Milpitas Christian School

3435 Birchwood Lane

San Jose, CA 95132

24 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on August 30, 2023

My daughter loves the school. Great teacher and nice people.
Submitted by other on June 02, 2022

For background information, I am now an alumnus of this school. I attended only middle school, so I cannot speak for the lower grades.In short: This school has terrible education standards but a nice community.Elaboration:Overall, this school is small, friendly, and safe. If a cozy community is all you're looking for in a school, this could be the right pick for you.Facilities are also quite good. Since the school used to be massive, they have the right equipment bar a sub-par middle school building (portables). It is also heavily Christ-oriented, if that's what you're interested in.That concludes the good things about this school, and the bad greatly outweighs the good. First of all, teachers change far too often. Many, I presume, find this school a bad fit or below standards. Second, these teachers aren't the best. Some are late to class, and others just cannot teach. I had a teacher who taught by playing videos of other teachers. My entire gradebook that class in one semester had only TWO major and minor assessments. The teacher also showed lack of understanding and effort. For a private school that we were paying 20k+ to attend, **these standards are unacceptable**. Another problem is that the school is a bit *too* small. Each grade has only one class, and even they are small. One class had just 8 people in it. As that class carries forward, it gets smaller and smaller.A short note on some other comments:I see many people complaining that there is too much work at this school. I find this, as a student, to be very false. For middle school, our classes were too easy. We came to a private school for better education, yet people are complaining that it is too hard. We need to be pushed to grow, and some other comments neglect that fact.Do with that what you will, but I will sum it up with one remark: Do NOT send your child here if you are looking for good education.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2022

Although my son passed the entrance exam, they said my son would not be a "good fit" since he needed lots of redirections from the teacher during the test. If all other schools think the same, my son will have no school to go to. It is a Christian school that holds bias towards kids. I'm very disappointed.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2018

I agree with most of the points in the previous review. Well done, finally a review that does not sound fake (yes I am talking about many of the 5 stars ones). It is true the principal changes often.It is true kids wake up at 4/5 to complete the assignments.It is true you see some sleeping on the couches! LOL! Just now I connected the dots, thanks !!And sob, it is true about the issues. Not sure if it is completely the school responsibility though.The middle school has awesome sport programs though. They select a team for each of the major sports after going through tryouts. Then the kids will play against other christian schools + 3 days of practice a week. They even get to travel 1 hour away. very cool.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2017

All well with their elementary, great teaching staff. Low student/teacher ratio, great for your money. Little kids get to love learning. Non teaching staff is good too. After school is good. Kids really feel like in a family. Lots of green space for the them. Cafeteria food is good.But… So much BAD with their middle school. There, lots of kids already have or get into issues while in school. Serious i-s-s-u-e-s. And make no mistakes: They are not from low income families. The opposite actually. Teachers are no way prepared to handle it. They actually make it constantly worse. School staff has no preparation to handle it.Number of students is very low, HUGE underground gossiping exists in middle school. Bad unskilled teachers encourage it so that they can get into it, seeing it as an easy way to find information to try to solve the middle schoolers issues. Result? You guess...Homework balance is bad just because of one teacher that overloads the kids with unreasonable amount of homework, therefore screwing other subjects' homework deadlines.Kids are carefully instructed by that teacher to take the guilt for the missing deadlines, by reciting "It's my fault, I need to better manage my time"...The same one bad teacher with all her naiveness tries to fix it by setting the homework deadline to 6 AM!!! Result ? Kids routinely end up working on homework during the night. Some of them will be heard bragging "Yesterday I pulled an all-nighter"... It is not uncommon in fact to find some sleeping on couches at after school.The bible teaching is another big non-sense in this school where unprofessional teachers cause more harm than good instilling a lot of confusion in vulnerable middle schooler's minds. Your kids will hear the teacher saying stuff like " If your parents are catholic or buddhist, I feel sorry for you. If your parents are christian, you are blessed."The close ties of the school with the church results in the school hiring from a close circle of people belonging to the same church community.Do I need to mention this is not exactly what you would expect to pay for with your money ?My advice: Take the best out of this school, send your kid there during elementary years only. But be always vigilant. As soon as you get a sign that something is not right around your kid, pull your kid out. DO NOT WAIT.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2015

Our kids have gone to MCS for the past eight years, and they have had fantastic experiences there. The school has very caring teachers and a lot of individual attention. Also, the unique outdoor education program has helped them bond with all of their classmates, and grow into pretty great teenagers. The only downside is that we've been pretty spoiled right before they leave for big impersonal high school!
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2015

My son has attended MCS since Kindergarten and this is his 3rd year with MCS. He loves this school. The teachers are nice and passionate to the kids. There is on site day care on campus which closes at 6:30pm. My son loves play with his friends in day care. MCS offers AR program to motivate kids read and also fun projects to help student acquire knowledge or gain interest in science. The required work off hour gives parents opportunity to involve in school project. Great school and safe environment for kids to learn and grow. It is Christian school, so kids are required to recite Bible verse, which helps kids to build their character. We will continue stay in this school until he graduates from 8th grade.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2015

Unfortunately the Middle School students are given a lot of "busy" homework. Writing daily Bible journals where the teacher does not even read them is a good example. For a Christian school, they are lacking in being able to really convey the true meaning of what it means to be a Christian, instead, they are too busy discussing with the class how each and every one is a sinner and assigning busy work. Too bad, as the elementary school is very good.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2015

There are a lot of bullying going on at this school. They have kids from rough homes attending this school for a year to two at most . MCS takes in any students and your child is at risk for those that maybe a danger to other students. They will keep students that should attend public school's Special Needs Program due to reasons such as "heredity reasons, illnesses, autism, etc. They will made you believe this school is the right school for your child because they want your money and they do not provide anything more than a low scoring school like Toyon Elementary, Summerdale Elementary, etc. This school is not transparent to the public and most kids in this school cannot even write as well as those that are in The Fremont Mission School District schools, San Ramon School District, Cupertino Union School District, and Foster City School District, etc. No transparencies mean coverup = waste of money.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2014

Having been a public school student myself I didn't really think much of the need for a religious education when I enrolled my kids here, but now I love that Christianity is taught as a core component of the education. It builds character, and it does not in any way sacrifice the fundamentals. If anything, I've found that the religious piece enhances the basic education, and that my kids have received an excellent balance between being allowed to just "be kids" and learning in ways that are a lot of fun. Parent involvement is expected, but I see that as a benefit -- I get to know the families of my kids' friends, I learn about what I can do to help my children as they focus on a particular subject, and I have the opportunity to make the experience of my children and their friends even better. The school was recently accredited, and passed in the highest category -- an outstanding review. ...and yes, the students compete with other schools in the area, often bringing home awards. Grades my kids attended: Preschool, kindergarten, and first grade
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2014

My children have attended Milpitas Christian school for the last nine years. It truly has been everything we wanted in a school. A pleasant campus,great location, security, excellent academics, sports programs the list goes on and on. But what really separates this school from the rest is there teaching staff. They are like an all star team. I ask you to reflect back on when you were a kid. Remember the last day of school everyone is excited because it's summer break. Except you were sad because you loved your teachers and you already miss her or him .Every year is like that at Milpitas Christian school. You should choose Milpitas Christian school your family will not regret it!
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2014

My children have been attending MCS for 6 years now. No school is perfect, but this one is great! We are very pleased! It's a very well rounded and friendly school. If you are thinking about enrolling your children, just call them up and schedule a tour to see for yourself. Teachers are well coordinated not only in their own classroom, but with each other. We LOVE the outdoor education program (overnight extended field trips) which starts in 4th grade. They have an excellent program for music and technology, and a few years ago Spanish was added too. Plenty of extra opportunities for extra-curricular activities including sports, band, and a gifted program. The tuition is reasonable (just compare with other schools). (PS-Regarding the parent who's review said that Bible instruction focused on verse memorization. Maybe their child is in one of the younger grades or they are just seeing the memory verse homework. In class there is much more real life application instruction, and it gets more in depth as the grades advance. For example, in 6th grade the curriculum covers every book of the Bible, and in 7th grade it's focused on the life of Christ and the book of John.)
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2014

My daughter attends. It compares "+" against charters, and level with some other private schools. The level of academic work and homework is generally demanding. For example: Vacation homework during Christmas. What seems to be odd is the way the school addresses religion teaching. Rather than "teaching the value of religion" in general (morality, values etc.) which may be considered of value in a career, while compatible with the word "Christian", the school focuses instead solely on "memorizing passages from the bible". What's the point of that? A memory test.? Comments from students indicate that they just "follow instructions to pass grade.". They also "upset" typical American kids telling them that "Halloween" is something evil. Huh? Just a chance to dress up and get candy? Get with the program! There are comments below about different teaching for different ethnic groups: They accept foreign students, and modify the curriculum ONLY for such students to give them a chance to learn English On the plus side: The staff (that I have met) are generally friendly, understanding that "pupils have different religious views" etc. Bullying and behavior appear well controlled.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2013

We have four children and all of them have gone through preschool, elementary and middle school at MCS. We have been very happy with the experiences that they've had there. The teachers are loving, kind and compassionate. It has been a blessing that these teachers partner with parents to help their students continue as academic achievers and citizens with moral backbone. I highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2013

When I pick up my son from Milpitas Christian School, he has a big smile on his face and is excited to tell me what he learned in school that day. After attending kindergarten in the public school system (Berryessa School District), I decided to try MPC for summer school. MPC came highly recommended by several good friends. They told me I would not be disappointed - and they were right. We had such a great experience, I enrolled my son at MPC for 1st grade. I have NO regrets. The teachers are awesome!! There is an aide who helps out in my son's class and also music and computer classes for each grade.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2013

This is sucks big time. This school used to be good too many years ago before everything got change. It is a waster of money.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2013

My daughter is in kindergarten. We love this school. It is a very special place. the administrators, teachers, students and parents all work toward the goal of not only educating my child but helping the students become stewards of life. They teach more than just great academics. It's a fun, friendly and family oriented school that focuses on the whole child: academics, social skills and spiritual growth. Terrific school!!
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2012

When you get to the 6th, 7th and 8th grade it is not competitive like the Mission san Jose and Cupertino Middle schools. They are very slow, and the stuff aren't even challenging. This school lost over 35% of it's student since 2009 from what I figured out. I pulled my kids out cuz it is not what I expected. A few teaching staff is good, but they aren't all good. There are very lazy ones and ones that favor white over asian kids when you can see majority are asians. They give different rules to different kids. I found out how inconsistent this school is, so I pulled my kids out. The inconsistency is among their teaching staff and non teaching staff. I don't think this school have much true christian staff working. It is just a money making institution using the name of christianity to get parents to enroll their children. what a waste of money.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2012

We are refugees from our neaby public school (Northwood) and, after extensive interviews with private schools in the area, we chose MCS. This is our 3rd year there and we are very happy, very satisfied with the school. The TK and K and 1st class curricula are challenging yet teachers and their aides are still able to provide differentiated instruction to each child in class. The staff are so warm, and genuinely caring about the children and parents. Their kindergarten director, Ms Leta Leggit, has decades of teaching and research experience and you know instantly your child is in great hands. The school sits on a very large lot with several grassy fields for students' PE. They also offer a lot of after school programs like robotics, cartooning, soccer, etc and great, great day care staff. Above all, I feel 100% of the time that staff really want the very best for our children. I highly, highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2012

Milpitas Christian School has exceeded all our expectations. The students are challenged academically daily, but in a loving environment, where individuality is respected. Most importantly, the students are exemplary citizens, polite and cheerful.