23051 Park Este
Calabasas, CA 91302

Our daughter just finished Kindergarten at Calabash and attended last year for TK. We have had a great experience at Calabash. Ms. Gillis runs a very tight ship. The kids seem very happy there and our daughter has learned a lot. The teachers do an excellent job communicating with parents, and teaching both academics and social skills. Our experience with Ms. Kraveitz and Mr. Donis was fantastic. The PTO is very active and does a great job supplementing in-school and extra curricular activities. The parents are very involved, many of whom (including myself) volunteer at the school.

I’ve had three of my children attend Hale and honestly I have no complaints. Two sons attended the regular school, one with an IEP and 504 plan and my daughter is currently in the Gifted Steam magnet and I’m honestly impress with the academics, support, activities available and the administration. Previous administration didn’t really let parents know what was going on but the new administration is very proactive and communicates with parents about any issues or concerns. I’m not saying it’s a perfect school because it’s a middle school with students going thru puberty but it is an environment where my children feel safe, my concerns are addressed and efforts are being made to make sure that students are supported and that they thrive. They have tutoring and support for students after school, clubs to encourage engagement and teachers that do their jobs. The special education department was also very helpful in helping my students receive the accommodations necessary to succeed in their classes.

I've lived in the valley my whole life and have known of ElCo's stellar reputation. Visiting the campus for shows in the auditorium or games on the field feels a bit like walking into a high school movie. The campus is clean, classrooms are largely upgraded, and you can tell the school is well-funded.Unfortunately, however, the school's good looks on the outside mask what's going on inside. Campus police are a CONSTANT presence, under the guise of safety. But there is a huge difference between having a learning community that prioritizes safety and one that prioritizes rules, regulations, law & order *so* heavily that the school feels more like a prison than an inclusive, supportive learning enviornment. Trust me, take the tour. You'll hear them proudly talk all about constant locker sweeps, WEEKLY drug-sniffing dogs, and their officers stationed at every entrance and exit. The still engage in old school "tardy sweeps" (which we called "tardy lockouts" back in the day), which means that teachers are instructed to lock all doors to, quite literally, LOCK OUT any/all students who are running late to class. It's just another punitive tool in their discipline toolbelt. They also brag about how their ROTC is apparently second in the nation. Second for what, I'm not entirely sure. But I can tell you that a group of 14-15 year-olds warming up for PE are literally being marched to "left, left, left, right, left" whilst looking generally miserable and tired. If you want to send your children to a psuedo military school or think your child would thrive being educated in what feels like a police state, then by all means, enroll at ECR! But if you prioritize SEL learning, authoritative (NOT authoritarian) discipline, and a kind culture that pull students up as opposed to pushing them down and back in line, look elsewhere.