EMBER Ct
Bismarck, AR 71929

I went to Soleado as the second school when I moved to Palos Verdes. It was difficult for me to make friends for a while, but the yard supervisors and teachers are always kind. I will admit that I had witnessed some bullying in the time that I went there, but as far as I could tell, it was stopped quickly. I have good lasting relationships with most of my teachers, and I have a younger sister currently attending. I have little experience with the social-emotional support as I always refused to accept it myself, but they do help kids who have learning disorders, speaking disorders, and are learning English as a second language. Personally all through first grade and a little bit of second grade, I attended a speech class for a small speaking error I had in which I had difficulty pronouncing the 's' and 'sh' sound. Overall, I made many great friends and had plenty of positive experiences there.

My grandson is being bullied and he is worried. Why iOS the school not providing a safe environment and discipline the students involved?

While the school is academically elite, the culture is driven purely by the students and not the faculty and staff. Some teachers are amazing and actually want to see you succeed, while others almost take pleasure in seeing students fail. A difference in teachers in the same exact course can be a difference of over 15% in your grade based purely on their inability to teach or how they chose to approach the material. School spirit is extremely low and attendance drops year by year for good reason. As a Senior, while I have excelled academically with a 4.8 gpa that will give me good chances for top colleges, I do not feel I have really learned much, as classes are so fixated on grades that students focus on loopholes and copying to get assignments done quickly rather than learning the material. Additionally, despite what many teachers and staff repeat, PVHS’s ability to get you into a good college is equal to Pen if not better, due to decreased competition in admissions. I would have had an infinitely better experience at PVHS, with more school spirit, friendlier kids, more caring teachers, and ultimately an environment that would allow me to learn and actually appreciate the information I was learning. Send your kids to PVHS.

Pros:School spirit, activities on campus, block schedule, sports teams, clubs, communication, dual enrollment, independent study PE, administration, college & career center, option to take online classes not offered on campusCons:Cold and foggy, no culinary classes, poorly taught and equipped art department, over the top and overly expensive dances in downtown LA, no team vans or buses, not enough student parking, dark and disgusting bathrooms that smell like urine, limited food options on and off campus, outdated campus and learning platforms, teachers who curse in classA comment towards the review saying if you aren't white and rich, you won't get respect. There is some truth to this. A couple teachers have disrespected my child repeatedly and then kissed up after they found out who our family is.