St. Bernardine Of Siena Elementary School

6061 VALLEY CIR BLVD

Los Angeles, CA 91367

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 09, 2024

Would not help with a teen that needed a positive transition from a negative experience at current school because of being in the 8th grade might be too disruptive for one of gods children
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2021

We love this school. My children are thriving in this loving, welcoming, caring environment. Yes, class sizes are large, but it allows the school to hire additional aides, so the class size ratios are small. Teachers are highly effective and care so much about my children, they never feel left out or ignored. This school quickly addresses any discipline or bullying issues and the administration has an open door policy. We couldn't be happier with our experience at St. B's.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2021

The kindergarten class has 36 students and is way too understaffed they do not pay attention to your child at all , my son can barely ask for water to be filled up or to go to the bathroom and he they let him sit in urine all day without even noticing. Don’t waste your money this is supposed to be a small private school and it’s obviously all about money now. I did not expect this after having a wonderful experience at the preschool I thought I would have the same experience here but it’s completely the opposite
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2020

We love St. B’s. Our children have had a great experience there and they still are. The way they have handled everything with the pandemic has impressed us. We’re thankful to be at this school especially at this time of distance learning.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2018

We love this school. My kids have learned and grown so much. They are confident and happy. They are challenged and have had great opportunities for enrichment with the incredible music program, sports and the after school activities. The principal came on two years ago and has set an incredible tone for the place. The teachers and staff are wonderful and really know each child and their individual needs. There are plenty of activities for the whole family like the festival, casino night, movie night, etc. Lots of opportunity to get involved. The kids use technology, they all have ipads or laptops, but they don't use it too much. There is still a lot of hands on learning. But the main reason we send our kids to this school above any others is because of the faith. The kids go to mass, pray, and volunteer. They are taught to love each other and the world. You don't get that anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2018

Both of my children attend St. Bernardine. We are extremely pleased with the education both receive. They not only thrive academically but are taught about kindness and good character. Overall, there is a good atmosphere at St. Bs and loving environment.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2017

Overall I'm happy with the school but my main complaints are: 1) stop asking me for donations/money every single week. Raise my tuition and stop the badgering. 2) stop including the kids in the fundraising. They are there to learn, not to raise money for the school. The turkey trot, the competitions between classrooms to raise more money, more donations, etc. turns the focus away from where it should be and puts students who don't have money in a difficult situation. My child shouldn't have to come home from school and tell me that they need $500 so that the class can earn an ice cream party 3) get teachers outside during recess and lunch to assist with bullying and making sure that character is practiced and not just talked about 4) look around and see the horrible cliques of parents from other grades that essentially "run the school"...they close out new parents that want to help and be involved, shut out new ideas and basically make it miserable to participate in school activities.
Submitted by parent on June 26, 2017

We moved our son out of this school. There was too much drama with the teachers and the principal at the expense of the students' education. Preferential treatment is given to those families who have a legacy there, event though they do not attend church regularly. Even though the school is small, the student to teacher ratio is incredibly high (like 35:1).
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2016

New Principal and New attitude things are great at this school! You can see the change right away, it's nice to get greated with a smile instead of a frown and also the kids being treated with respect as well as the parents.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2016

Our principal definitely make the children a priority and is a leader who has greatly improved our school. Unfortunately some of our parents don't like a leader who has the courage to tell them "No".
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2015

The School and Teachers are great! My daughter has learned so much and has thrived and we are okay with the changes. But as far as the principal, she is very, very rude and disrespectful. Hard to imagine a school run by a person who doesn't practice what she preaches. Surprised the Priest has let this go on for so long.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2015

We removed our child from this school for several reasons. The teachers, students, and parents are not warm to newcomers. It may be different for families that have been there since preschool or kindergarten. We found that not only do the children have cliques, and ostracize other children, but the parents do as well. They have very large class sizes and so much homework in the older grades, it s difficult to participate in extracurricular activities. In the short time we were there, 5 teachers left the school, which is a very high turnover for such a small school. In addition, the administration is ineffective when handling bullying situations, and special treatment was given to families with more than one child. It s money over morals here. This was our personal experience, and I hope it helps anyone considering this school.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2015

In response to parent and student evaluations/recommendations major changes have occurred in the past couple of years -- all very positive. Separation of elementary from junior high has led to environments more focused on the children. Art instruction has been enhanced, with music and dance being emphasized as never before. Student performances during the 2014 Christmas program was testament to that, as is the on-going pride of the children who are learning to read and perform music even if that involves rather simple instruments. Most of the grades are using laptops or tablets with each student involved in a collaborative learning environment. On top of all that... significant improvements in student safety have been implemented to address issues associated with a school that is an integral part of an active parish. Despite bitterness from some parents and faculty over recent changes, St B continues to perform well above average in academic performance and continues to effectively develop devout Catholic Christian children.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2015

Two of my children went to this school. It was ONCE a great school with a community where you knew everyone. Under the new administration the community has dissolved as the principal has made parent involvement less than inviting. The staff turnover has been horrendous since the new principal started and the staff that remains are not happy. I have since pulled my one remaining child out and my third child will go elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2014

Great school with a caring, involved principal. Change is important and necessary in schools today. Keep going! Bravo!
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2013

st. bernardine of siena very large class size very high student to teacher ratio Principal discourages parent involvement
Submitted by parent on January 01, 2013

The St B school as it is called is an outstanding supportive environment for learning. The teachers are caring and work hard to educate the students academically as well as morally and religiously. The feel is one of being in a family and everyone has an interest in the childrens' learning and excelling. The academic excellence is evidenced by their outstanding standardized test scores and by the fact that almost all of the children excell into high school.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2012

Two of my children have graduated from St.B's and I have one currently in the school so needless to say, we have been in the school for a long time. It is a wonderful school, with a wonderful staff of caring teachers. I would highly recommend this school to anyone. The comment about the junk food is a joke. I pack my child's lunch everyday, with healthy foods that i choose. The school does not promote unhealthy eating.