Valley School-Individual Train

How much money goes to the family that owns the school? Tuition isn't cheap and they seem to have 4-5 family members being paid by the school... event the accountant is related to the family. I wonder how much better the teachers would be if the "family" overhead wasn't so steep? With pay scale on the low-end many good teachers depart for better paying jobs and are often replaced by weak teachers.... Mr. Haddad is a gem and does wonders on the meager budget afforded him by the family. The grade schools have solid teachers, but the Jr High is where the lack of funds is apparent.
—Submitted by a parent

We love the Valley School for our children as the teachers are wonderful and academics are incredible. Mr. Haddad is amazing as well. The one issue that is concerning to many right now is that Pinecrest in Van Nuys is closing and with the influx of new parents from that school, Valley seems to be changing, which is sad. Some exisiting parents are very concerned and are hoping not too many more Pinecrest families come over. Valley needs to remain Valley, not turn into Pinecrest. I have one child in elementary and one in middle school and I feel the changes in both. Hopefully Mr. Haddad can preserve what he has built here.
—Submitted by a parent

A warm and caring atmosphere is what Valley School is all about. After viewing many school options we decided on Valley School and could not be any happier with our choice. The students are part of a community with outstanding teachers. I feel so blessed my child has been a part of this school; only wish it would go through High school. The Principal, Mr. Haddad is there for the students and parents and very hands on. A GREAT SCHOOL!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Amazing school. They also have a preschool program that is wonderful, caring, and prepares the kids for the next level. It"s great to be able to keep your child at a school through eighth grade. Mr. Haddad is the best, hands on, Principal EVER!!! He listens, and will take the time with each student. You would think he owned the school. The teachers are amazing!! Small classes. P.E. every single day!!! Public school doesn't offer that. The curruculum is actually a grade ahead. This school will prepare your children for the future!!! Very family oriented!! Best decision made to send my two kids there. This school is more than just a ten!!!
—Submitted by a parent

A hidden gem in the valley! The classes are limited to about 17 kids. All grade levels have PE everyday and have art, computers, Spanish and music at least once a week. They cook fresh meals everyday at the school. The children are respectful and learn a ton. Principal Haddad is very involved and accessible, as are the teachers. You feel like part of the family as soon as you come here.
—Submitted by a parent

Absolutely the best school! We can not be happier! It has such a warm, friendly & personal feel to it. The staff is always friendly & actually takes the time to say hello & greet you with a smile. In regards to Ms. Noel, I will 100% agree with the review below. My son was under her care and she was very cold, very rough, lacked interest towards the kids & would sleep on the job. Luckily Ms. Noel is no longer with the school. Mrs. Arlene, Ms. Rachel and Ms. Desiree are attentive and kind with the kids. My son learned so much in summer camp with Mrs. Arlene. We can only imagine how great TK with Mrs. Popowich will be. Definitely a place to consider!
—Submitted by a parent

I don't doubt that the elementary school under Mr. Haddad's care is excellent. Unfortunately, we haven't had the same luck with the Preschool under Mrs. Williams. We question her ability to run the preschool with the true care of the children in mind. I believe she underpays teachers because the outstanding ones only remain for a short time and then they leave for better paying jobs and full-time hours, and who remain are teachers who traumatize the children. Currently, my son has a great daytime teacher but the afternoon teacher, Ms. Noel is absolutely atrocious. She is by far one of the worst caretakers I have ever seen. She not only lacks warmth but she leaves the children unattended, was caught sleeping on the job, yells at them in a mean way (I've heard it through the door), then tries to give toddlers excuses when she does something wrong even to point of lying to them. I've expressed my concerns on several occasions to Mrs. Williams and she seems oblivious to the problem almost to the point of denial. Ms. Noel has been there for 6 years. Our son's first teacher, who was just bad was there for 17 years until she retired. It seems like change is unlikely.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal, Mr. Haddad is very involved, professional and great with the kids. I think he wants to be more progressive, but probably lacks the funds or authority. The children definitely learn, and you can see the needle move educationally, but at least in the lower school, I'm not sure how often the teachers attend professional development classes, as some of their techniques and approaches are outdated. Some of the teachers in the lower classes need to develop better classroom management skills, and need learn to teach kids on a more individual basis. Although the classes are small, they might benefit from help from student teachers to help keep the kids better engaged. The teachers are caring, the parents are engaged and are happy to participate when asked. There definitely needs to be improvement to the grounds, summer camp is mostly swimming, movies and video games. This is a mixed review because there are great things about this school, but so much room for improvement. If you send your child to this school, you have to be highly involved, pay attention to school work, teacher-student interaction, and just about everything else, starting in TK.
—Submitted by a parent

my son has been going to the valley school since preschool. he is in mrs.popowich's transitional kindergarten class. this class pushes my son to learn to his maximum potential, and at the same time he is enjoying and having fun in it. he is not even in the regular kindergarten yet, but he knows how to sound out words already. his teacher is very loving and caring at the same time. i just can't ask for more. i highly recommend this gem in the valley.
—Submitted by a parent

My grandson goes here. Excellent! What I love about the school besides a great educational environment is that the staff is very loving to the kids. Lot's of hugs and laughter. They let the kids be kids. The older kids are also very kind and protective of the younger kids. The kids are truly cared for and taught good social skills. The one thing that could be better is the summer camp does not have much if any education. They do advertise that there is a educational piece but after my grandson has spent two summers there I have to say there is not that component. I am grading the school 5 stars however as the traditional school year is excellent in the educational piece. The school is completely top notch.

My daughter just started Transitional Kindergarten and I am very impressed so far. Her primary teacher is outstanding. She is able to maintain an orderly classroom while still being able to connect with the kids in a very nurturing way. The other teachers seem to be similar committed and caring. The owners are on campus and accessible and I get the impression that this is much more then a business to them. The grounds are ""fine" but the place has a very positive vibe that is unlike other schools that I have seen. I would highly recommend Valley Schools if you are going the private route. The value is outstanding. P.S. No organization is perfect and there are things that do not necessarily jive with my own educational beliefs but I do feel very good about leaving my daughter here each day and she loves it! J R.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been at Valley School for 3 years now and we are thrilled! The school keeps getting better and better. She is learning information an entire year ahead of her friends in public school and with the small class sizes, she gets undivided attention from the very thorough and caring staff of teachers. The before and after school care is wonderful and the price is the same as I would pay for before and after care at a public school. We couldn't be happier!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been attending this school for 4 years and now my son is enrolled in pre-school here. My daughter's education is "top-notch". The teachers know the parents and the parents know the teachers. They study subjects a year ahead of the grade that they are in, which I truly appreciate. They challenge the students to be the very best. Teachers will even tutor students that have moved on to the next grade is assistance is needed. The campus is "ok', but the character and care of the faculty more than make up for it. Their summer camp is also great. I changed my daughter's summer camp last year to save a little money...BIG MISTAKE. She complained the entire summer. Back to Valley Summer camp both the kids with go to this summer. My son has not been there long enough to comment on the pre-school program, but I expect great things.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's first year at VS and we could not be more thrilled. The teachers are all so great and the quality of the education has been very high. The Principal, Mr, Haddad, does an excellent job running the school as well.. Every teacher knows my daughter's name already and the small class size allows top notch learning and attention. It really does feel like a family here and your child is watched closely, which pleases me as a parent. Education is a high priority in our family and we would not have chosen a place that would not give our daughter a great education. The price is right too!
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's 2nd year attending Valley School (preschool). He loves his teachers and his friends. His teachers are nurturing. Class size is very small. The principal is great and very hands-on. Tuition is affordable compared to other schools and my son is thriving. The other parents are great. We are very pleased.
—Submitted by a parent

We love the school an have decided that our child will return there once again this academic year - and is likely to remain until the grade.. The teachers are very involved, caring and nurturing. They have a great educational program and extra curricular activities. One of the huge plus points for me is that all the teachers and staff know every child's name and as far as I know, the parent's names as well - simply put, I feel like it's a big family. Thanks Valley School. The teacher quality is superb, as is the principal's leadership. Parental involvement is encouraged, but it's up to you as a parent if you want to, nothing is enforced.
—Submitted by a parent

After reviewing many schools on the area (Buckley, Brentwood, Crossroads, Oakwood, etc) we decided to start our daugher at The Valley School. Though the campus may not be as nice as the other schools, the academics are just as competitive and we saved ourselves about $15K a year. If you are looking more for 'connections' and a nice campus, it may not be for you. However, if you want a top notch education with some savings, this is the best place around. Save the expense for high school instead. Trust me, your child can get into Harvard Westlake with the education they will get at The Valley School if that is what you want.
—Submitted by a parent

Can't believe the school year is almost over. This has been another great year for my daughter. Seems like the school just keeps getting better and better. Not looking forward to high school, when I need to start looking for another school. At least I know she'll be well prepared thanks to Mr. Haddad and the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

My child just graduated from Valley. What an amazing 8 years. Can't believe it's already over. Thank you Mr. Haddad!
—Submitted by a parent

Just enrolled my third grader. What a fantastic school! Wish I had found it sooner. School seems to be growing tremendously. Hard to do in an economy like this! This fact alone says a lot about the administration and the direction in which Principal Haddad is taking the school. Ecstatic that we were able to jump on board while there was still a little room. Don't let the surrounding neighborhood fool you. The Valley School blows away all of those 'south of the boulevard' schools! Beleive me I checked them all.
—Submitted by a parent