Vintage Math/Science/Technology Magnet School

My daughter has attended Vintage for the past 5 years and every year I hoped the next one would be better. The play areas are sad; playgrounds in a sea of asphalt with no shade, and the kids are made to wait outside in lines at the beginning of the day, waiting for their teachers to collect them and bring them to class, again with no shade. The after school programs are awful. They don't provide homework help, or even time for the kids to do their homework on their own. There are no enrichment classes unless a teacher volunteers to create one for their class. And the communication from the school is terrible. We would receive requests for donations of items a day before they were due, or we would find out about events happening at the school the day of! The teachers are hit or miss. My daughter loved her kindergarten and first grade teachers, but this was during the pandemic and her handwriting suffered. All school work was done by typing on a computer, so she lost out on valuable handwriting practice, and her first grade teacher introduced the students to YouTube, which I was actively trying to avoid. Her second and third grade teachers were overly strict, one of them wouldn't even allow the kids to take notes during class. Her fourth grade teacher is the first one she's had that feels like she truly loves the students and is trying her best to enrich their time at school. It was also during this year that we pulled her from the after school program, though, because the coaches were uncaring and downright mean. She would call me from the Youth Services program crying because they wouldn't allow her to use a fan on severely hot days, or they would yell at her for doing her homework.Don't even get me started on the free-for-all that is drop off every morning. No parking or rule enforcement whatsoever.One more year to go and I can't wait to get her out of this school.

Last year we missed the deadline to apply since we were in the process of moving to the area but didn’t yet know where we were going to live. So our son attended Haskell Steam magnet for Kindergarten, which he liked somewhat, but overall the school seemed just OK.Then, this year, when the choices applications opened up, we were sure to be right on time with it, and luckily, he got excepted to vintage. At first driving by it seemed just OK as well, nothing special, until we did the first tour inside the school and got to see what it’s really about. NASA partnership, computer lab, big library, ROBOTICS CLASS… and in addition to that, the staff and culture of the school was really great.Our son started 1st grade there this year, and he absolutely loves it! His teacher is amazing, not cookie cutter, she really knows her stuff, and how to teach kids in an effective way, and it’s been showing as our son has been excelling tremendously, even in the short time he’s been there so far. We’ve already attended School Site Council and PTA meetings and they’re so far above and beyond what the other school had. I seriously feel like our son is attending a “free private school“ lolGreat work Vintage team!

This school used to be the epicenter of innovation and learning. Teachers were motivated to participate in extra activities. All staff had a central vision. The school once boasted Odyssey of the mind, Animal clubs, and various student led, teacher facilitated activities. Vintage once had after school enrichment programs such as chess, science clubs, and many other enriching activities. Vintage was once known for its innovative learning, boasting a state of the art computer lab, science lab, and library. Now the computer lab is nothing but a storage room. There are no after school enrichment programs. there are no clubs that happen during the day. The ONLY thing the administration allows is Robotics. As stated by the administration, "Robotics brings home trophies" I am saddened as a parent of this school of what it once was to now what it currently is, which is a school like many other schools. Beckford Charter is one example that appears to offer many opportunities for ALL students not just robotics. There are also many other Elementary schools in the area that offer many more opportunities. Remember parents test scores are just test scores, when you teach to the test you will always get the desired scores, as that appears to be the direction that the current administration is pushing the teaching staff. Parents and families continue to do your research to ensure that you choose the right school for your child. BTW the teachers are fabulous and are caring, however you can easily tell that they are walking on eggshells when it comes to the administration.

Which school has more than 50% of the teachers have taught there for more than 20 years? That’s right Vintage! The teachers make the school- they are truly dedicated because they are family. Unfortunately, I have seen the community decline over the past 5 years. A campus once full of community volunteers is now only for those that participate in Robotics. If your child ends up not liking Robotics, tough luck because it’s the only program they offer. Principal has cut out all the other programs. It’s impossible to get your child an IEP, the principal has made it clear that if your child needs an IEP that maybe they should go to another school. She’s known to be sneaky with the budget even getting into fights with PTA saying, “I know what’s best for the students”, but then has two assistant principals and a school coordinator?! You’d think that they’d offer more programs with that many administrators, even community events. If you’d like a school that has community events, this is not the school for you. They have three community events a year- a trunk or treat, NASA night, and the Spring Basket Auction. If you’d like a school with the best teachers, then Vintage is for you. Unfortunately, it also has the worst administration the school has ever seen. The principal hides behind the California Blue Ribbon that was earned during the previous administration from 2017. School ratings continue to decline.

I love this school. Ms. Nancy Mourao is wonderful. She is very involved with the children. She is there every morning to greet children by name as they come in and every afternoon to dismiss children rain or shine. I will truly miss this school and I’m looking forward for my daughter to get accepted in the upcoming years.