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September 2023 by Veronica P.
I can't say enough praises to this school and it's Principal!The values of the school and it's leadership and teachers are beyond believe!! The way every student and parent is treated at the school is outstanding!All subjects are taught at least 1 year above all other private schools and actually at a High schools level. The education children get at Hilldale is PRICELESS!!PLEASE, TRUST ME, IT IS WORTH YOUR EVERY PENNY AND MORE!!The discipline at school is very strict which is perfect and creates very organized and structured environment, which promotes education, not playing around. Don't take me wrong, they have lots of fun days, activities, parties, etc. "Work hard and play hard", but work is Hilldale's first priority. It gave my daughter an invaluable experience and education which prepared her for high school better than all other students in her grade from different private schools. Hilldale school leadership will always accommodate a student whether he/she is above or below the average and needs some curriculum adjustment. There are many, many more plusses and advantages at Hilldale, that i can't even fit all in this review. The most personable and amazing principal, who cares about every single child GENUINELY and is always willing to help.If you are looking for THE BEST EDUCATION in Bay Area, this school is for you!
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December 2022 by Rahim N.
A few things we liked about Hilldale after speaking with the principal, reading the web site, and speaking with a couple of parents:- the values of the school leadership, including emphasis on behavioral norms, high expectations etc.- they teach all subjects one grade level ahead- high emphasis on social-emotional learning at an age-appropriate level- they're serious about differentiation within the class (e.g. for math and English)- when differentiation isn't enough, they consider subject acceleration (e.g. 3rd grader in 5th grade math)- price- extended care up to 6pm at no extra charge;- they place kids after a half-day assessment, instead of by age. Any San Francisco school (either public or private) would have forced our son to do kindergarten, because he was born 2 weeks after the cut-off, even though he had already mastered all of the academic content for that grade.Our expectations have been met. In addition:- amazing parent community- amazing principal who treats each child as an individual
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August 2022 by Libby O.
Hilldale has provided a loving, supportive and challenging environment for our daughter since pre-K (now in 7th grade). We have been impressed with the curriculum throughout, which is accelerated and differentiated, but not too intense. The kids take Spanish from Kindergarten on, and there are weekly music, art and technology classes for all grades, and the middle school provides a number of electives each semester for enrichment (from debate to engineering to gardening). The teachers and administrators are highly engaged and know all of the students. They care deeply about our kids and I am so comfortable leaving my daughter in their care each day. The school actively helps parents and kids evaluate choices for their post-Hilldale education, providing seminars and assistance in finding the right public or private high school and helping families navigate the complicated submission process. I personally have benefited so much from the involved parent community and have made some wonderful, close friendships that I hope will continue on past graduation. The school is a rarity in that it is secular (not religious nor affiliated with any church) and still much more affordable than other private schools we looked into. We appreciate the values and character education the school promotes, and have been impressed with the young people who graduate each year. We will be sad to leave our "home" next year when our daughter finishes eighth grade!
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August 2022 by Cookie M.
I cannot say enough great things about this gem of an independent and unpretentious educational institution! We stumbled upon this school after years of navigating private school options in San Francisco that we could never see ourselves fitting into. They did an incredible effort during Covid to keep the community safe without skipping a beat. We joined in 3rd grade and love the administration, the teachers, and curriculum and social emotional learning is a priority.
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November 2021 by Ingrid L.
My three kids (ages 7, 9, 11) have been attending Hilldale School in Daly City since they were in Pre-K. When COVID hit, they transitioned seamlessly to all-virtual, without skipping a beat. My kids still covered all the intended curriculum for the year, and had fun doing it! They were in school from 8:30-3:30 pm on zoom, with regular breaks to avoid zoom fatigue - even my little kindergartener. And they covered all the intended curriculum for the year.Hilldale is an independent private school that is academically accelerated (sometimes 1-2 grades ahead of the public school system), with incredible teachers, a very strong community of parents and families (who are for the most part, working parents), a rich program in the arts (music and art), world language and citizenship, and character education. Their mission is to meet the needs of accelerated and above average students, which is often lacking in the public school system (no STEM programs, etc).The class sizes are small (12-18 students), allowing ample opportunity for differentiated learning (both within the class and intra-classes - some students may excel at math, and go up one grade for math, and then back to their home class, because they might not be emotionally or socially ready to skip an entire grade). That differentiation is very fluid - it could change depending on the subject, the topic being discussed. This flexibility allows for our kids to get education that is tailored to their individual learning needs. The school day goes from 8:30-3:30 pm, with no extra cost for extended care till 6pm (all included in the tuition). The school year is longer than the traditional year (195 days), but that means more learning (and less summer camps you have to book)! They emphasize hands-on, project-based learning with fieldtrips that reinforce the content from class. For example, when my kids were learning about China, India, and Japan, we took fieldtrips to Chinatown, had a tour from a local grandma who had grown up there, and we explored her neighborhood. We went to the Japanese tea garden and had a tea tasting experience. When they studied ancient civilizations in 4th grade, we went to the amazing San Jose Egyptian museum to see the huge collection of Egyptian artifacts. They make learning fun and exciting!After school enrichment programs are available for those (with a minimal additional cost), like cooking class, piano or guitar lessons, chess, lego class, and other fun sessions! There's a homework club that everyone automatically participates in if they're after school, with a dedicated teacher for that grade so that YOU don't have to hassle them to finish their homework when you get home.Ms. Sasha Clayton, the principal, is an incredible rock star! She is incredibly responsive, warm and loving. She knows EVERY single child - their quirks, their likes and dislikes, and personalities. She is so responsive, communicative, and willing to incorporate parental feedback and will make changes swiftly if needed. When we had a teacher that was not a good fit last year, she addressed it head on, observing the teacher in the classroom, watching recordings of her teaching sessions, had one-on-one feedback with the teacher, held parent meetings with us, where we voiced our concerns, and within a week, the teacher was gone and replaced with one that everyone loved. Her leadership through COVID has been tremendous. She is highly informed and thoughtful, had a steering committee of parents to help craft the policies and procedures, based on the most up-to-date science and public health guidelines. I'm an emergency physician, and can attest that the school's policies and procedures have made all of us feel very safe. I guarantee that you will not find a better principal - she sets the tone for the school, and sets her expectations high for the students and teachers. She's had a legacy of recruiting exceptional teachers.In short, we absolutely LOVE Hilldale. It's a hidden gem that is reasonably priced (when compared to other private schools in
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January 2021 by Tara K.
I cannot say enough great things about Hilldale School. Its administration, teachers and curriculum are top notch. When my son entered 6th grade at Hilldale middle school, not only did the other children welcome him into their class with open arms (most of them had been together since kindergarten so we were nervous about my son being able to integrate), but my son says he learned more in his first 3 months in various classes at Hilldale than in the 8 years at his previous highly regarded (and expensive) private school in SF. The curriculum is academically advanced, but my son has been able to catch up with the support of his teachers and mentors. When Covid hit, we were impressed at the speed and agility with which the school was able to pivot to virtual learning - with full days and lessons. Hilldale School is an amazing and warm community and we can't wait until our son can return to enjoy his teachers, peers and school events in person.For those other reviewers that were not impressed with Hilldale's facilities, believe me I experienced the opposite and much prefer Hilldale's homey atmosphere. During our 8 years at his previous private school in the Mission District, we experienced high annual tuition hikes and shakedowns to donate money to capital campaigns for new, gleaming facilities and updates to others - but these came at the expense of a focus on academics, teacher retention and attention on building kids' characters. It was nice to have a farm & garden and every musical instrument under the sun at my son's previous school, but believe me all of the wonderful attributes of Hilldale and the humans behind it make us not miss the fancy facilities at all.
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December 2018 by Erik Boice
The curriculum is advanced yet the students have fun. It's a small community in a unique, natural setting. Hilldale is a special place.
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December 2016 by Abigail Boice
Amazing teachers, beautiful property, it's a really special place and is less expensive than most other accelerated schools.
