La Jolla

I've been a parent at the San Diego French-American School (SDFAS) since my daughter was a 2yo in preschool and she is now an 8th grader. (her younger brother has followed in her footsteps.)We would be hard pressed to have made a better choice for our children. They are completely fluent (native speaker level) in French. Serendipity is why we wound up here, we were looking for a preschool, we stopped to check out the Montessori school because it is near our home. We just didn't feel like it was a good fit, but since we were parked right next to SDFAS, we decided, "let's check it out". We were very impressed by the director of the preschool and the French approach. Even so, when we enrolled we had no intention to stay past preschool, since neither of us speaks French. Long story short, we fell in love with the community, the teachers, and our children have thrived. Our closest family friends are fellow families from SDFAS. Living in Southern CA, and being frequent travelers to Mexico, we would've preferred a Spanish immersion school, but those options are limited and don't guarantee sibling admission. It turns out that due to French Ministry of Education requirements (which exceed US standards), they will both have 4 years of Spanish before they get to high school , so we got the Spanish we wanted anyway! The other reviewers comments about tuition and the school being all about money are almost comical. Only a handful of private schools in San Diego charge less tuition, and none of them are language immersion schools; they are religiously affiliated schools, so they are subsidized by the church they are affiliated with. I am sorry those negative reviewers did not have the experience that we've had. My kids adore their teachers, the class sizes are much smaller, so they get differentiated learning, whether that's being given more advanced work to challenge them, or extra help because they are struggling with something. There is a strong emphasis on the arts, which is always the first thing that gets cut in public schools. The diversity of the student body is incredible. 17 different languages spoken at home, for example, my daughter's BFF's mother is Haitian and her father is Turkish. Are there things about the school that could be better? Of course, the sports programs are limited (there is no gymnasium), many of the facilities are dated, but overall it's been a magical place for my kids. We wish it went through 12th grade.

When our first child was about to start school in 2009, we sought a school that would be a home away from home for her. We wanted a school that values and espouses community and connectedness. We were elated to have found The Children’s School. Today, 15 years and 4 children later, we are so blessed to still call The Children’s School our children’s second home. All four of our children began The Children’s School in the Toddler program at two years old. Thus far, two of them graduated at eighth grade and were primed and more than prepared to attend the high schools of their choose. We are so happy to have two more children still attending The Children’s School. Nestled in the heart of La Jolla, the Children's School embodies the essence of Reggio Emilia-inspired education, fostering a vibrant community where connectedness, creativity, and child-centered learning flourish. As a firm believer of progressive education, The Children’s School is dedicated to nurturing life-long learners through an innovative approach that prioritizes the holistic development of each child. At the Children's School, the Reggio Emilia philosophy serves as the cornerstone of its educational framework. Embracing the belief that children are competent, capable individuals, the school fosters an environment where curiosity and exploration are celebrated. Through a child-centered approach, students are empowered to take ownership of their learning journey, guided by passionate educators who serve as facilitators rather than lecturers. The school's commitment to progressive education is evident in its emphasis on hands-on, project-based learning experiences. Students are encouraged to delve deeply into topics of interest, engaging in meaningful inquiries that spark creativity and critical thinking skills. The Children's School provides a fertile ground for intellectual growth and discovery.

We love LJCDS! Our daughter started in Jr. Kindergarten and is now a 1st grader. From the teachers/staff, to the hands-on learning, to the wealth of enrichment opportunities, our experience at Country Day has been nothing short of phenomenal. Our daughter looks forward to going to school each day and her love of learning continues to grow. We especially appreciate the time the teachers take getting to know each student and their ability to tailor the curriculum to each student's unique needs/abilities. We look forward to LJCDS being our daughter's home away from home for many years to come.

Evans School discriminates against kids with ADHD.