We are not year-round family at Westerly, but we consistently return for their summer camp…read more Our eleven-year-old son had attended all the local summer camps in Long Beach--JCC, 49'er camp, the city's parks and recs--over the past few years, and he ranks Westerly the highest among all camp experiences. The staff is accommodating, the hours are flexible (7:30 am to 5:30 pm), and he has a great time.

What can I say. Our family loves Westerly! Our eldest started at one of Long Beach's blue ribbon…read moreschools, but with the huge classes we decided to take a look at Westerly and we couldn't go back. Since then all our kids have thrived in their Westerly experience. It starts with a sizable campus with a beautiful grass field for sports and activities, newly constructed learning studios and the amazing arts village. What a great place to learn. Then the passionate teachers and staff deliver a whole child program, with a better than 10:1 student/teacher ratio. The Westerly program includes: Curriculum and instruction - Enthusiastic teachers with a well thought out curriculum and small class sizes enabling teachers to adapt the curriculum to the needs of your child. Technology/STEM - Westerly recently hired a full-time Director of Instructional Technology to enhance an already strong technology/STEM program throughout the curriculum. Think coding in class, 3D printing, science and engineering fairs, etc. Visual and performing arts - Incorporated in the curriculum is an annual school-wide play lead by the folks at TKTC. The visual arts program is second to none with the kids being exposed to public arts projects, ceramics in the new ceramics studio, mixed media, painting, photography, etc. I wish I could take the classes myself. Wildcat, the after school program is a blessing. Our kids beg to go to Wildcat to play with their friends, work on yearbook, take film, dance, music, robotics and other after school enrichment activities. Athletics - A legitimate, well-run PE program with enthusiastic instruction and basketball, volleyball, football teams throughout elementary and middle school. Music - Every child takes both general and instrumental music as part of their Westerly experience. Spanish - Kindergarten through 8th grade all the kids get introduced to the Spanish language through a dedicated Spanish instructor. Leadership - This is quite possibly one of the most amazing parts of the curriculum. Continuing on the theme of whole child education the Director of Student Affairs leads an amazing program that goes so beyond student council, creating leadership opportunities for so many children. Programs like student council, district representatives, green team, etc., start in Kindergarten and the kids grow in responsibility as the children grow themselves. Each child also gains leadership responsibilities as a student mentor, where each older student is paired with a younger student as a mentor. Service learning and field studies - As the kids grow in maturity so do the service learning and field studies. Our children have enjoyed trips to Catalina and other local camps, but the highlight of the program is a one week trip in 8th grade where the whole class travels to Nicaragua to conduct a service learning project, practice their spanish, and are exposed to a different culture and way of life that they are used to. Community - Westerly is a place where without question every family places a priority on securing a great, well-rounded education for their children. Being in an environment like this is so fantastic. Independent school is not cheap, but in our minds it's the best gift we can give to our children. Westerly also offers significant financial aid support, so if that is an issue be sure to discuss your situation with the school to see if they can make something work for your family. P.S. This may sound like a paid ad, but it's our true feelings about this place. It's really special.

The most amazing staff and best education available with a solid Christian world view. Love this…read moreplace.

I can't believe the rating for this school is this low. I am not an easy person to please…read moresometimes, and wouldn't write a fluff review if it wasn't earned. Our son went to LCS from kinder to 6th, and got an EXCELLENT education. Not just that, but a Christ centered education, focused on family and caring for others. The administrative staff in the elementary school was some of the best management I have ever seen. Any issues were addressed quickly, professionally, and always with a smile and understanding these are young kids (and perhaps new parents.) There was some turn over with teachers that retired or moved, and I felt blessed to have had Kevin experience them before they did so. The new teachers are hand picked and committed. We don't have an opinion on the middle school, but the elementary side was everything you could want and hope for. If you are debating where to spend your hard earned money, and are worried about getting the education you expect, trust Mrs Barton and these teachers to shepherd your kid to a relationship with God, and quality education. P.S. The first year of covid was rough on everyone, but by week 2 things were up and running smoothly. Incredible. The second year of covid, it was like any day of class in elementary school. (They did all this over Zoom) I don't know how they pulled it off so well. But they did

We love LVCC Preschool! My son spent two years here and my daughter is on her second year. We love…read morethe teachers, the curriculum and the families. Sending little ones to school for the first time can be scary for everyone but LVCC Preschool always met my kids (and us parents) where we were at. They quelled any fears, adjusted to any regressions, but most of all - made everything so fun! I will be sad when my littlest has moved on to big kid school but will always think of their preschool years so fondly because of the family at LVCC.

We have loved being a part of the LVCC Preschool community for the past 4 years. My son attended…read morefor 2 years, and my daughter is just finishing her first. The teachers are all very kind and loving and work with you to address your child's individual needs. Mrs. Luyben and the school leadership anre also excellent at communicating about special days, activities, school needs, and new experiences for the kids. The school offers fun after school activity days at least 2x each month, and they celebrate most holidays in creative ways. I have also been really impressed with the quality of the art projects, playtime, and learning of basic letters, numbers, and shapes. I also want to note that, even though it is a Christian preschool and associated with the LVCC church, and we are non-Christians (but people of faith), I never felt pressure nor excessive Christian messaging. There was always a nice respectful balance of lovely Bible quotes and prayers, while respecting that our family was not Christian. The faith-based preschool is really expressed in their love and honoring of the sacredness of childhood. Which I love! I am grateful that LVCC Preschool was my kids' first experience with school! Definitely worth checking out for anyone looking for a kind, warm, creative, play-based preschool experience for their little!

I have had the opportunity to interact with the new principal on several occasions and have found…read moreher to be kind, approachable and very smart, i.e. a Ph.d in education. The school has a Tech Club that introduces students to safe but beneficial use of technology that prepares them for the tech challenges in high school and colleges. The small class size is invaluable. It builds confidence and self-esteem which are both a must for developing students. A graduate of OLR works in my office; she is a St. Anthony's student. She was so well prepared for high school at OLR that she has thrived and now has very bright college opportunities for next year.

Campus is not a closed one and opens their gates frequently throughout the day to accommodate for…read morechurch parking. Students are allowed outside unsupervised. Campus is not given a sweep to prevent incidents that have happened where homeless are found in the students bathrooms. Hidden charges Toxic environment

I was a student of this school class of 2025…read moreI loved it. funny moments and all. great teachers that cared about grades and homework!

Absolutely Great School, kids are academically challenged and it feels like a close-knit community.read more

We love Oakwood Academy (preschool). Our son joined in October of 2025 as a 2.5 year old. The…read moreschool is very clean and organized with processes that support safety, stability and care for the kids. My son has already learned so much in less than 6 months. I love that they post the lesson plan so you can reinforce the learning at home. There is a lot of communication through the Class Dojo app and postings at school. He also was potty trained fully in 2 months which I was more than happy to pay the extra $25-30 a week for that guidance. They have fun activities like field trips, Christmas recitals, special guests like firemen, dentists, etc. He LOVES his teachers, Ms. Cynthia and Ms. Khalifa and we do too! They really understand each child and their personality nuances. I can share what is happening at home and they help guide and reinforce behavior changes at school. It takes a village to raise a child and I'm so thankful to have Oakwood Academy as part of mine!

We love Oakwood Academy and their staff. Our daughter has blossomed since she started attending…read moreOakwood. She is excited to go to school in the morning. The staff is so warm, loving and inviting. Academically they challenge my daughter and has her excelling in her schooling. Our daughter has meet a lot of new friends and love her OA family. There are so many great things about this school not enough space to type on this review. We also love the diversity of staff and students as well. So glad we found Oakwood

absolutely fabulous school. teachers are wonderful. all of our kids went through bethany from…read morepreschool all the way up. highly recommend.

Bethany preschool provides a very high quality program at a very fair price. The staff and…read morefacilities are amazing. We had two children go through their program and couldn't be happier would 10/10 recommend!

My daughter has been at BL preschool since June and absolutely loves it. The teachers are all…read moreamazing, their curriculum is great and their location is wonderful. The playground is nice and big. They have events through out the year including trunk or treat, octoberfest, and open house. We love it there. Everyone is warm and kind.

My two daughters have attended Bethany preschool for 3 years now. We absolutely love it here. Every…read moreteacher is kind, attentive, and you can see they truly love working with children. All staff welcome you and say hello everyday and they try to get to know you and your children. Its a wonderful community. The Preschool director Tammy is super nice and approachable. They have activities planned for the kids all the time. They have had the aquarium truck come to the school, have had a dog agility show on the field, and have holiday activities. Their hours are 630am-6pm, which is nice because I start work very early. They also have a MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group that meets Thursday nights, where we eat food, talk about mom life, and learn about God. This is not just a preschool, its a whole community to support your children and the parents through early childhood, which we all know can be difficult at times. I highly recommend this school!