Winstead Ter
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Cherry Chase has been a great learning environment for my kids. The staff is amazing and the community is VERY involved, providing kids with plenty of in school and after school activities and fun social events. It’s a very diverse and well-rounded school, there is something for everyone!

A 10/10 Experience: Our Three Years at SMSMoving into the public school system has easily been one of the top ten best decisions we’ve made since moving to the U.S. While we were happy with the private school path in elementary, SMS truly opened our eyes to what is possible in a public school education setting.> Leadership & Atmosphere: I have been beyond impressed with Principal Vince Iwasaki. His weekly newsletters, friendly demeanor at school events, and simple yet effective communication with students set a wonderful tone for the entire campus. Under his leadership, the school feels both organized and deeply personal.> Going Above and Beyond: The dedication of the teaching staff is remarkable. I’ll never forget when my daughter was in 6th-grade Cross Country; she had to miss a practice but was told she couldn't participate in the upcoming meet without it. Rather than just saying "no," her teacher suggested a creative workaround: she could run in her neighborhood at night, have us video record it, and email it to her to cover her practice gap. That level of individual attention for just one student was not an isolated incident—I saw that same "above and beyond" effort from multiple teachers throughout her three years. Often if I emailed a teacher (after school), I received a response within a few hours!> Community & Growth: I loved the festive, joyful ways the school celebrated student achievements. From certificate distributions to engaging parent-student events, there was always a sense of belonging. I particularly appreciated the low-pressure approach to parent involvement, like the fun "spirit nights" partnered with local restaurants. Students are allowed to re-prepare and retake a test to improve their score with most teachers, fostering growth and progress over score and comparison.Beyond the Rating: When we started 6th grade, the school was rated a 6/10 on GreatSchools. I was fairly surprised because our lived experience pointed to something much higher. By 7th grade, the rating system had changed and the school jumped to an 8, and by 8th grade, the school earned the California Distinguished Schools award. While the accolades are wonderful, in my mind, SMS has been a 10/10 from day one. Seeing my daughter come home happy, enriched, and feeling like she truly belongs is the greatest metric of success I could ask for.

This school is a unique type of evil. I was one of the top students at my old school and in this new one I am struggling just not to fail. The administration is the worst part of the school with you being suspended for minor things that shouldn't even get someone reprimanded like using the s-word. This school is also not for those with a view more right-leaning than left wing extremists. The school offers "special education" to those people and also says they will sue them if they will not keep quiet. Safety is also another concern though not in the way you think, people there will intentionally bore you out until you are too bored to even stay in your chair. School is more of a competition with kids aiming for straight 4.0 GPAs unweighted and teachers and family can't even be bothered to tell them school is not life.