Challenger School - Summerlin

9900 W Isaac Newton Way

Las Vegas, NV 89129

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 30, 2024

Very poor communication with parents in the preschool. My daughter learned a lot and did well, but it came at a cost. They don't support individuality, the don't communicate issues your child may be having until report cards come out, and their methods definitely promote anxiety in the kids. Administration treats the students as a product not people. No community feel here at all.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2024

We have kids in PreK and kindergarten. The school is great, however just know that they have high expectations for the children from a young age. The kids learn how to read in Prek and they’re learning pretty advanced concepts in kindergarten. You’ll need to be involved with making sure theyre reading at home and finishing homework assignments. If you have high expectations for your kids then you should like this school. If you want your kids to “just be kids” and have a less rigorous experience then you might think its to much. But it is great to see what they’re learning and what they accomplish at such young ages.Another thing i like its right next to the police academy. Just an extra feeling of safety
Submitted by other on March 06, 2024

This school helps prepare kids to got to high school and college
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2023

My daughter started here during the pandemic. I am thrilled with the confidence, independence, and self reliance she has learned at this school. The teachers have been very professional and rigorous and she has received a top notch education here. At 7.5 she knows time, money, fractions, addition and subtraction, and even multiplication. They teach concepts instead of memorization, which is what seems that some of the parents are complaining about. No, they don’t give your children a list of spelling words in kindergarten , instead they practice a concept and several words and they aren’t sure which ones they’ll be tested on. They teach how to read phonetically. They are taught how to break down a sentence in first grade and how to be organized. She does her homework on her own and is excited about learning. She knows the founding fathers, what liberty and freedom mean, she knows her planets, her states and their capitals are, the parts of a plant, the water cycle, and I could go on. If you value education you’ll find value in this school.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2022

Administration is incompetent and either don’t have the time to care for your child or are simply disinterested. Happy to share more about my experience but I would warn parents to stay away.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2020

Preschool is very good but from kindergarden they will wash off your kid brain.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2019

horrible , waste of time effort and if you want to demote a child , go ahead do it
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2017

Awful. Completely biased. Do not respect parents or their needs. Drag the admission process on for more than a week instead of telling you your denied so you can look for another school. They do not have children from all over the country as advertised. They couldn’t even deal with a smart New Yorker. Curriculum looks good but if you can’t deal with lazy disrespectful administrators this school is not for you. I wish I read these comments before applying. Admisistration is the worst there!
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2016

My kids love coming here. They spend their day actually learning. The teachers do really fun things with the kids. Everyone is helpful and courteous. They really care about the kids here.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2016

All the staff are friendly and great. Great student to teacher ratio.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2016

We moved to Challenger School in 2nd grade after an underwhelming start elsewhere. The curriculum is strong and expectations are very high. The school teaches to the top and expects grades of 80% and above. There are no accommodations for children with gaps or learning disabilities so it can be unforgiving to some. Challenger offers summer school and that is a good opportunity to catch up or try out the school. The environment is no frills. There are no snacks or birthday cake hoopla and a few celebrations a year (like for 1 hour, not whole day festivals). The school gives merit scholarships to their best and brightest. All the kids cheer for the winners of the science fairs, spelling bees and merit scholarships and are clamoring to sign up for science olympiads. Academics are celebrated here. Challenger kids score very high in Iowa testing, way above average. For math, school teaches Saxon one grade ahead, supplemented with math games, timed math challenges, mental math. Reading/literature has strong focus on the classics. No "Captain Underpants" here. Students learn cursive in second grade and are expected to take full notes in class (in cursive) and study for tests from those notes. If your child didn't take good notes it is impossible to study so students really have no choice but to stay on program. There is a strong focus on self reliance. Grammar is highly advanced and sentence diagramming begins in early elementary school years. Book reports start in first or second grade involving a full analysis (analyze setting, theme, plot, characters, conclusion, discuss rising action, falling action etc). For science fair, student reports must follow scientific method (hypothesis, collect/log/interpret data, draw conclusions) and again these reports/presentations start in early elementary years. Challenger teaches computer coding (not click and drag cartoons, but actual writing code) and helpful skills such as learning blind typing. There is a bit of a Libertarian flair to school teachings (touting benefits of small government etc) which seems unnecessary but academics make up for it. Challenger has solid before and after care. Challenger has a diverse student body. Students that start Challenger early, that are naturally bright or highly committed to strong academics do best at Challenger.
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2016

I have had 2 daughters attend this school For preschool. have referred many friend to the school because of the academics and the educational outcome my children have received. The curriculum is what has kept us there.That being said, administration is absolutely ridiculous to work with. They do not listen , they are not concerned with any particular situation, and are just downright lazy.My older daughter now attends a different school that goes the extra mile for all of the children that attend that school, and now that I have seen that, I realize how lazy and closed minded challenger school is. I have recently referred a friend there so that our children could attend preschool together, and we were told that the computer generates the classes and they do not make any changes. Ummmm.... Really? You're telling me that you can't put the friend I referred to you in the same class as my daughter because you're too lazy to actually look at the list and make changes that would be in the child's best interest. Not to mention your future revenues best interest. They were absolutely unwilling to hear a word that we said and our children remain in separate classes. I asked for a copy of the business license for work reimbursement, and they replied that they don't give that out. Other childcare facilities we have attended previously happily gave us a copy and moved on. I went on campus, saw a copy of the license on the wall, and took a picture. Not sure why the answer from them had to be so shut down. It feels very stuffy in the office. Very stiff. I've had many friends that have worked there and they say they would never send their child to this campus.
Submitted by parent on November 28, 2014

This school just keeps getting better! Challenger has always been known for its academics, but this campus also offers so many activities that there is truly something for everyone. They have things like ballet, chess, piano, orchestra, football, robotics, choir, and basketball. With so many clubs and after school activities, the kids can really be well-rounded. The academics are challenging yet attainable. I've never seen a better program.
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2014

As an African American parent, I felt same and had to transferred my kids to the lutheran school next door. It is unacceptable for any child to be discriminated because of the color of their skin and worst of it, these are happening in our schools. What are we teaching our kids? I will make sure the media investigate what is going on with this school.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2014

Parents, this school has a beautiful campus and great teachers willing to help the students excel. The school culture on non white students is terrible, as an Indian parent, my children were constantly discriminated against and I felt like they did not belong to this school. The administration constantly made us feel like bad parents. Please take your child to a school were they will feel accepted and will wouldn't develop psychological problems down the road.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2014

My kids have attended since preschool. They have flourished here! Their writing skills are excellent. They do math that is several grade levels ahead. Challenger teaches young kids to critically think through history and literature at a high school level or above, but none of it is above their heads. This school has taught my kids to be logical and analytical thinkers. Their science program is the best in the state. Both years that my kids have competed in Science Olympiad, this campus has won the state championship, but this has been going on for years! I'm glad my kids have been a part of that wonderful experience. My kids love the way they teach at this school. Everyone is always having a great time. The teachers are caring and creative and take the time to give each child what he needs to thrive. I'm only sad that they don't have a high school. After Challenger, it will be hard to find a place that will keep my kids challenged. They are so far ahead of their peers from other schools. Every year, my kids have ranked in the 99th percentile on the Iowa national standardized tests. I wish we could keep them here until they were old enough to go to college. We love this school!
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2014

In reading these reviews, it is clear they were not written by Challenger students simply because, if they had been, they would not contain grammatical errors. The students at this school get a superior education and have skills better than those of most adults. The thing is, this school is for people who are committed to being the best. Evidently, any unkind words seen here are from those that couldn't cut it. However, most kids thrive because Challenger guides the kids with the tools to be successful, independent, and happy. The results don't lie; the average Challenger student ranks in the 99th percentile nationally. My kids are hard-working, rational thinkers because of the skills they are gaining here, and they will be ready to face any challenge in high school and beyond. I can't imagine a better investment I could have made for my kids. Don't be misguided by the questionable comments shown here. If you are really interested in finding the best academic program in town, schedule a tour and see for yourself how much fun the kids are having!
Submitted by other on February 13, 2014

I am sick, tired, and depressed from this school. I have no social life because on the weekends all I do is homework and write reports. That's not all. The teachers there (mostly elementary and middle school) have no concern for the kids at all. A student can't have a normal conversation with a teacher, unless that student is extraordinary smart. Me and my friends who are doing average at school, or my friends that are a different race, get completely ignored by the headmaster, principal, and most of the teachers. The teachers hate talking to parents and have no connection with them. My previous teachers aren't even kind enough to say hi to me and my family. If you need help on a certain subject, they will give you a stack of "focus" homework. I receive all A and a few Bs. I am friends with everyone in middle school and we all cannot wait to get out of this school. Believe it or not some students are depressed because of pressure from the school and personal family problems and these kids get good grades. Get scolded for not having a functioning printer or no ink. I highly acknowledge you not to go the school unless all you want to do is study and be humiliated for not being smart
Submitted by other on January 13, 2014

I have been going to Challenger since Kindergarten (I am in 8th grade now), and I have loved it. The experience is truly great, and my future will be bright (as the school sets you up to succeed in the lower standard public high schools). Many of the previous graduates of the school tell me that their freshman year is just a big break from school. However, the 8th grade is a big jump from the 7th grade, as twice the workload is added. The math goes from Algebra I in 7th Grade to Geometry in 8th grade, and it can be tough. We 8th graders have to balance between Ayn Rand's Anthem Essay Contest, Science Fair (mandatory for all grades [only individual for 3rd grade and up; below is collective]), and a book report. Sometimes I have felt lasting sadness because of the work (but that's more laziness than the school itself), but it's still great. The views on individualism that are held there have taught me to avoid the wants of the collective and be my own person. Though there is a heavy workload, this school is a good consideration for your child.
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2013

My son has attended Challenger for two years. He takes swimming and piano outside of school. English is his second language. He started reading 2 weeks into the preschool program. He's matured into a very dedicated and responsible student. Last year he scored in the 99 percentile on the IOWA test and received four awards. We are very happy with this school. However, I can see why some parents/students might be frustrated with the school. It has a very strong academic emphasis. If students don't perform they are asked to leave. They have spelling bee, geography bee, math, writing, speech, robotics and science competitions. It's a big deal! Students know the names of the winners. My entire household revolves around my son's academic performance so it's great for us. A philosophy that has helped us is, that we see Challenger, or any school for that matter, as a partner in educating our son. Thus, at least half of the work must be done at home. If you enroll your loved ones in this school, be prepared to do the work and try to anticipate instead of reacting when a bad grade (80% and below) comes home.