I would love to get opinions from local moms on public vs. private in the Valley. My daughter will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall. I've attended a few Open Houses, and the handful I'm considering are: Dearborn Elementary, Our Lady of Lourdes or De La Salle. Are there parents out there who have kids attending any of these schools? OR, are there any others that you feel strongly that I should consider? I want them to attend a school with solid academics, mostly good teachers, and mostly well-behaved kids.
Hi My friends twins went to Our Lady of Lourdes and they loved it. I went to Catholic school back east from 1-8th grade and I really believe it gave me a solid foundation to stand on..Good Luck in your search..
D.
I also live in Granada Hills and I send both my daughters to Pinecrest on Devonshire & Balboa. We love it! The curriculum is outstanding - all the basics, Math, Science, History, Reading, etc. plus Spanish, Computers, Art, Music, P.E. and educational field trips. Yes, all this even for the Kindergarteners! They also have before and after school care included in the price of tuition. They are open from 6am to 6pm. One of the best features for us is that Pinecrest starts as young as 18 months and goes straight up through to 8th grade. We really liked the idea of having both our girls at the same school (they are 3 and 6) and we liked that they wouldn't have to keep switching schools as the grades got higher. As private schools go, the tuition is very affordable - about $7500/year. The office staff and teachers are great too. It's like one big family. Their number is ###-###-####. By the way, Daily News voted them #1 private school in the Valley last year.
Good luck to you!
Hi S.,
I live in Northridge also. We moved to the neighborhood because the public schools are very good. If you check out the LA Unified School District website you can get info on all the schools. You want to find a school with an API of 800 or more. These are the high performing schools. Also, the newspapers print the API lists each year when they come out. The website will also tell you which schools are assigned to your home address so you can see if those schools have good scores.
My son went to Topeka Drive Elementary for Kindergarten. The API score for the school is 862. We are very happy with the school.
Good luck.
L.
My friend teaches at Our Lady of Lourdes and it seems to be a very good school. I went to De La salle as a child and my parents are parishenors there but right now it seems to have a poor reputation for it's academics. I don't know anything about dearborn elem. Is that your public school in the area. I am in the van gogh area so my daughter will go there. She goes to Pinecrest for preschool right now and we are really happy there.
Encino Elementary is a great school and they have open enrollment, call to schedule a tour ###-###-####
L.
Hillcrest Christian on Rinaldi in GH. Great pvt. school
Centers of Learning is a WONDERFUL private school in North Hills. Their number is ###-###-####. You can call the school secretary Mrs. White and make an appt. to tour the kindergarten and school with the kindergarten teacher Margo Walkoe. The school is preschool through 12th grade. The classes are small and the teachers are awesome! They go on a lot of field trips and have a solid academic program. The school has well behaved kids and great families. All three of my kids attend this school (Preschool, 2nd grade and 4th grade) and we have been very happy. I recommend checking it out!
I ditto the Hillcrest Christian School response. My oldest son goes there now and my 5 year old is going in the fall. I love the school. We have been there for 6 years now and one great aspect is that you don't have to move your children as they grow, the school is K-12. Also it is a closed campus which makes me feel safe.
Hi there, You didn't mention if you were interested in Christian school. My two boys ages 7 and 10 both go to West Valley Christian Academy in Canoga Park. They are getting an amazing education and are being taught great morals and all around good attitude. I haven't met a child there that was rude or disrespectful. They also have the lowest tuition in the valley.It does not mean they have the lowest in teaching though.Let me know if I can help you any more. They are accepting applications right now. You can't go wrong with W.V.C.A. Good luck !Their # is ###-###-#### and at least go meet with Mrs. Andrews for a tour. Academically and spiritualy W.V.C.A. is hands down #1. Small classes too .One other great aspect is all the wonderful Moms you will meet.
Check out www.EducationAndEnrichment.com
It offers a comprehensive listing of all schools (public and private) by city!
Good luck!
I too live in Northridge and have my entire life. I was a private school 'brat' growing up. I've never attended public school because my father, who works for LAUSD, has seen the things that go on in the classrooms and never wanted me in that environment. Now some schools are different, but unfortunately, the majority of LAUSD schools are poorly run.
I went to Pinecrest from pre-K through 6th grade and later transferred to LA Baptist for 7-12 grades. They were both wonderful experiences and gave me the educational tools to be successful as an adult. I would highly recommend Pinecrest for elementary school but there are quite a few other great private school options in your area as well.
