2024 La Fremontia St
South Pasadena, CA 91030

I was a parent, a PTA Executive Member, and an employee of Monterey Hills Elementary School. So you can say I've seen it all, heard it all. I'm really glad that my child went to this school and that I've been able to see various perspectives on how this school works. My child went to MHS from Kinder to Fifth Grade and was very happy there, the environment/atmosphere was welcoming, diverse, and inclusive. The assemblies, special projects, and special events covered everything from poverty/people experiencing homelessness, the arts, bullying, environmental issues, cultural and gender expression/identity sensitivity, and awareness. MHS also has a strong Arts program including an Art Teacher, Music Teacher, Theatre teacher, 5th Grade Band Teacher.We were happy with the teachers my child had. They were all different which was nice as it taught my child to learn to work with different personalities. My child was not always easy to work with but I never felt like they gave up on him. They all had creative ways to work with him and were very communicative with me. The campus is in the hills and surrounded by so much nature. It's a beautiful place for kids to play, study and eat outside. When the weather is beautiful you’ll see many classrooms doing lessons outside or going to Turtle Hill for mindfulness time.The PTA is very involved in continually supporting the teachers with supplies and materials, and creating fun events for students and their families. They work really hard and many times with very little help. They spend a lot of time at school and they don’t get paid for any of it, they do it because they love the school, the staff, the students, and their families.No school is perfect for every family, no teacher is perfect for every child, and some people will never be happy. But being involved, asking questions, and working with the staff and support staff can really make a difference for the child and the family. If something doesn't work or if additional services are needed just ask. The district has an array of support services. These are just some of the support staff they have at MHS: Speech Therapist, Occupational therapist, Psychologist, Counselor, Reading Specialist, Math Specialist, Behavior Specialist, and not to mention all the Aides.Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

The curriculum is excellent, my student’s’ were outstanding learners. They held 3.8-4.0 gpa’s throughout middle school. My experience with South Pasadena Middle School was good during the elementary school years, but unfortunately not in the later years. We felt many days disconnected, alienated & not included. All three years of our attempts to join ASB my kids were turned down. No reason, no explanation, just an empty apology and courage to try next year. Even after tirelessly filling out all the questionnaires, forms, and gathering a number of signatures by members & school staff. We couldn’t figure out why they’d be declined to be involved in betterment of the school, adding different perspectives etc. We knew we weren’t the only one’s, many students were rejected every single year after year. The sports were the same-. They were all by invitation only. You have to have been trained at a young age whether interested in tennis, basketball or any sport. Sadly both kids were never able to join any sport teams throughout all the years of middle school. Every sport (at least 3) they tried out for they were declined, this level of expectations on middle school athletics were very rough and cut throat. How could a school be so tough on middle school sports? It would be understandable for high school. What kind of school does this to young teens? Unless your super prepped & trained there’s no way in. I would have to say the worst part of school were the councilors. They don’t have a minute to spare for parents. Unless you’re lucky enough to get a question answered via email. Many times I wouldn’t get my emails answered at all. By the end, I didn’t bother. When you ask they say, “they’re trying to teach your kids that it’s their responsibility to email the teachers if they’re having any issues or concerning your child, as it teaches them to be independent”. If I had the choice to do it again I wouldn’t send my kids to the Middle School or to the High School , they’re the same. The councilor’s are unhelpful, void, and not interested in helping your child. The principal of the High School, who was in my opinion the best part of the district, dedicated many years, just left her position this year. The middle and high school need to get their act together. The students’ deserve better. It would be nice to hire a new staff of councilors to prepare and actually support the student’s education goals.

What I love so much about this high school is the great flexibility that allows for parents and students to craft a 4 year program that is right for each individual student. Let's hope that the new principal and vice principal do not change that. One of the options that we love is that students can take one of their 6 courses in the summer and replace a course in the school year with a study hall, allowing for homework time during the day, which frees up time after school to pursue their life's ambitions and goals. Another option we love is that you can take an internship in your chosen field in your Jr. and Sr. years and receive elective credit towards graduation. This allows students to not only gain real world skills and grow in their chosen profession, but also build a professional resume, which colleges like a lot. A third option we love is that you can take a course at PCC or another accredited institution and transfer it back to the high school for credit. This allows students to study courses not offered at the high school, and still have those courses count towards graduation and college prep. We love that (while each student must take English each year) the number of courses in Math and Science is flexible to allow students to decide what their individual goals are (depending on what they want to do with their lives and where they want to go to college etc...). So students can take only 2 or 3 Math and Science courses, or as many as 7 or 8. It is not a one size fits all approach (we had not found this anywhere else in LA County). 3 Histories are required, and so are 2 years of PE and a semester of Health, but the rest of the courses are up to the student and parents to decide what their child needs. For kids wanting to go to a competitive college, 3-4 years of a language other than English is required, but not all kids want that for themselves, so it is up to the parents not the school to decide. For my daughters, the Arts are truly important and SPHS has a lot to offer in that area. Ms. Levie is a gifted, skilled and nurturing Art teacher (drawing and painting are her specialties). Mr. Hoffa is another gifted, skilled and nurturing teacher who heads the Drama department. SPHS also offers a course in animation. The real star at SPHS is Ms. Cheney the Dance teacher. WOW!!! Her program blows everyone out of the water. She teaches everyone from the complete beginner to the pre-professional. Her shows are professional level