Canyon Heights Academy

Excellent school with a fabulously supportive and welcoming community for the entire family. Challenging academic environment teaches more than just knowledge of facts and figures. Students develop critical thinking and communication skills to know not only the right answers but to be prepared to ask the right questions. Combined with stellar faith formation and virtuous character development, Canyon Heights Academy will prepare your child to be a leader at the high school of their choice.
--Submitted by a parent

Not a good school. The fact that all negative reviews for this school seem to disappear off this site is disturbing. Many of the teachers at this school are not excellent, leadership is poor, and academic program is lacking.

Canyon Heights Academy prepares my children for high school. Of course they are very prepared academically and they test out of many subjects in their freshman year. However, they are also prepared for all of the social situations that come with high school. Canyon Heights Academy prepares my childen to develop strong social skills and to be leaders in all areas of life. Their Catholic faith taught at Canyon Heights Academy will take them far in life. Gallagher testing is highly recommended to use before taking the high school placement exams. Even my children, who do very well in school, will be tested through the Gallagher tutoring program because it is a wonderful way to prepare them for the high school exam.
--Submitted by a parent

Is your child BORED in school? My child was until we found Canyon Heights Academy. Their small class sizes and academics are like no other school I have seen. They have so much to offer and their programs are well thought out and balanced. When I asked my child if he liked school he actually said, "Yes! I like school because I feel challenged!" My son learns new concepts very easily, but for the first time he is not bored and he loves school! Their programs include an excellent writing program, philosophy for children, performances, plays, singapore math, and a very hands-on science curriculum! We really love the catholic formation that it gives our son too! It's like no other school I have ever found!
--Submitted by a parent

We moved 3 kids to Canyon Heights Academy (CHA) from our local school in the fall of 2010. We were looking for more intellectual development - not just memorizing facts for standardized tests - but learning to think critically about issues and problems, and then being able to effectively articulate their views. We wanted a school where kids were more actively involved in service activities - to their family, their community, and to God. We wanted a place where kids learned how to be good citizens, to take responsibility for themselves, and where they would recognize right and wrong and be challenged to take the (often) tougher path. And, of course, we wanted a school where spiritual growth was a sincere priority that received daily attention. This is the basis of the Integral Formation model that CHA employs. With dedicated and talented faculty, staff, and priests, CHA is a place committed to forming good, well-rounded, and happy kids. And best of all, it is also a very inclusive and immediately welcoming community. We feel truly blessed to have found this wonderful school!

Canyon Heights Academy is an environment where children flourish in all aspects of school and life. Our child entered CHA in middle school and has benefited tremendously from the emphasis on developing analytical, abstract, and critical thinking skills and on the ability to transmit those thoughts and ideas through extensive written work, verbal presentations and speeches, and multimedia presentations. Our child has excelled academically and has been accepted into a national talented youth program. The Theology and Catholic Formation curriculum is exceptional in its richness and depth. The Integral Formation approach produces leadership qualities and develops the children intellectually, morally, spiritually, and apostolically. This is especially evident through the Middle School Service Program, which though mentored, is led and run by the students. Through their own initiative they have been performing great apostolic works which far exceed imposed service requirements of other middle and high schools. This program is one example of forming young leaders with a strong sense of charity who look beyond themselves and to those in need in the local community.
--Submitted by a parent

This school does a wonderful job preparing students to excel and lead in a competitive high school environment. They emerge as confident, independent, articulate young men and women, able to think critically and ready to make a positive impact on the world through service to others. What my child learned from this school will be with him his whole life.
--Submitted by a parent

CHA's preschool was critical and enabling. Our 2nd son has the ability to relate things beyond his age and possesses much stronger organization skills than our 1st son who didn't attend this preschool. CHA's middle school was tough but transformational for my 1st son after being transferred from a bigger, private middle school. He went from not delivering consistent results to his potential to making A grades on his own. Now he is at a very competitive high school. The integral formation teaching has tremendously benefited not only children but also parents. It has made us realize that our children's trouble often comes from parents' own ignorance no matter how accomplished we are at our profession. The teachers are highly qualified in their subject fields as well as being role models for our children. Our 1st son at elementary level loves his teachers and his classmates.
--Submitted by a parent

We love this school! They not only teach the children how to learn but they actually teach them how to THINK both critically and abstractly. The curriculum is advanced and comes from NCE; National Consultants for Education. Philosophy will also be added this year. Because it is a Leadership school they teach the children how to live virtuous lives and to serve others. The children also work on their public speaking skills by making oral presentations about 6 times a year. The school performances involve all of the children in the lower grades and the middle school and upper school kids produce their own film documentaries on computers. This is our 8th year at the school and can not say enough good things about it. Our 3 children just LOVE their school; the teachers are well formed, and VERY caring. Check it out for yourself; this is a very innovative school. www.canyonheightsacademy.com
--Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school!!!!! Before my family left the school I found out that almost all the 8th graders had to be tutored at Gallagher Learning Center in Saratoga because Canyon Heights couldn't deliver a solid education. The fact that the school is very expensive and then you have to go out to supplement the education with more cost just doesn't add up. This was just one reason we left the school. There are no up to date books in the library and no computer classes for the kids. Can you believe this is happening in the Silicon Valley? At the open house there's the principal telling you how wonderful this place is. He shows you fancy graphs, colorful data, photos of smiling children, and it sounds very impressive. Don't be fooled. Check his facts
--Submitted by a parent