The YMCA childcare program at Booksin has a great team of teachers who care for their students and…read moretheir safety. They are trained and supervised by a select group of professional childcare directors who are hired by the South Valley YMCA (which manages the Childcare programs in San Jose Unified District). They are also required to take CPR and First Aid training courses in case of emergencies. While their childcare program is a little bit pricey compared to its competitors (Engenius, Kingdom Crew, etc), the benefits with the YMCA are worth it because the teachers help the kids have fun while learning about honesty, responsibility, caring for others, and how to solve conflicts between each other. They also offer financial assistance for those who need it (check with South Valley or the website). It also has a good learning curriculum and a variety of summer programs, which kids can enjoy. Of course during the mid-pandemic, the teachers will make sure to wipe down the classrooms throughly as well as the materials and toys. Right now, they are required to teach kids how to wash their hands properly. Overall, I definitely recommend the Booksin community to register their kids with the YMCA After School Childcare program and the Summer programs.

Great school and great students. Some of the parents hinder the atmosphere with unrealistic…read moreexpectations & idiotic behavior.

Calvary was a mask of unwellness. As a former student who had finally had the time to compile my…read morethoughts, I would like to bring to light the toxicity of this school. In this environment, students are pushed and shoved into the ideal image of perfect Christians. If you cannot keep up with this image, you will face repercussions or exclusion. If you do not share all the beliefs of Calvary, you will be reprimanded. Students are frowned upon for expressing their inner selves and often feel pressured to conform to the school's idealistic standards. "Talk to the adults about this" they may say. It is nearly impossible, though, as the majority of the teachers at that time tended to stick to the 'perfect' image of this school. Only a rare few will truly admit that this school has faults, and needs improvement in certain areas. Needing improvement isn't a negative statement. It's the journey to becoming better. The school teaches this, yet doesn't in itself agree. They attempt to hide this by solving issues that no longer exist, and covering up in the school with new shiny purchases without a bother about the structural integrity of the school. In addition, this school sacrifices the quality of some of the curriculum in order to make sure it all conforms to the "classical Christian approach." Their graduates often attend small, private Bible colleges, forcing students to go out of their way to stand out in the process of applying to a standard four year college. Sexism and racism are crucial elements of this school. From an early age, female students are conditioned toward domesticity and frowned upon if they do not find childbearing or stay-at-home roles appealing. This message is reinforced through snide comments regarding "future husbands" and a dress code that teaches girls to view their bodies with shame, while male students are held to far less scrutinized standards. One of their goals is to help you succeed in life later on, yet they fail to advocate for the idea of women in the workplace. As for the racism aspect, the past years I have attended, I witnessed a recurring pattern of racial insensitivity, ranging from derogatory comments about heritage to the use of racial slurs. When these issues were brought to the administration, they were frequently met with a "boys will be boys" response. This school claims that they are welcoming to all people, yet the things they allow to be said oppose that. This school monitors the internet presence of students, and uses this information to further scrutinize you on campus. Although the privilege of social media is a decision of trust granted by the parents, this school intervenes in these matters with authoritative judgment and actions against you. I am very grateful to have left, as now my mental health is much better. Calvary was a toxic environment, and if you are a considering a parent/student, I strongly advise you not to engage yourself with Calvary.

Since only parents are giving reviews on this school, here's a review from a former student…read more The original vision for this school was great, they wanted to raise up "Esthers and Daniels" and incorporate the truth of God's Word into the education, and give advanced classical education. At the beginning of the school, they did exactly that and there weren't many problems from what I understood. Then the staff started to get swapped out which caused a complete change in their vision and God being taken out of the center. First, half of the teachers and staff are not qualified to teach and not socialized properly with children. The principal Jere Allen choked a 6th grader with their hoodie all because of his OCD about not wanting them leaning on a certain fence. "I love making kids insecure," are his words, right after he yelled at kids for talking on their way to class. This guy still hasn't been fired by the way. Just know if you send your kids here you will not win with the staff EVER. If you're not involved in the staff as a parent, you'll be talking to a brick wall with every question or complaint you have. They'll crucify your kid for the wrong colored socks but let their own kids wear whatever they want and pass them even if they fail a class. If your kid is getting bullied by a staff kid or favored kid, I promise you that nothing will be done about it. And the highschool is even worse than elementary. Multiple students had complaints because they advertised it as a "rhetoric high school" and then proceeded to take out the only rhetoric class they had. Then they heard the students complaints, did nothing about it, then accused them of spreading gossip. There is no advanced education in the highschool or any AP classes, and a diploma from here will not get your kid into anything except bible colleges. It's never an easy choice, but I encourage parents to do proper research before sending your kids here. There are many more options if you want classical education for your kid. Don't rely on school to parent your kids or teach them truth of God's word, they need you for guidance. School should not be a place where your kid is placed in a hierarchy, they are there to learn, and teachers are there to teach. I don't know much about the current elementary school but I know that CCA's advertisements for the high school are a complete lie. This is an authoritarian school, not a Christian discipleship school, but if you want that and think that it's best for your kid, go for it. Lastly, if you are looking for a teaching position here, I don't recommend it either. The admin mistreats the teachers just as much as they do the students. If you're curious, read CCAs indeed reviews. There's no doubt that almost all of the the teachers at the school were amazing and genuine Godly leaders for the students, but they leave the school almost immediately after joining because of the horrible mistreatment, and they can't protect the kids from the admin who abuse their authority every chance they get. Its a toxic environment for everyone.

The recent issues in the middle school here are very sad. Inexperienced and power hungry…read moreadministrators are ruining an otherwise vibrant and exciting learning environment. We hope this can be corrected before the school goes further downhill.

I just have to write a recommendation for Almaden Country Day Schoo!. We have been there for 2…read moreyears and have had a GREAT experience. They came highly recommended and I was obviously looking for a school with academics as a priority. Math and Language Arts are THE integral part of the school day. I feel confident my child will be more than ready for the most prestigious high schools. One hundred percent of this year's graduating 8th graders applying to private high schools were accepted I just heard. Wow. The hands on Science program and "Maker's Space"(which teaches children coding, robotics, 3D printing, electronics, etc.) are both phenomenal and I cannot say enough about their Art, Music, P.E., Theater, Foreign Language and Library programs. The difference however, with ACDS is its focus on each child. The moment I enrolled I knew I was entering my child into knowledgeable hands under caring and dedicated teachers that would encourage his gifts as well as continuing with academic rigor. Whether it be their after school sports or enrichment programs as well as the over 40 electives in middle school, he would find "his" path. Since that day, my child has broadened both in his academic knowledge and most importantly, his self confidence. He is an 4th grader and loves his school! The tenured teachers, under an exceptional Head of School, encourage self exploration and provide the opportunity for each child individually to find their path while still adhering to curriculum. No school is perfect and I am totally aware...but they ask. In a yearly survey we are asked, How are things? How can we do better? Does your child feel challenged and accepted? Do you feel a part of your child's education and development? Do you and your child feel a part of the community? (Along with much more!) Its other accolade is their TLC program which is one of the only specialized programs of its kind in the Bay Area. It provides 4:1 ratio for children who need small group education (within perimeters) in Math, Language Arts and Social Studies while integrating for other studies into the larger classroom experience in preparation for high school. It is a supportive environment with specially trained teachers that allows children to feel confident in their learning. My child has benefitted tremendously from this program while still feeling accepted within the larger program. ACDS has intentionally planned for seamless transitions within children's daily routines. I encourage anyone interested to go to their website or an open house and see for yourself. I encourage you to talk to other parents! Several! Or even the kids (whom by the way give the open house tours.). Your school choice is a big decision I know. I was there. The more information the better so you can make the decision what is right for your child and your family. ACDS was the right choice for mine.

My two daughters have attended OOS, and we love it! I want to say a big thanks to the…read moreadministration, they are just great! Any concerns or questions which we ever addressed to them were always resolved. No matter what question we had, we always saw friendly staff which is open, ready to help, and resolve any situation in the best way. Academics are great, which is big deal for us. After OOS, kids attend highly selective high schools, and doing great at rigorous classes; which is again a great compliment to OOS teachers for good preparation. OOS does a great job at helping their 8th grade students with the high school admission process. The school community is wonderful, great families, many of which became our close friends. The classes are small, allowing each student to grow. There are always lots of opportunities for parents to be actively involved in school life, but it is not mandatory if your busy life does not allow you to do it. Highly recommended this school!

I was a student at Old Orchard from Kindergarten to 8th grade and I can confidently say it played a…read morehuge role in who I am today. The OOS community is incredibly warm and welcoming, and the teachers are dedicated to helping every student succeed. OOS deeply values students' social-emotional wellness and provides a space for students to explore their interests and grow beyond the classroom. Some of my best memories include working alongside classmates on community service projects and bonding through school trips ranging from historical museums in the Bay Area to hand-on archaeology in Colorado! I My experience here was truly unforgettable and I highly recommend Old Orchard School.

My kids are much older and yes I have adjusted. I am more than grateful for the school that my boys…read moreare attending. They have a new Principal and both my boys are equally impressed with her format as they loved the old principal as well. They do seem to mention that they see her more around campus...So thats a plus in my books!

Excellent school, great library and teachers, only complaint is that the garden is just dead…read moreplants, and smells like weed, but otherwise it's a great school.

We are so happy to have spent our pre K ， K and first-grade in this campus. It has been years full…read moreof love, fun, and exciting activities. We will cherish all the wonderful memories and keep all the good memories. As we move on to second grade, we will carry these happy experiences with us. We like this campus and are grateful for such a wonderful year.

We are very happy with our experience at Stratford! Our son has been attending Stratford at the…read moreAlmaden campus since kindergarten. All his teachers, Ms Sangeetha & Ms Allie (K), Ms Shilpa (1st grade), have been excellent at encouraging our son to do well and have also provided critical feedback when needed. Our son adores his teachers and has made friends that hopefully stay for lifelong. We also like the balance Stratford offers in terms of academics and extra-curriculars. One minor feedback for the school would be to improve the summer program as our experience has been alright thus far. More creative program options would be nice. Overall, very happy with Stratford Almaden.

Our daughter has gone to Harker since their inaugural preschool class started . She loves it and so…read moredo we . Teachers are great and after school programs are plentiful . Even though it takes an hour to get to school we think it's worth it.

What a wonderful school! My son finished Kindergarten here, and is now in 1st Grade. He loves…read moreschool and always impresses me with what he's learned. We've been particularly happy with the emphasis on deeper conceptual understanding of material, so it's not just rote memorization and regurgitation. Word problems were a significant part of Kindergarten math, and I'm positive I wasn't doing word problems that early when I was a kid. The teachers and administration are very receptive to feedback and concerns that inevitably crop up during the school year. We've been happy with the way they've handled issues, and clearly customer service is an important part of their philosophy. Tuition is on the higher range of private schools, but in this case you truly do get what you pay for.

This school is not for my child. She had depression back then of learning, maybe it was difficult,…read moremaybe the way the teacher gave her hard time, she tended to plug her hair, doing fingers movements while sitting. Her grade was not good, school did not helping, told to get tutor outside. When the second grade teacher reported about her problems, she kept her eyes rolling, the way she did made me felt she looked down on us. One day, my daughter was supposed in infront of the class to speak about famous character, she supposed to wear costume, but I did not buy it on time. The teacher called to send her home at 11:00 am without letting her to stay and learn performance from other kids. Teacher said no need, " I will send you the video of others", but, I had not received any video. This is called discrimination or what? Why she not allow her to stay and learn. And that was it, I changed school. This school I had to pay money, returned nothing. My daughter had much help and improvement when she went to Rocketship. They can provide one on one help, later group help. They use different method somehow my daughter grade went up, no more plugging hair, no more stressing movement. She is fine now with As abd Bs. Again, this school is not for slow students, they don't have patience to deal with them. Period.

I would not recommend any parent to enroll their child here. I came to them to enroll my child in…read morethe middle school and fulfilled all their requirements. At the last minute they pulled the rug from under our feet and put us on a waitlist. They kept on leading us to believe that our child's admission was pretty much done. I interacted with multiple folks in their office but later realized they enrolled more number of students than what they can actually intake and then they put you on a waitlist. They do a decent job of selling their institution. Well it was an unpleasant learning experience for us as they did not make it transparent! Anyways we were unceremoniously added to a waitlist. After a few weeks they emailed us that a spot had opened up. I enrolled my child as I was still interested. Within 2 weeks of enrolling we found that their after school person does not work collaboratively with parents or maybe works selectively with some parents based on her liking them or not. We requested a couple of small requests related to how much time she shows movies for kids in the aftercare. She works with an attitude of "my way or the highway!" In other words large part of the after school care is spent every day in movies - maybe 60 mins or maybe 90 mins! We do not know why the school does not hire a more energetic person to lead the after care program who is interested in providing kids more activities and NOT JUST MOVIES! If you want an environment that does NOT support your child's growth through the day in the school where they spend most of their day then this is the place for you! We withdrew our child and went elsewhere. The principal who joined in 2025 summer, is very approachable/ pleasant/ positive person and a solution finder but in this case she was not able to help us either!