10540 Arleta Ave
Mission Hills, CA 91345

I am an eighth grader in the gifted magnet at this school. This school is a fairly good school, with a good ciriculum and good support provided. The quality of the teachers depend on what teacher you get, but a majority of the teachers here help kids learn the right things and provide support if they need it. Some teachers may be seen as strict, serious, and having a bad teaching style, but that is only for some specific teachers and they still do an okay job. Most classes have interesting activites, experiments, and and projects, but there are still assignments that are tedious, not exciting, and maybe evne unnecessary. However, basically every school and class will have work like that. While there are a lot of busy work in specific classes, a good amount of homework is productive. The social emotional environment is not very good. The staff has failed repeatedly to provide the emotional support needed by their students. They don't totally ignore the students or disregard them, which is good, but their support just hasn't bene enough to improve the emotional state of students. I cannot comment on their special education program becasue I do not have enough knowledge about it. The school is fairly safe, there hasn't been any extremely concerning incidents during my time here. However, there are fights between students, but most schools have fights. There was a trashcan fire and a bush fire during the 2023 - 2024 school year, but they responded appropriately and all students were safe. Teachers and staff do try to actively engage parents, but it won't be very effective unless the parent wants to be activly engaged. There are good and bad students, so if you are planning to go there, you have to make sure to befirned the right people. Some kids are mean, don't care about class, and just overall jerks, but there are a lot of kids with unique interests, a good mindset and habits, and sometimes even a good sense of humor. As long as you make the right friends, you will be happy here.

The gang problem is out of Control in this school!! My son (a junior) was a baseball player for this school even won a championship last year, my daughter (a freshman) received student of the moth last month, yet despite their effort to stay away from trouble its hard when the school is full of gangsters who aren't disciplined by staff!! I have transferred my kids from this school! Good ridance!!

The faculty of San Jose Street Elementary School does not care about the safety of their students, and my family and I are running out of options; We do not want to pull our nephew out of school, and have him repeat a grade for something out of his control because it wouldn't be fair for him, but he has been going to this school for more than a year, and he has been getting bullied ever since he started school. It has comes to the point where we have to ask our nephew if someone hurt him today because he always comes home telling us he got beaten, punch, and hurt at school, and the faculty would not do anything. The faculty keep telling us the bully "already went home or already got picked up", "A Good Child", and "we are keeping an eye on them", but they're clearly do not; My nephew was hurt, punched in the chest every single day this week, and he's been afraid of going to school. They also often do not bring anything to our attention regarding the bullying unless we inquire about it first, and the last time it happened they said, "It did happen yesterday", but they did not report it to us, so if you do care about the safety of your children, I would high recommend avoiding this school unless they make some changes. A lot more children will have to suffer and get hurt because someone lack the required means or conviction to do the job, and how could you even begin educating and inspiring children when you can't even secure their safety.

This school is extremely disappointing. First of all they do not care about bullying and just make it worse when they put conferences or meetings. The children here do NOT care they stay bullying and are so disrespectful and make fun of anyone when honestly should have no room to talk cause the children they bully are way better than them. Second of all the smoking policy here is extremely terrible! These children still smoke in the bathrooms, they dont check their backpacks! They are so sneaky with it and these staff dont tend to care about our kids health! DO BETTER SYLMAR. This school can lead to children smoking more because of these children. If the staff did better at controlling the smoking issue this school wouldve been a bit better for your kids! Third of all the staff are so weird they give me extremely weird vibes. The teachers are extremely rude execpt some i personally dont think teachers should have that "gum" rule because children to have anxiety and gum tends to help them relax.

Great school, except the fact that there is only one bathroom open at a time EVER and There are 10 boys in there at a Time.

My daughter graduated this past June 2025 and was there for her four years of high school in the Magnet program. Over that time, I’ve seen the school go through many positive changes with staff and campus improvements. My daughter was actively involved in sports, activities, and school events, which really enriched her high school experience. She received support from the Gleam Program instructors, as well as from the College Counselor, who was always available and willing to help. I truly believe that when students stay involved and keep a positive outlook, both they and the school thrive.

This school provides a safe learning environment for each individual to be able to express themselves, and communicates the importance of leadership and respect in each individual.

My child is in 9th grade this year and LOVES this school. She was so excited to introduce me to her teachers at Open House. She talks nonstop about her classes and projects. This is incredible because she has always been an indifferent student. Now, she likes going to school. The admin is great and works with parents. Definitely happy we found this school.

As a parent, I’ve had three children attend VAAS. Two have already graduated and one is currently a senior. Each of their experiences has been different, but one thing has stayed consistent: their confidence has grown and they’ve learned how to advocate for themselves.I remember when my oldest started as a freshman. He was nervous and trying to figure out where he fit in. He’s part of the LGBTQ community, and as a mom you hope your child will be accepted for who they are. At VAAS, he was. The diversity here is real, and you can feel it every day. He joined the dance team, got involved in theater, and eventually became president of several clubs. Watching him grow into a confident leader showed me how much this school was helping him develop as a person, not just as a student.My other two children were excited to attend after seeing his experience, and I’ve watched the same kind of growth happen with them. They all have different personalities and interests, but they’ve each learned to speak up for themselves and take ownership of their future. As a parent, that means everything.What makes VAAS special is the smaller environment and the relationships with teachers and staff. Students are known by name, and the teachers genuinely care. I’ve had teachers reach out not just about concerns, but to share progress and ideas for growth. It shows they’re truly invested.Both of my children who graduated from VAAS have now graduated from college, one from UC Irvine and the other from the University of Hawaii, and my youngest has already been accepted into college. That tells me VAAS really prepared them for what came next.One of my favorite experiences as a parent has been Digital Portfolio Night, where students present their own work and reflect on their growth. Seeing that confidence firsthand is something special.VAAS is more than just a school. It’s a supportive community that prepares students for life after high school, and I would absolutely recommend it to other families.