2500 4th St #2
Santa Monica, CA 90405

As a student of John Adams I would say that this school has amazing teachers and they try to help out the students the best they can. The music program Is amazing and I would highly recommend this school. The only thing about John Adams is that sometimes when there is bullying the staff does not notice.

After touring two private schools, one charter school, and two public schools, we chose John Muir, our neighborhood school. There are only two classes per grade so the school feels like a village, not a small city. The small size also means that the entire teaching team coordinates closely. We have a very intellectually curious child who loves learning. She is doing great here, and has loved all her teachers so far. Like all the SM schools, the curriculum uses CGI math and Readers and Writers Workshop. Muir students also have P.S. Science, P.S. Arts, and music almost EVERY week, which is awesome. (Recently our daughter brought home art inspired by the sculptor Giacometti.) Homework is not excessive-- it seems to vary by teacher but in 2nd grade it is to do at least 20 minutes of reading every weeknight, and on Fridays turn in a list of the titles of the books you've read. Kindergarten was homework optional in my daughter's class. After school, our daughter takes Musical Theater and Chess, which are two of the CREST classes offered to Muir and SMASH students. We also love how global the school is – in addition to English, Muir has students who speak Swedish, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Amharic, Finnish, and Czech! Last but not least, walking to school (and to play-dates in the neighborhood) is a huge bonus in terms of quality of life for our whole family.

We are having a great experience with 2 kids at Samohi. Yes it’s big but the separate houses each with its own principal and advisor staff makes it feel more accessible. So much work is being done on campus to upgrade the student experience, it’s only getting better and better. I suggest getting involved with a sport or a club and making it a family endeavor. Ask questions, find the opportunities. If you don’t like something, find another focus or work to make it better. Patents: Meet the staff, volunteer, be a part of the solution. Like anything in life, you get out what you put in.