Rockaway Beach

I am very thankful my child is able to attend this neighborhood school. We have lucked out in the teacher department so far as everyone we have had has been kind and celebrated my child for who they are. This is the second year of Mrs. Parrish and thankful for the changes she has made. I feel there is less of a tolerance of bullying as she takes it seriously and I feel her communication and follow-through has been really strong. The only thing I would change is help with updated buildings for after school care as they are very run down (those are in the City of Pacifica hands though) and also more support for outdoor play. There are currently so many rules in place due to limited staffing on yards that many things children love such as basketball or play structure are taken away due to age. Overall, I love the community feel and how everyone looks out for each other and the children. Thank you Cabrillo staff for all you do!

My child is now in fourth grade and has been at Vallemar since kindergarten. My child has had a positive experience for the most part, but I have to say, my personal interactions with the teachers have been lukewarm at best. The teacher this year is downright cold, only emailing me to tell me when my child has forgotten something. She does not even acknowledge my return responses to her. Class size is huge (34 kids!!), so maybe that has something to do with it, but a one-sentence response that would take 30 seconds to write would go a long way. Also, I reached out to the principal about the standardized tests that were administered last spring since we have not received the results yet (it is now September). No response at all.I really wish I could write a glowing review, but I simply can't. Instead, I am very seriously thinking of putting my child into a different school, either next year or maybe even sooner.

We dont move out of Pacifica because of Ortega. If Im counting my blessings - this school and their staff are counted twice! I appreciate how transparent the teachers are when my little ones progress and updates on parent square make things so much easier. My kids wake up and are eager to come. They rave about the lessons they learn and we spend car rides talking about their days. Bonus - The lessons on diversity are appreciated. The only downer is the parking situation but the volunteers help move the car line along. Anywho! Thank you to all the staff who empower my littles and so many others to be fearless learners, dreamers, and overall good human beings :)

One star. We're leaving after four years of unresolved safety, supervision, academic, and privacy issues. I kept hoping the school would improve. It didn't. It got worse. What broke us this year was the school's handling of a four-month illness.Between October and the end of January, my daughter was mostly out. In that entire span, not a single teacher, the principal, or the vice principal reached out. Not once. The only outreach came from one office staff member. The fundraising solicitations, meanwhile, kept arriving on schedule. For a school that markets itself on "values," that was clarifying.Academic support was worse than the silence. On paper, support was offered. In reality: no teacher conferences, no meaningful communication, and a string of AI-generated documents instead of actual engagement. After months, a paper-only "support plan" that was clearly AI-generated and not of great quality shall we say, with no timeline, no proposed communication detail, and no accountability. Months in, the principal finally informed me they "can't help" because what I was asking for sounds like "independent study." We lost months of irreplaceable instructional time.This year also brought unresolved bullying ("pretend tasers" used on classmates), regular yelling at students, and a testing incident where another child could see and comment on my daughter's score. In small classrooms, supervision should be easy. Instead, the pattern is the same every time: staff deny anything happened, then quietly change procedures or remove items afterward.Academics are unremarkable. STEAM gets heavy billing in the brochures and delivers very little in practice. Enrichment is thin; theater is about the only bright spot.Accountability is the worst part. Push back, and you find out the "investigations" wouldn't pass scrutiny anywhere. Example: interviewing two children simultaneously with the conclusion baked in. Raise a concern and you get tone-policing and retaliation. Most parents don't push back, and I understand why. Escalating doesn't help, even up to the Archdiocese.It's a real shame, because there are good teachers here. The second grade teacher, PE, and extended care staff are genuine bright spots. The problem is structural, and it sits with leadership.We're quitting, like other fed-up families before us.

My son started at PacBay in 2020 during the pandemic and graduated in 2024. PacBay listened to parents' suggestions and input. My son excelled academically, socially and emotionally at PacBay. Each one of the teachers that my son had was awesome. Special shout out to the college counselor, I cannot thank PacBay enough. My son just finished his first year at an Ivy League university. I can attest that the education that my son received at PacBay was solid and prepared him very well for college. PacBay is a hidden gem. I would highly recommend it.

I've taught at Pac Bay for three semesters & sent my daughter here when she was at an all-time low after COVID. This school is wonderful and unique because it combines academic excellence (lots of teachers have doctorates) with a tight community in which each student is known. A very special place!