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April 2023 by Rubin M.
We currently have a son in the eighth grade attending SML as well as another son who graduated SML in 2020. Overall, both our son's experiences have been very positive while attending this school. This includes both academic and extracurricular school activities. The teachers and office staff are both friendly, very good at what they do, and often go the extra mile to insure that the students as well as the parents, are satisfied and get the best overall experience possible.I suppose like all schools, SML can be criticized by a few for some of what they do or don't do. But a good litmus test for how we rate this school is to simply ask, "would you enroll your children at SML if you had a chance to start their school careers over again. The simple answer is, "yes, we would gladly enroll them at SML and be know that we made the correct decision for our two sons."
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April 2023 by Kim K.
It was fun I thjnkI went t this school and I came out alright I tbink.Mysterious smells and stains from music room but if you close your eyes it's not bad. Also some of the teachers are mad your for absolutely no reason buts it's ok bc they're just extremely geriatric and probably very tiredI would rate it 7 stars but I cant count that high. I am a junior in high school
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April 2023 by Stacy T.
if I could give it a negative 1 I wouldWhen the teachers weren't busy making you upset, they were busy not caring at all. It was a gamble every year--would you get the nicest, most passionate teacher or would you get the actual rudest person to be conceived??? Some of these people literally made you feel unworthy of respect as a person. And the worst part is when they put on a nice front in front of the parents, they become the best actors on Earth. Nuh uh this school is not it if you want to enjoy your preschool/elementary/junior high experience. You don't want these people shaping your first ideas about the school system
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March 2023 by Ray F.
10 Reasons St. Marks Lutheran School Earns 5 Stars: A Parent's PerspectiveAs a parent of a 3rd and 5th grader attending St. Marks Lutheran School since age 2.5, I'm eager to share my positive experience. St. Marks delivers a top-notch education, addressing key child development aspects.1. Blue Ribbon Accreditation: St. Marks guarantees educational excellence through its prestigious Blue Ribbon accreditation.2. Robust Academics: The solid curriculum covers core subjects and diverse electives, providing a comprehensive education.3. Teachers: Highly skilled, credentialed educators devoted to teaching and engaging students. However, there's an issue with the 5th grade math teacher, who has a heavy language barrier that has affected the class for years.4. Social-emotional development: Programs emphasizing social competency and emotional intelligence growth.5. Extracurriculars: Various clubs, sports, and after-school programs to promote well-roundedness.6. Safe Environment and Clean Campus: St. Marks places great importance on student safety, nurturing a supportive and positive community. Additionally, the campus and restrooms are consistently well-maintained and clean, thanks to the diligent efforts of Mr. Gus.7. Parent involvement: Numerous opportunities for parents to actively engage in their child's education.8. College and career preparation: Proactive guidance for future academic and professional achievements.9. Diversity and inclusivity: A welcoming and inclusive atmosphere celebrating diverse backgrounds.10. Facilities and resources: State-of-the-art facilities and access to cutting-edge learning resources.St. Marks Lutheran School provides a comprehensive education that has significantly contributed to my children's development. Despite the challenge with the 5th grade math teacher, I wholeheartedly recommend this school to parents seeking an exceptional educational experience for their kids.I'd also like to express my gratitude for the outstanding support from preschool director Lori, as well as current and previous principals, Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Gerardo. Their dedication and involvement have been crucial in upholding high standards and a nurturing environment at St. Marks Lutheran School.
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June 2022 by Valerie M.
My daughter attends their summer camp and it is fantastic. You can drop off at 6:30am. They do school work for the first half of the day and then playground time the second half. They go on 2-3 field trips a week: roller skating, bowling, John's Incredible, laser tag, Knott's, etc.The staff is attentive and friendly. The grounds are pristine. My daughter looks forward to it every summer and I love having reliable childcare that is more than just a mob of kids running around.
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March 2022 by Evan H.
Bad experience. This school only focuses on making money from business. It needs to pay more than 200 bucks for admission and two months of tuition. WTF, I've heard of this kind of school for the first time. My daughter attended preschool in this school at the age of 3, from August 2021 to January 2022. In January 2022, many classes in the preschool of this school were infected with covid-19, and my daughter's class was also one of them. So I told my daughter to stay at home for a month without class, but the school still asked us to pay tuition. We didn't pay, the school let others into my daughter's class, and didn't refund the tuition we paid in advance.Second, hygiene is not well done. There are many mosquitoes in this school. When my daughter came home from class, she often found a lot of swelling stung on her legs.Third, there is a boy's named Michael in the class who often bullies children weaker than him. My daughter is taller and sits away from him. She is not bullied much. But I often heard from her that he would bully other children ,But the teacher didn't care much about it.
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September 2021 by Sarah Y.
Update review. All things happened these days is a very big mental trauma for our kid. Her personality has completely changed, and it takes a long time and efforts to recover. She can clearly recall things happened by telling us the days, occasions and the people involved. We really don't want any kids to suffer from the same thing like us. As they told us, the teacher we met had 15 years of experience, but is this what she gained throughout these years? She can't even deal with a 4-year-old kid and let her cry all day? She can't even communicate effectively with the parent? Everybody's kid should be cherished, how can you treat a kid differently just because she comes from a different family? A 4-year-old kid can be taught how to have manner and respect people . But If her teacher, who has worked in the childcare field for more than 15 years but still do not respect people and has no manner herself, how can you expect to have the capability and patience to guide your kid? We don't need any leadership class for my four years old. All we want are just respecting us and sparing a minute telling us how she is doing for the day. We are not asking for anyone to kiss our ass or giving us any lips service, but at least we need to have the basic respectful communication instead of showing negative emotion and attitude or even neglecting us.According to my kid, all she received from the teacher was no attention, no comforting, and only orders, scolding, and stares filled with hostility. According to the rules the teacher implemented, she was not allowed to cry, to talk, even not to walk around classroom when a 4 year old kid was attending a school for the first time and had been staying home for over a year due to Covid. Are you asking her to adapt to a whole new set of rules within a few days? Crying all day , without one sip of water or food for her , What's worse is the teacher feeling this is very annoying. She would rather let the kid cry all day and complain to parents than spending some time to calm my kid down. She even uses the word "crazy "to describe my kid when I picked her up! She complained to us that my kid liked to wander around. Given that she was sitting in the last row, she literally received no attention. She was also trying to explore a new place. Fine! After noticing this thing, we kept teaching and training our kid at home. But only after 2 days, 2days! She started to ignore us and our kid. So mean.She teach a kid to follow rules and have manners is By yelling at her and insulting her "you have no manner at all" in front of every one of the classes instead of giving her useful instructions? What she did would only make a kid feel embarrassed and confused. Our daughter used to be a very outgoing and confident kid, but now she is scared of everything. She is scared of people, new places, even dark that had never happened before attending St. Mark. She can't even sleep by herself now. Every night going to bed she starts crying and keeps saying she is very scared. She would suddenly scream "NO! NO! NO!" while she was sleeping. We really can't imagine if something worse might have happened to her at school . All we received from the teacher only be filled with emotional charges against my daughter without any useful information and suggestions. We were so confused and anxious because we never got to know what's going on there.Also, I read the newest post above related to my experience. I am very glad that he has a very good experience there. I also believe that St. Mark is a very decent school except the teacher my daughter met. I swear to god that I am telling the all the truth about what happened to us, I swear to god! I wish the school can confront the problem and fix it. However, if they are mad at the my kids or yelling at her to make her do things right when they are only 4 years old, of course I will rather shelter the kid at home than sending her to suffer from such unprofessional and ruthless teacher . Being strict does not neces
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August 2021 by Bryan G.
Both of my daughters attend SML. My wife and I couldn't be happier with the level of educational standards SML has. The staff goes above and beyond. My daughters were both apart of the Pre-school/Kindergarten program and now one has moved on to 1st Grade. The Preschool/Kindergarten staff has been nothing short of amazing. We have watched both of my girls go leaps and bounds. We started my oldest at 4 and her first school experience with was Ms. Claudia and Mrs. Shanae. The patience that was implemented helped my oldest adjust and grow tremendously. She has such a love of school because of the staff at SML. Thank you to the team at SML for all that you do for our kids!
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August 2021 by Kel C.
Words cannot describe how blessed we feel to find this school. We were skeptical about religious private schools when we were nervously shopping for preschools as overprotective first time parents who took years to conceive. We toured about a dozen preschools since our firstborn was still in my belly, ranging from downtown LA where we worked to the east side. We decided on St Mark's because it is the only school that didn't give me the gut feeling that they just want to make money. It was also the only school we toured where the preschool kids looked so happy. I recalled a couple of kids even tried to hug my very pregnant belly when they saw me seating in the back observing the class. This was pre-covid time of course. First of all, this is NOT a for profit private school. They really care about the quality of education and the overall well being of children. Based on personal experience, the educators here always try to do what's best for the kids instead of what's best for themselves or the parents (even if it means risking offending the parents). I have many personal stories I can share where the preschool teachers have forever earned my respect in situations where they risked their own interest to do what's best for my kid. Simply put, they don't kiss your ass and give you lip service to interfere with what's in your kids' best interest. Yes, they truly care about your kids and what they will become in life later on. Second, leadership leadership leadership! The school (both the elementary school and preschool) are led by great leaders. I'm not a natural leader myself, so I respect those who can lead. The people in charge here are also receptive to listen to feedbacks, unlike what I have heard from parents from public schools. There is a very low turnover rate from what I have observed. Pretty much most here have worked at St Mark's long term (many for decades). It is also not uncommon to hear from current teachers and staff that their own kids have graduated from St Mark's. This should tell you a lot about the leadership and environment here. PRESCHOOL: I was skeptical at how academic it is, as I was looking at play-based and outdoor preschools. I almost decided not to send my kid here because I worried about burdening my then two years old with excessive learning. I'm glad I didn't give up my spot. The staff here makes learning fun at a a young age to stimulate their curious minds. My then toddler quickly learned the alphabets, numbers, colors, days of the week, months of the year on songs from singing. By the time he was 4 and after two years of St Mark's he had became a little learning machine who is excited about learning and thinks learning is fun. Not to mention they only hire good people. Most if not all teachers/aides here have worked long term (some for decades) and have sent their own kids here. This should tell you a lot about the organization if staff remain the same over the years and people come back to work after their own kids graduated from St Mark's. Note that covid has made it a little more difficult for preschoolers for a wide variety of reasons. So if your kid is starting preschool during covid time (which my youngest is), do expect longer adjustment period. This will be true no matter where you go. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Two words, respect and leadership. My oldest who is 6 came home telling me just this week that he was excited to start his leadership class. He said the leadership class will teach him to become leaders, learn to help others and be kind. He is only 6, and they got him and his friends excited about learning to become leaders! How amazing is that. Not to mention my kid is an introvert. If you want your kids to become well rounded individuals who will always try to do the right thing, respect others, enjoy learning, and have a desire to lead, this is the place for you. If you prefer to shelter your kids, this may not be the place for your family. But if you care about your kids becoming decent human beings, you
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May 2021 by Charmaine G.
My grandson has been going here even through Covid. He is very bright and would have been deprived of further educational growth if it were not for St. Marks. There Covid precautions have been spot on. These preschool children have not experienced school with the masks so for them it is what normal is. Blessing to all the staff.
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January 2019 by David O
I had the time of my life at that school and still have the same friends till this day and so on!
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January 2018 by Talking with Jesse
I go to school here. Wish we could use our phones.
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January 2017 by Bilibili Reefer
staffs there are really meanie; epically the doorkeeper is so rude to visitors! It make us feel so uncomfortable. Fire and replace him, find some one who could be more polite please.
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January 2015 by Terrence Pace
We chose to move our son to St. Mark's for 6th Grade due to the school’s reputation for solid academics and strong sense of community, and we could not be more pleased with our decision. Middle School can be a tough transition for a new student, but the teachers and students have gone out of their way to make our son feel welcome. We have found the core classes and extra curricular activities to be first rate. Our son has been challenged, but not overwhelmed. The teachers really seem to enjoy what they do, and do an excellent job of providing feedback through materials that are sent home and the school’s new website. Having come from the public school system, we have quickly realized the advantages that St. Mark's offers in terms of the classroom environment, technology and campus facilities.
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January 2015 by Craig Herron
St. Mark’s has provided our daughter with an excellent academic education and a great social environment. She is receiving all the benefits and advantages of the school’s outstanding staff and administration. Students are encouraged to become involved in the many extracurricular sports and social events that help to make a student well rounded, making St. Mark’s more than just a school. Our daughter truly enjoys her classes and the many friends she has at school. St. Mark’s is a great place for children to learn and grow.Thank you for allowing us to help support all of your outstanding work,Diana and Craig Herron
