fund that could help scholarship students with sports/extracurricular fees. read more

I went to Pinewood during the 80's, from kindergarten through sixth grade. I am still good friends with several people from my class, none of who stayed at Pinewood through high school. I say this because we feel like the best education we got, and the hardest we ever worked in K-12, was during our Pinewood years. What stands out to me is the fact that Pinewood did a wonderful job of enabling us to develop academically as well as artistically. They found a balance between the phonics-based Carden method, daily reading groups, math, science, and social studies classes, and the singing, drama, P.E., and art classes. Whenever I see Beatrix Potter books I flash back to 1st grade, and what would I do without my vast collection of oil paintings and clay sculptures of horses made during seven years of art, or my memories of being in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "The Velveteen Rabbit" on the Pinewood stage. Pinewood was also strict in the sense that we feared the "demerit" and worse, "getting ten" which meant you had earned ten demerits that week and would have to see the principal. I think from that we learned responsibility and how to respect others, from our peers to our teachers. From following others in my class through Facebook updates and periodic announcements in the Los Altos Town Crier, I know many of us have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and earn PhDs in subjects like bioengineering, computer science (or English- me- maybe that's liability to the Pinewood reputation, hah). However, most of us also came from the kind of high achieving, upper middle class, occasionally dysfunctional families that make those kind of achievements seem average, and admittedly, I was a little bit of a snob coming out of Pinewood, thinking only bad students would "have" to go to a UC instead of an Ivy. In those ways, Pinewood isolated us from the realities that not every kid could have their own pony or live in their own estate, and that could certainly be held against the school, our parents, and us. Knowing what the tuition is now, I don't know how people can afford to send one, let alone multiple, kid(s) there, and I wonder if the class-based elitism is still pervasive. Weighing those two sides of the coin- the fantastic academic and artistic education against the narrow exposure to others from any other socio-economic or religious backgrounds (most of the kids in my class were from the dominant Pinewood Mormon families)- a Pinewood education might not be the right choice for everyone. However, I am still grateful for the academic foundation I received there, and the real world came anyway, after I left Pinewood. read more

Seems like an odd place to review schools, but even stranger that nobody has written anything about the fantastic Middle Campus (3rd - 6th). So here is one perspective from a 5th-grade transfer from public school system: My son went to Cumberland from kindergarten through fourth, and witnessed the collapsed of the public system due to budget cuts, etc. So after a relatively thorough search, we chose Pinewood for its balanced student population, balanced attitude towards education, and relatively relaxed atmosphere. He was a good student, but by no means disciplined. So we were worried about the the steep learning curve to catch up. He was a bit of couch potato as well, enjoyed reading/video games over organized sports. What happened last year has been nothing short of miracle! The summer orientation month was a bit tough, as the English class revealed that there is a whole new grammar system he needed to learn. His penmanship was basically not legible. Lastly, he wasn't really used to doing any serious homework. But by the first month of the fall semester, he had adjusted quickly, and enjoyed EVERY (yes, EVERY!) class, including PE. The PE teacher, Ms O, uses unconventional games to develop their interest as well as ability. My son actually got an A in PE, which I thought was quite amazing for an otherwise couch potato. He gets along with his classmates, and has made 3 - 4 great friends who come to the house regularly. He even enjoys writing now, because Ms Allen allows him to to type for his assignment. By the end of the school year, he has developed into a regular Pinewoodian :-) Wish list: I wish there is a bit more science, as my son doesn't seem to talk as much about it even though he likes the projects. On the other hand, Pinewood has been incredibly accommodating, as his history teacher allows him to go on-&-on endlessly on topics barely related to the core teaching... If you are looking for an academic powerhouse, or a university-grade environment, there are others. But if you want to develop a well balanced kid who is learning, happy, and growing, we feel Pinewood is second to none! Where else can you send your kid, and have him voluntarily tell you all summer long that he REALLY loves his school, and wishes the semester starts today? Wow! read more

Overall, I don't think it could be possible for me to love a school more. This place has been life changing for my entire family. The dedication of the staff is incredible. Every day when I drop my kids off it feels so much more dear than simply taking them to school, it feels like I'm taking them to spend time with the rest of their family at their home away from home. My children thrive here. They are safe, nurtured, challenged and loved, and they feel it at Pinewood. The details about some of the many things that I love about this school: - It's challenging for the children that are moving ahead and nurturing towards the children that are a little behind. -The children here are not only learning academics but they are learning to be good citizens and respectful members of the community. ex. On field days, points can be awarded for good sportsmanship. It encourages the opposing teams to care for each other even while competing. - It's a small enough school that my kids feel like they have friends in almost every grade. ex. It's not uncommon to see kindergarteners cheering together at a Varsity (high-school) basketball game. The older students look after the younger ones and mentor them, while the younger students look up to their older classmates. However, it's still big enough that there's variety in class offerings and experiences. The diverse student body does a wonderful job of sharing in all kinds of celebrations and cultures. - The uniforms make my mornings far simpler. (Anything that makes life easier on a mom...I'm all for)! - Hot lunch is excellent, a bit costly but so worth it. Originally, we did one day per week but when "school hot lunch" hit the top of the kids' Christmas wish lists, we decided it was time to just roll with it every day. - The teachers and curriculum: every teacher is an expert in their field of subject. ex. How many schools have a former park ranger teaching in the science room? How many science rooms have a koi pond with a 40 year old tortoise and blue herons walking in randomly during a science class? I haven't seen these sorts of things anywhere but Pinewood. - The Theater Program. Every grade puts on an annual production. When I first learned about this, I thought, "eh, ok.. that's fine but my kids won't really care about that since they're not into drama or music." It's done so much more for them than I could have ever anticipated! It's given them confidence, oral presentation skills, memorization training, poise, etc.. my youngest child used to be quite shy and I really believe the theater program has given him so much more self confidence that he's more comfortable, in general. ... basically I could go on forever. If you've read this far, please at least tour the school and visit during one of the Open Houses to learn what it's really all about! read more

I love Pinewood so much! The curriculum is really good and the teachers are nice. I started in kindergarten and now I am in 3rd grade, and I think I will enroll next year. Go Pinewood! It is a private school and the facilities are nice. Even though the price is high I really recommend this school. (Comments are by current student) read more

If your child has a LD, this is definitely not the school for you, as there are no accomodations given . Overall the school has a punitive approach to teaching, some teachers are plain aweful, and should be retiring After 18 months there, my son hates school, and getting depressed. There are hours of homework in 7th and 8th grade, most of it busy work. Can't wait to get out read more

My daughter attended Pinewood from middle through High school. Although very bright, (98th percentile) she had not done well in public school because she is LD. Pinewood is not a special ed. school, however, the teaching style is marvelous and works well for students with minor LD difficulties. Her education there helped her fully realize her academic ability.; it also prepared her to succeed at a top university. (Most Pinewood students go on to top ranked universities) Her teachers were wonderful and her classmates are still friends today. I could not have wished for a better education for my daughter. Incidentally, we are not a Mormon family. read more

I want to begin by saying that Pinewood School is a wonderful academic institution for those who want a traditional and conservative education. I attended Pinewood Middle Campus as well as Pinewood Upper Campus (8th grade-12th) but moved onward to my local public High School (Mountain View High), from freshman year onward. I believe that I have experienced a full range of highs and lows at Pinewood, and am qualified enough to determine that Pinewood School was not the best choice. I attended Pinewood after my family moved from the East Coast, because we wanted a "safe bet", and were eager to try the Private School thing. I guarantee you that I would have been much happier in a public school setting. Pinewood Middle Campus is very tiny, and most of the kids there have been going to Pinewood since Kindergarden. Although the school works to foster a community-based atmosphere throughout the entire school, middle campus was cliquey and teachers definitely had favorites. Middle Campus would prioritize the "rich, white, and pretty" population- specifically those children whose parents and grandparents had gone to Pinewood. My experience at Upper Campus was a whole other story. Although the cliquey-ness continued, it became apparent to me that the school was not diverse at all. Once I began considering this on my own terms, I realized that there was (at most) 3 African Americans at Pinewood, and no Latinos. The students at Upper Campus seemed to adopt fairly conservative mindsets. Secondly, the lack of extracurricular opportunities (and opportunities in general) at Pinewood Upper Campus played an important role in my decision-making process when considering moving to a Public School. For instance, Pinewood only has one club (Interact, a philanthropy-geared club), and a choir, MVHS on the other hand has 75 clubs, a much higher variety of sports, and far more advanced and varied classes. In all finality, if you want to raise a globally-aware, intelligent, kind, perceptive, and open-minded child who makes a true and impactful difference in the world....please do not send them to Pinewood. read more

The president of Pinewood sends his children (that are school age) to Pinewood. Let me clear that up. Pinewood has many outstanding teachers who are available to tutor any child who is struggling. Children take art, music, drama, physical education, French, as well as grammar, writing, spelling, reading, math, science, and history. Classes are small, 13-20 students. Overall, children and teachers are considerate and respectful. The atmosphere is cooperative, not highly competitive. My two children attended Pinewood through 6th grade and left with outstanding organization and study skills. read more