Metropolitan Schoolhouse

We have had such a positive experience at Courtenay. My kid attended the pre-k this past year, and will be returning to Courtenay this year.This school is under excellent leadership. The admin is engaged with the whole community, dedicated to programs and initiatives that benefit both the students and their families. Whenever I’ve had questions or concerns, the administration has responded promptly and thoughtfully. I attended nearly all the monthly ‘Coffee with the Admin’ meetings with the principal and assistant principal and got to experience firsthand their appreciation of parental feedback. If someone had a question or concern that couldn’t be addressed at that moment, the principal was quick to get the information relayed to us. We loved our kid’s teacher team and were so lucky that they have the wisdom and experience to see when a student requires intervention. We were a bit worried about the transition from daycare to pre-k, but from the very beginning his teachers were engaged and communicative about how they were supporting him in the classroom and how we could support at home. I felt he was truly taken care of and given an environment in which to thrive. He came home happy and was eager to go back the next morning. During LSC and other school community meetings, I met passionate educators of the 3rd-8th grades and it seems that the entire staff knows every kid in the school. I also found the Child-Parent Center a great asset. Their sole purpose is to create opportunities for parents and families to get involved in the school community. They organized parent volunteers for field trips and school performances, and offered a variety of on-going opportunities (cooking club) and classes (CPR, wellness, culture) throughout the year that gave me the chance to meet other parents. To top it off, they have a flourishing ‘Friends of’ organization that further supports the students and school as needed and the new playground is fantastic for all ages.I’m so pleased this is our neighborhood school, and I am excited for our kid to continue to experience such an open and friendly learning environment.

I’m speaking for my sister and me. I am a regular student who had already graduated 2 years ago, this school is amazing. My teachers were great, really did try they’re best to give advanced education to us, they kept us on check, while also having some fun, yes of course some teachers were strict and not fun, but they really did prepare you. Likewise, My sister had some trouble with all the subjects and had to have individual classes to help her keep up. Which I found very great. She told me how the classes helped her, along with some books I gave her, that fit her interest, she grew well alongside supportive teachers. They gave her weakened work as well, and supported her all the way through. Great teachers, with great patience. The safety and diverse community is great, they have a lot of opportunities to be out and social, clubs and afterschool programs, a great park, and a great school ground with a safe community. Though, the counclers do need some work with keeping everything fair from a problem I had with another student. They do care about every student, adress problems the parents have, give meetings and try to keep the students comfortable. Other than that, the school is fine, and well. I’m saying this as a graduate from 24, and my sister just graduated. It was a good time in that school. I recommend putting your student in!!

School places strong emphasis on academic excellence, including regular homework assignments, weekly quizzes and tests. Teachers are involved and very supportive,. New principal - Mr. Guerrero is successful in promoting academic discipline and parents' involvement. There is a zero-tolerance policy on bullying. My two children attend Ravenswood Elementary and I have seen steady improvement in school's academic ranking over the years.

Our daughter attended junior kindergarten at North Park and has now started kindergarten, and we have been incredibly happy with the school. What stands out most is how genuinely known and understood she is here. The teachers recognize who she is and give her both the warmth and the appropriate boundaries she needs to thrive.North Park creates the kind of emotional safety that makes children open to learning. Our daughter feels comfortable being completely herself, looks forward to seeing her friends and teachers, and comes home excited to tell us about her day.Because it is a small school, the community feels unusually personal. The teachers, administrators and counselor know the children, and families have meaningful opportunities to know one another. The transition into kindergarten has felt thoughtful and reassuring, and our daughter already experiences school as a place where she belongs.No school can be the perfect fit for every family, but North Park has been exactly what we hoped for at this age: warm, joyful, developmentally appropriate and deeply attentive to the whole child. Seeing how safe and happy our daughter feels there has made us even more confident in our decision to send her.

Our daughter enrolled at Pilgrim in the middle of her seventh-grade year. The move was transformational for her. Academically, she has excelled although the Pilgrim curriculum is much more challenging and the teachers have higher expectations. More importantly, however, she and we feel she is part of a caring community that focuses on her well-being and is attuned to her needs. We wish we had found Pilgrim earlier but are thankful when we did.Here are a few Pilgrim characteristics that make it stand out:1. Strong Christian tradition that is open and welcoming of diverse perspectives and experiences.2. Exceptional family engagement and parent support of all aspects of the school.3. Rigorous curriculum, with diverse offerings (for a small school) such as Spanish, film, ethics, Christian studies, music. Offers algebra for 8th grade. Diverse novels and other readings in ELA and emphasis on writing development.4. Exceptional teachers.