Sharp Park

Junipero Serra is a great school community that extends beyond the classroom. This school includes the parents, dedicated staff and culture of encouragement and inclusivity. There are many fun and educational events like family nights, fairs and volunteer opportunities that strengthen connection among students, families and educators. I have had the honor and privilege of having my children attend this school. With my last child at Junipero Serra, I can say with confidence that he feels supported academically and emotionally. Because of Junipero Serra, my children have developed confidence and love for learning that will stay with them beyond their school years.

This school is fantastic. The staff is highly dedicated and work hard so that the kids feels like they are part of something special. They hold the students accountable and expect the kids to do their best. When there's a special event, all of the staff members help out. You can see them running a carnival game, participating in Math Night, and is a part of the school's silent auction. Ms. Mirt knows all of the students by name and is highly visible. I highly recommend this school.

The lunch lady just sits there the whole time, either on her phone or talking, and doesn’t really pay attention to serving students. She only puts out one round of hot food and never refills it. So if you get to school after around 8:10 or 8:15, your only option is cereal.It’s not really fair, especially for kids who rely on school meals as their main source of food. They end up having to eat cereal every morning just because the hot food isn’t being refilled.

My three kids have had a wonderful experience at Ocean Shore School. And so have I as a parent. Why does my experience matter? Because Ocean Shore is a unique project-based learning school that invites parents to participate and learn alongside their kids. That's one of the things that appealed most to me when we were selecting which school to send my eldest to. I still remember sitting on the edge, praying so hard that we would win the lottery and get a coveted spot at this school.We have had a wonderful experience with most of our teachers. They are so creative and dedicated. The teachers make this school very special, and the community makes it exceptional. I love the way teachers embrace parent involvement not just as fundraisers but in the classroom, collaborating with them.About once a month, the whole class goes out into the world and learns outside the classroom. In kindergarten, we took the kids to the farmer's market, to the zoo, and to wade in tidepools at the beach. These field trips grow with the kids. My favorite overnight field trip is to Fort Ross, an old Russian Fur Trading Fort. It's a living history program that involves several months of prep where parents and students work together to make costumes, prepare food we will cook on oven fires, and items we will sell at the store. The kids take on roles of people who lived in the fort and learn to dance the troika. It's the kind of experience that can only be pulled off by a community of families working together.Two of my oldest kids are now off to college. Ocean Shore prepared them well for high school and they are now thriving in college.We often saw, Ocean Shore is a family of families. The community is incredibly open, inclusive, and supportive. Friendships made at Ocean Shore last a life time.

My child is now in fourth grade and has been at Vallemar since kindergarten. My child has had a positive experience for the most part, but I have to say, my personal interactions with the teachers have been lukewarm at best. The teacher this year is downright cold, only emailing me to tell me when my child has forgotten something. She does not even acknowledge my return responses to her. Class size is huge (34 kids!!), so maybe that has something to do with it, but a one-sentence response that would take 30 seconds to write would go a long way. Also, I reached out to the principal about the standardized tests that were administered last spring since we have not received the results yet (it is now September). No response at all.I really wish I could write a glowing review, but I simply can't. Instead, I am very seriously thinking of putting my child into a different school, either next year or maybe even sooner.