This is probably my son's favorite school He says the…read moreteachers are very nice. He is also learning a lot and I am proud of him. This school is the best

I love Kester! Both of my kids attend Kester and I can't say anything but great things! I've been…read morethrough the Magnet and homeschool and have experienced classes with both groups of teachers and love them all. Kester also has an AMAZING PTA who works with the staff to meet the needs of our children! They also have great options for after-school care.

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.

Reading these negative reviews are comical. They sound like entitled parents who believe children…read moredo not need to be disciplined when they do not follow the code of conduct expected of students. As an alum of Curtis and now a parent, I can see the incredible impact Meera has had on the Curtis community. Not only is she personally invested in the school, as a parent, but also as a head of school. She is warm and is one of the most involved heads of school I have ever seen. She makes a point to get to know every student on campus and has an open door policy for ALL families on campus. She has turned Curtis into one of the top schools that feeds into every elite LA high school. Curtis students are well rounded, well behaved, adaptable, and more than prepared for middle/ high school. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to send my kids to Curtis and I hope Meera continues to lead the school for many years to come. Curtis is such a special space and you are lucky if you are able to experience it firsthand!

We have been here twice, now, for a 4th grade baseball game. My son's team was visiting Curtis…read moreSchool (the home team). The kids seem well-behaved, and the parents who were also cheering their boys on were really friendly, and nice to the visiting team's parents. Parking isn't the easiest, but the guards at the gate made the best of the situation, instructing me to park up a nearby slope, near the Headmaster's house.

Valley Beth Shalom Day School has truly become a second home for our family. Two of our children…read morehave graduated, and we currently have a child in 4th grade. Over the years, the school has continued to grow and improve in so many ways. For anyone looking for an elementary school with a strong sense of community, caring teachers, and a commitment to excellence, I highly recommend Valley Beth Shalom Day School.

Can't speak highly enough about VBSDS. My daughter is thriving in first grade, has the best group…read moreof friends, and is surrounded by the most talented and caring faculty. Truly incredible place.

I can't say enough good things about this school. It is a school for students with learning…read moredisabilities, such as dyslexia. It is absolutely life changing. There is so much thoughtfulness and care put into every decision made. The teachers and staff absolutely know my child inside and out. I used to get these calls from my kid at school - she was upset, stressed, having a hard day. Now - I never ever get a call like that. (If you know, you know) I had no idea how hard my daughter's days were at regular school. She was always grumpy and anxious. After the first day at Westmark she was lighthearted, happy! I forgot she could be that way! Her confidence in her academic abilities is growing all the time there. I wish I would have moved her there sooner. It is truly a remarkable place. Every teacher (even like science and PE!) are trained in teaching kids with learning differences. My daughter gets support ALL DAY long, not just during the few minutes she was pulled out before. If your child has a learning difference, I really recommend you go see the school - it is hard to describe how amazing and transformative it is.

This school says what they do and does what they say. Westmark has been a safe space for many…read morechildren with learning differences since 1983. If it's not the right school environment for a child, or family, they will be honest. They have changed my daughter's life and given her the skills to transition into her choice of universities. The staff and administration have a child-first approach, while teaching students to be their own advocates. An added perk for high schoolers, Westmark's talented college advisor! She goes above and beyond in her dedication to the juniors and seniors.

Now I go to this school, currently as of date I am in forth grade. I am in Mrs.Muffoletto's Class…read moreand I have a lot to say. For example every single classroom has art. There are many enrichments that Lanai pays for Out-Of-Pocket. Sone of these include Computer Lab, with macs PE With an amazing coach and Science with an amazing teacher. Overall these bad reviews are all lies, and if they are true all of the bad teachers are gone. Another reason why this school is amazing is because of the principal. Instead of the sone principals in other schools just sitting down and waiting in a office this, instead he takes care of the school by talking to students sone times watching over the students and he also helps direct the school amazingly while doing all of that. Overall this school is amazing and I would recommend enrolling right now! -Hugo 4th Grade 2023

I regularly pray for Lanai and for all of its amazing staff and parent volunteers…read more I just attended my Kindergartner's "Winter Concert". I was delighted to hear a program packed with myriad Hanukkah songs, from "Hanukkah o Hanukkah" to "Kindled by the Flame" (which references Hanukkah and Menorahs in every verse, complete with wiggling candle fingers). And of course the classic "Happy Hanukkah". All of these songs were absolutely beautiful, especially because each song was presented INTACT, without censorship. But what was ugly was the School's systematic censorship of "Christmas". Not a single time did the word Christmas get sung, and it was not by accident. The concert was so thoroughly de-Jesused that even the great "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was bastardized to "Have yourself a Merry *Winter Season*"! I am the father of a family of church-going followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and Christmas marks His birth into this world. That said, I don't expect our public school to be teaching my kids Christmas hymns. But if Lanai staff ARE going to teach my son religious songs, then they cannot discriminate against Christians by deliberately avoiding and excising any mention of Christmas like it's Kryptonite. I cannot imagine the uproar if the entire music program had been filled with expressly Christmas songs and the closest thing to mentioning Hanukkah was "Happy Other Winter Thing". If Lanai is low-key trying to be a public Hebrew school, that's not what we signed up for. As a public school Lanai must be accountable to all its students, and to Federal Laws prohibiting religious discrimination.

5 years after my first review, I have to say that everything I said the first time was not only…read moretrue, but also didn't give the school, teachers and administrators the acknowledgment they deserve. Seriously, if you are looking for a school that will take care of your kids and prepare them for high school and college, don't look farther. This place is very special!

We absolutely adore our school! When you come to St. Cyril of Jerusalem, you come not to just get…read moregreat education, but to join a supporting and inclusive community, and make lifelong friendships. Teachers and staff go above and beyond for all our children. We feel like our kids are safe, learning, and, most importantly, happy!

I got to work here, helping with the cleaning of the overall school premises and everyone is so…read moreeasy to get along with and positive energy. Felt safe and it's a beautiful area of course

I normally don't write reviews. Especially when I'm really happy with the entity in question. Keep…read morein mind, most people are like me. But I happened upon the 1 star reviews and I felt compelled to leave a review. I'm so sorry the other reviewers feel the way they do. I have the complete opposite experience for the past 2 years. I'm a minority and certainly not rich. Like anywhere, you get back what you put into it. It's not hard to make friends with other parents when you're open to it and friendly yourself. Principal Trent is a no nonsense principal, which I really appreciate. Do parents really not understand how hard it is to navigate parents, students, teachers, staff and the school district? I find her to be very reasonable and there is no question in my mind that she cares deeply for our students. She is active on campus, always interacting with the students and knows all their names! She is truly a positive force on campus and I've never seen her be anything but respectful to anyone she interacts with. The teachers and staff are great! And I don't give them extra gifts or food beyond what our class gives as a whole, but I do try to say "Hello" when I see them and "Thank you" when deserved-which is not a lot to give or ask for. Not only do I love Roscomare, but so does my child. IMO, it's a 10/10 school!