Primoris Academy

120 Washington Ave

Westwood, NJ 07675

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on June 08, 2023

Wonderful school for intellectually curious children. Low student:teacher ratios, sub-specialty teachers for dedicated subjects starting in Pre-K. Most importantly the children love going to school!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2023

Primoris Academy is an institution best in class for celebrating gifted children and providing them an enriching environment to thrive. Ms. Katie is an excellent executive director as she is thoughtful, kind, and a visionary in what she has built for students, called scholars, and their families. The teachers are especially enthusiastic and have found ways to teach unique concepts across subjects to younger grades (e.g. land forms and fables in PreK4, early civilizations - Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, India, Roman numerals, writing and presentation, and poetry in Kindergarten). We highly recommend Primoris Academy!
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2023

My son has been attending Primoris for 3.5 years. He was miserable in public school, because the pace was too slow and he wasn't being challenged. When we spoke to the public school pricnipal about my son's concerns their solution was to assign more advanced homework. No kid likes homework and this proposed solution did not solve our problems. We feel very fortunate to have found Primoris. They really challenge the kids and my son is really happy interacting with his peers. As a point of comparison, my son's math and science is comparbale to my daughter's public school classes which are 3 grades more advanced. Primoris strives to place kids in the apprpriate math classes and doesn't let age solely guide their decisions. Primoris is looking to educate a well rounded kid and places importance on public speaking, presentation skills and collaboration which can be a challenge for kids that are more advanced in math and science.I would highly recommend this school if your child is bored in public school and loves to learn.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2022

Our child is very happy at Primoris Academy and that speaks volumes to us as parents. We have researched and attended other schools considered to be excellent in this area and found them to be mostly catering to the vast “middle.” Our child was not being challenged and the teaching was not dynamic. By contrast, at Primoris, our child is eager to attend everyday and is challenged appropriately (and we love to see our child rising to those challenges). We are so happy about that. Math and Language Arts are quite strong (about 1-2 years ahead of peer schools). Teachers are charismatic. School is quite small, which is not ideal but it is what it is. Our child loves it here, so we do too.
Submitted by other on January 05, 2021

In my six years of enrollment, Primoris Academy gave more to me than I ever could have imagined. The sense of community and closeness at Primoris is unlike anywhere else. Learning day after day, year after year, with the same tight-knit group of students fostered deep friendships and a completely welcoming environment that made coming to school every day something I genuinely looked forward to. Continuing to learn under the same deeply passionate teachers, as well, meant my classmates and I received an education better suited to each of us individually, while simultaneously developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships with our teachers—many of whom I am certain I will maintain a close connection with into college and my career. Academically, Primoris provided tremendous flexibility to pursue my passion in any way I chose, allowing me to take classes I was deeply and specifically passionate about, found school clubs and initiatives to enrich the learning experience of my classmates and I, and conduct my own field research under the mentorship of an industry expert. Primoris Academy gave me the incredible opportunity to attend school with my closest friends, learn from highly qualified teachers that truly care about their students, and pursue my interests with zeal and freedom, and this is something I am immensely thankful for.
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2020

Changing our review because time passed and we're looking at our experience here differently now.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2019

We have been at Primoris for 6 years now. The school is an amazing community of engaged, smart children who care about their education and peers. All the children are given opportunity to shine at their special talents - be it Math, science, English, music, acting, art, language... you name it.The teachers really care and strive to make learning challenging and fun. I couldnt imagine a better school for my son.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2019

This is our first year in this school and we are very satisfied. Hands on learning works for my son very well, he is constantly engaged and learns a lot. I love the minimum amount of homework they have, at least for elementary aged kids, as recent studies have proved that much time spend on a homework leads to more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance in students and is simply ineffective. Last year we were in public school system and experienced bullying school administration didn’t want to deal with. Primoris takes bullying seriously and kid will be excluded from school if he/she constantly bullying other kids. Principal and school administration are always open to discuss parents’ needs, which I am thankful for. The only room for improvement I would say is the outdoor recess space, playground will be nice to have, so kids can enjoy the recess more.
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2019

If your child is able to gain acceptance to Primoris Academy, consider yourself truly lucky. This is a school unlike any other – a place of rigorous hands-on learning, innovative curriculum, dedicated teachers/staff and very talented kids. We were fortunate to be a Primoris family for one year, and left the school with a very heavy heart due to a job-related relocation (in fact, our daughter has been mapping her route back to Primoris via Google Maps ever since we left). Having experienced a number of other private and public schools, I can confidently say that there is nothing that comes close to Primoris in the tri-state area.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2018

We enrolled our son in Primoris starting in 2017. He had previously been at a public school in a very good school system (we moved to that town because of its schools). But he was still in a class of 25 kids and there were no extra services provided to kids that were further advanced. Some public schools offer very minor "pull outs" where gifted kids are pulled out for a couple of hours each week. The benefit from this is deminimis. It's much more about the recognition than anything that they learn. Public schools, even in great school systems, still teach to the masses. As a parent who is a product of a public school system and who has done very well it was not easy to consider sending my child to private school. My wife and I never viewed ourselves as potential private school parents. But we decided together with our son to take a gamble on Primoris. At worst he could always go back to public school. But it would be hard to find an opportunity for something like this again.The results have been stunning. For one, our son is absolutely thrilled. He loves going to school. Who says that?? He absolutely loves it. He's being pushed and encouraged in every capacity. We love the fact that he's learning the violin and Mandarin. Mandarin is taught daily. In math the kids are broken up by ability, not by grade. So kids that are even stronger at math are in a class appropriate for their skills. The kids are challenged each day but are also taught the materials. Probably the most surprising to me is the level of creativity in the school. Robotics, lego competitions, plays, hands-on interactive science, and more are all apart of the program. The entire program is so impressively thought out. Beyond words. The teachers are also remarkable. Each teacher teaches a different subject so they are also more capable since they are specialized. Someone who teaches math is unlikely to be as strong teaching English so I appreciate the specialization. The teachers are very responsive and incredibly open and flexible on feedback. If homework was an issue from the night before you can notify the teacher and they will work enforce the concept. At the same time they drive the kids forward and they move very quickly through material progressing at a rate that is much faster than public school.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2017

A rare find! A place where your gifted child can't wait to go to school each day and has peers, not just friends. They can ask tough and challenging questions no matter their age.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2017

I have yet to find a school in the ti-state area that offers what Primoris does: a rich, fluid, responsive learning environment for the passionate learner. My son, and my whole family could not be happier with what, and how my son is learning. What I think sets Primoris apart is the knowledge and flexibility to truly address and challenge the most curious and boundless intellectual minds, not only fostering, but also igniting curiosity in new spheres of knowledge. Throughout his term my son transitioned from a mindset of proving what he knows (from previous educational experiences) to opening himself up to celebrating the excitement of discovery the unknown, and taking challenges and risks as a means to learning and reaching success.In and out of the classroom our children go deeper and farther than they would elsewhere, learning not only advanced mathematics, spoken and written mandarin, music theory and composition and biology, but also how to be convincing authors, playwrights and critics, as well as confident impactful leaders that wield their tremendous abilities for a greater good. The secret sauce includes a mix of inspiring subject matter experts as teachers, a leadership that truly prioritizes its children’s needs and reacts to their interests and opportunities, and scholars who flourish when nurtured and challenged to open their minds.As an anecdote - recently Primoris took a large group of the kids to a screening of the movie “Wasted – the Story of Food” at the Tribeca film festival. Another school may have not been able to offer tis unique opportunity or react so quickly to accommodate this excursion. Another set of students might not have had the courage and capacity to probe and process this topic with such interest and comprehension. For Primoris this was just another day at work and play. At the Q and A that followed, Emmy award wining director Ana Chai said “the kids asked the hardest, smartest questions. I learned from them.” My son sat down recently, of his own volition, to write: I was looking for a school for me and I found it in Primoris. I learned so much this year and I can’t wait to see what we delve into next" We are all so happy to have found Primoris!
Submitted by other on November 21, 2016

Unfortunately the anti bullying policy only applies to the students and not the admissions committee. Neither does the code of conduct which states that the staff is responsible for returning phone calls and emails within 24 hours.The use of the term bullying when it applies to a young child is despicable and the "community member" using such words should choose their words much more carefully.
Submitted by other on November 20, 2016

Primoris is a great school, one that will help your child thrive both intellectually and socially. The staff is extremely nice and caring, you can tell they genuinely love kids and strive to bring out the best in every child. The school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, the kids enjoy a friendly environment that encourages both competitiveness and a sense of camaraderie.I highly recommend visiting the school during one of the open houses and/or shadowing day. Primoris will not disappoint.
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2016

Before this school I thought public schools were the worst. Not any more: the meanness and unethical practices are mind-sweeping at Primoris! How would you like a psychologist to follow your child around 3 times a week (without any invitation on your part) and writing notes about your child in her notepad. Yes, they have a psychologist sit on classes several times a week. Is this even legal?! Children get nervous and annoyed; they feel violated and uneasy. Instead of focusing on classes they focus on being annoyed with the fact that someone constantly watches them and taking notes about every move they make. This is just a glimpse of what else is happening. Be very careful about sending your child here.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2016

Like any school that breaks away from imposed standards in an attempt to define their own, some early trial and error is to be expected. The first few years were a little rocky for the school for many of the reasons mentioned in other comments. Coming to the end of our 3rd year now, I could not be more satisfied with what it has become. Both our kids love being there, and are constantly excited about the wide variety of interesting class projects they are involved in. The English, STEM, and especially math curricula have improved greatly. The homework is more manageable now. When our 8-year old son is telling us doesn't want to go to bed because he wants to do more in his math workbook, its a good sign.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2016

Primoris has many issues. Former Vice Principle who was in charge last year pulled her two children out and resigned. She was basically the face of the school, dealing with parents, speaking at the open house events, etc. A psychologist from last year pulled her two children out and left. These departures were very alarming but by the time the news became public it was too late to assess the situation : the $500 registration fee and 3 months of tuition were paid in advance. Education: there some really good classes; depends on the teacher. Math is shaky: children move from level to level, up and down. They struggle with homework; it's repetitive and huge in volume.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2016

I am big fan of Primoris. My child had a miserable time in the public school system and was bored to tears before Primoris. Now she writes beautifully. She is getting much better in math and continues to expand her science knowledge. And she is HAPPY! She is studying with a group of talented and amazing girls which in itself is a positive reinforcement and a boost to her self-esteem. If you have a truly talented child, and you believe in the value of hard work, even for the gifted, then this is the school for you and your child.This school tries very hard to provide quality education, instill self-discipline, integrity and work ethics into gifted kids who may feel they are too good to work, all at a reasonable cost. The principal has 20 years of experience in the field, more than qualified. As a busy professional I appreciate her delivering the teacher's collective assessments in a direct manner, I would have otherwise not heard what the teachers have to say and my child would have suffered. My observation is that the school is committed to unlocking the full potential of every gifted kids. Of course there is always room for improvement, nevertheless the school is a startup, it is trying to accomplish something extremely hard to pull off. The demographic target of the school is so narrow that it makes a poor business case. Primoris deserves encouragement and support from the G&T community. Go Primoris!
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2016

In a world of cookie cutter houses and common core curriculum, never have I thought that I would find a place that would live up to its mission of excellence and tailored education as Primoris Academy; a school whose sole interest to nurture and challenge my gifted child would be met with the same professional enthusiasm and dedication that I thought only I could provide. As a mother and educator, it speaks volumes. But the results of these three years of education do not only lie in the math league wins, amazing artwork I have in the house, conversations of mandarin I hear in the car, or compositions of violin I videotaped on snow days off from school. But in the smiles that I see on my children's faces every single day when they come home, the love they have for their teachers and school, admiration they have for friends that are as equally beautiful and unique as they, the eagerness and curiosity they have about all subjects including STEM, Biochemistry, Geography, and History, and the fact that I don't have to drag them out of bed because they can't seem to get there fast enough. That is its own testimony and I am deeply grateful.-mother of 2 happy children
Submitted by parent on January 27, 2016

This school is as dysfunctional as it can be, it's like an experiment gone bad. It is run under a dictatorship of a rude, unqualified person with poor communication skills. She creates an environment which makes you feel unwelcome and uncomfortable.The learning process is chaotic, most teachers are not qualified and don't know how to handle...anything pretty much. It is dull and repetitive which makes it hard for children to succeed or to simply enjoy learning.Hard to say how is geared towards gifted children: in many aspects I think the children will end up behind their public school peers.None of the promises given on the open house were actually fulfilled. Regret coming here. Agree with every word from May 15, April 30th, 2015 reviews.