This is an awesome school! Teachers(they call themselves "guides") are amazing and the kids there…read moreare just wonderful. My oldest got teased at the school she was attending K-2nd grade simply because she was not a fast reader. As result, she quit reading... she refused to read and said "I can't read because I am dumb and color of my hair says I have no brain" . She asked me to dye her blond hair dark so her friends would not pick on her. Talking to the teacher did not help so my husband and I decided to change school... but to where?! Then we found Mo'O school when we were walking around at Manoa shopping center. We looked inside of the school and kids and teachers looked so happy in the classroom. My daughter didn't have any Montessori background but they welcomed her in two years ago and she has been a happy child ever since. I just love the fact that all the children at the school are so caring, helpful and independent. Her friends helped her to start reading again and she loves reading now. She used to watch TV and addicted to iPad but now, her and her little brother never watch TV (I think non of the students there do), not interested in iPad at all. They are either outside making stuff from whatever they find out there, climbing trees or inside drawing, reading, doing board games or sewing something. They help with laundry, dishes and cleaning too! Thanks to Mo'O school, I have two active, happy, motivated and healthy children:-)

The name, Mo'O, is short for Montessori of O'ahu. Mo'o also means "lizard" in Hawaiian, and has…read moresignificance beyond what goes on Yelp. This school is everything I want for my daughter, who is now four and will attend Mo'O until she completes the elementary program, so the next eight years. There's no playground or jungle gym -- the children climb real trees and explore Manoa Valley as a group. There's no homework -- the children have internalized their knowledge and joyfully practice it while they're away from school. There are no massive tubs of cheese puffs, animal crackers and pretzel rods, those preschool snack staples that are all just different forms of enriched flour and preservatives -- snacks are prepared fresh to order by the children, having been supplied weekly by one child's family on a rotating schedule. (A typical snack table has cut fruit or vegetables, some nuts or cheese, and maybe some hummus or other dip and crackers.) The rooms are beautifully prepared with materials of excellent quality; the guides are brilliant, compassionate, and intuitive. As is the hallmark of Montessori, the children do the rest. Uniquely, this Oahu Montessori school fully follows, authentically and carefully, the Montessori method, for children 2.5 through 12. Montessori has no trademark, so anyone can call themselves a Montessori. If your Montessori school doesn't have an uninterrupted, three(-ish)-hour work period during which children choose their work, it's not Montessori. If your Montessori school doesn't have mixed-age classrooms, it's not Montessori. But Mo'O is. I can't say enough good things about this school and the little community that thrives within it. I am so grateful it exists and can't wait to watch it grow.

Mahalo Punahou School for hosting tonight's ILH cheer competition…read more Congratulations to all the participating schools, cheer squads, and supporters. Excellent win for Iolani taking all 3 divisions in first place: intermediate, JV and varsity. Love the comraderie of the audience sitting side by side with families of competing schools. The coolest thing was while waiting for the tallying of each school's points, the cheerleaders were in good spirits dancing on the floor to the music. So much aloha encompassed the gym. Smiles, hugs, leis of all kinds and roses being handed out to teammates and friends. A wonderful spectacle to witness and enjoy.

Disclaimer: this is a review of the tennis facility. I have played and coached many matches at this…read moreschool and it has a very impressive tennis complex. In the years since I was competing, they renovated the office/viewing area to include an upper deck. There are 6 courts with lights on the lower side and up a steep road there are 3 more courts. There is also a bleacher area to watch some of the matches from. Parking can be tricky and the one-way setup of the lot is difficult. If you pass an area, you have to go all the way out of the campus and back around the hill to get back on property. If you see a spot, even if it's not that close, take it! Weather is also an issue since it's in Manoa so we sometimes have rain delays/cancelled matches. Yesterday we almost had to postpone but luckily the weather held up enough to finish the match!

The only place I have to compare this to is sylvan learning center, and I must say I'm happy with…read morewhat my kids get from the work they do here. Main difference aside from price ($400 for math and reading, compared to $1300-1500 monthly) is the amount time the kids need to put in. At sylvan it's two or three times a week with nothing to do at home. At kumon you go twice a week and take home homework, which is to be completed daily. Also sylvan you more or less drop them off and pick them up, vice the the daily homework involvement.

Much thanks to Gilie Matsumoto, her husband Shawn, and the entire Kumon Kaimuki staff (like Mr…read more Kyle and the two Mr. Shane's just to name a few), my son just completed the Kumon Math program! It took him 4 years and 4 months -- started from Level B (Addition & Subtration) in May 2011, and completed Level O (Calculus) yesterday (Sept 3, 2015)! As I reflect, I now realize that my son learned more than just math at Kumon. He also built confidence in himself and learned time management, goal setting, how to be a self-learner, and perservance! Yes, the Kumon work does get harder with each level. But, the Matsumoto's and their staff are so nurturing, encouraging and patient, that it just motivated my son to continue and finish. I remember my son's first goal was to build his math skills to enter Punahou School. He entered the school at 6th grade, scoring almost 690 out of 700 on the Math portion of the SSAT. His most recent goal was to complete the Kumon Math program by the start of 7th grade so he had enough free time to pursue other activities. He accomplished that goal yesterday! I also found that you, as a parent, have control on the stress level of Kumon. The Matsumotos were great at working on this with us. They increased and reduced packet sizes as needed so the workload didn't interfere with his school and sports activities, and that the Kumon homework itself wasn't too stressful, too challenging or too easy. Thank You Kumon Kaimuki! You turned my son's dreams into reality ... dreams we once thought were unimaginable!

My friend and I visited this school from Japan for a one-week English study program…read more At the beginning, we took a language level test, which allowed us to join a class suited to our English ability. The teachers were very friendly and encouraged communication among the students. The classes were highly interactive, and I was able to develop practical English skills that cannot be learned through traditional, lecture-based lessons. Although the study period was very short--just one week--it was a valuable experience for me and greatly increased my motivation to continue studying English.

CPC is a great school. The staff is super helpful and makes enrollment and admissions really easy…read more The classes are taught by knowledgeable and professional instructors who care about their students' learning. The campus is very comfortable and everyone there is friendly. They have lots of fun activities every week, so there is plenty to do outside of class. I highly recommend going to CPC if you are looking for an English school.

We cannot say enough about the experience our daughter had working with Mr. B during her SSAT…read morepreparation. From the very first session, it was clear that he was not just focused on test scores. He invested in her as a whole person, building her confidence, her patience, and her ability to believe in herself. For a child who has had to work hard to get where she is, that approach made all the difference. She came out of this process genuinely proud of herself, and so did we. Whether or not the results open every door we are hoping for, the growth she experienced along the way is something she will carry with her far beyond any single test. She hit the score we were working toward, but more importantly she learned what she is capable of when she applies herself and trusts the process. We feel so fortunate to have found Mr. B at exactly the right moment. If you are looking for someone who will meet your child where they are, challenge them to grow, and genuinely care about who they are becoming, look no further. We are so grateful for everything he did for our daughter and our family during this journey. Highly recommend!!

Coaching with Mr. B at Accelerations Learning Center was instrumental in my 8-year-old daughter's…read moresuccess with both the SSAT and the group interview process. I particularly appreciated Mr. B's teaching approach--his strategies were engaging, enjoyable, and highly effective. By the end of the process, we were not only pleased with the results, but even more proud of our daughter's growth, effort, and newly developed learning strategies. I would highly recommend his program.

My son has been going to Excel Learning Center for 2 years now. He started in kindergarten for…read morereading and math enhancement with Ms. Sherry. She is so patient with him, and he looks forward to going to his tutoring lessons every week. Our son really enjoys working with her and is very motivated to learn. Ms. Karen is the one who oversees things and she is very accommodating with scheduling and has great communication. I would definitely recommend excel learning!

It is with great pleasure and gratitude to share that our son was accepted at Punahou School and…read moreIolani School for the year 2024-2025! He's never shown any interest in attending these schools and once he said he was, we signed him up for a 5 week Summer program prior to the October '23 SSAT. He looked forward to every session with his language arts and math tutors. Upon completion of the 5 week program, Karen was able to identify any areas he would need to strengthen. Additional bi-weekly sessions in September and a one time interview prep finalized his preparation to take the SSAT just one time! It is without a doubt the tutors were instrumental in preparing our son in every aspect of the SSAT, writing, and in his interview. Thank you for strengthening his confidence throughout the process and in his academics at his current school and wherever he ends up going (we have yet to decide). Mahalo, A very satisfied parent of a 6th grader

Hats off to Sam, Pam, and the rest of the team! We were easily able to schedule an initial…read moreassessment with Pam and got scheduled right away after working out the payment plan with Sam. Don't be intimidated by the tuition amount--Sam is more than happy to discuss the best payment plan that meets one's needs. My son has been ending his lessons with a smile on his face and more confidence!

Sylvan taught my kid so much and the staff is extremely helpful and supportive. Kids here learn and…read moreget the help they need with their homework; such as math, language arts, history, and even science.

Yui sensei is a wonderful teacher and she makes learning Japanese fun. Her explanations are…read moreterrific and help you to understand some of the more difficult and idiomatic concepts in the Japanese language. You really learn how to speak Japanese as a native speaker. And sensei takes the time to give equal attention to everyone in class. I especially like the fact that the classes are recorded and the students have access to the lessons and can replay the recording to catch any material that they may have missed. I have attended both the in person lessons and the on-line zoom classes and both of those classes were helpful.

Highly Recommend Yui sensei to anyone looking to learn Japanese. Her classes are always fun and…read moreengaging, making learning a new language an enjoyable experience. Currently on Level 4 and looking forward to continuing on to the next levels.