5 Via Pamplona
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

I had two kids go through this school and their overall experience/our overall experience as a family was positive. The transition from elementary school to middle school could have been really challenging, but I felt there was good support in place for the 7th graders. They are grouped into several "villages" to provide a smaller feel to a large school, and the 7th grade teachers seemed to do a good job of easing them in at the beginning of the year. There are a wide variety of electives to choose from and nice outdoor amenities, including tennis courts and a full-size track -- I was pleased to see that PE was not a periodic thing, but a daily class that kept the kids active. Was there foul language and inappropriate behavior that I would expect (though not condone) from some 12-14 year-olds? Definitely. But I found the administrative staff to be generally responsive and supportive if concerns arose. (Contrary to an earlier post, there is a Principal and two Assistant Principals and only one of them is a "white man in his 40's") There were absolutely some teachers that my kids had a better experience with than others but, unless they felt threatened or mistreated, my message to them was that they won't get along with/agree with everyone and it was a life lesson for them to learn to self-advocate and know when to ask for help when needed. At the end of their two years at RSM, I felt my kids were as prepared as possible (academically and socially) to successfully transition to high school.

I have a Freshman daughter and Junior son who really like the school and are flourishing. You definitely get more out of it by being an involved parent/volunteering where you can, from sports, band, clubs, etc. (It helps keep you in the loop on HS life, and it's fun to socialize with other parents too.) Like all high schools, there's good and bad kids, but mine have found a solid group of friends. The community of parents, staff and students overall is great. Lots of opportunities for school spirit and a sense of belonging. They also have regular meetings of "Coffee with the Principal" where parents get updates from staff and can ask questions. My only gripe is not enough guidance counselors for the vast amount of students, so you need to keep on top of college stuff on your own to make sure you're prepared, or else hire a college consultant.

Good program for students with needs. Nice location and diverse