Palm Valley School

I have two children attending Palm Valley now. I have read all the reviews and many are from parents that have left. I thought it was time for someone to post a review from a current parent that is still with the school. While I can`t speak to issues parents have had, my experience has been vastly different and positive. Both of our children are happy at Palm Valley. The parents we have meet through Palm Valley, we have formed tremendous bonds with and respect. To me this speaks volumes about the school community and likely quality of kids my children will interact with. In many cases, these parents have the means to send their children anywhere they want for school and have chosen to send and keep their kids at Palm Valley. I have found the current administration is willing to help when asked. I have one child that was having a hard time educationally. I meet with the Head of school, within a few days of my request. She brought in teachers, the head of lower school, found us an outside testing center, and because we were willing to do what was necessary as parents, the school created a team to help. We were also expected to do our part. Our child is now receiving 1 on 1 teaching with a specialized teacher during the school day combined with classes from two grades and has built a team of staff we communicate with weekly. There are also outside tutors the school is interacting with. In fact, I meet with the whole team again this week, my 3rd time in less than a month. The school was even willing to have the outside testing company observe the classroom and paid for it. In my opinion, way above and beyond. To get this type of specialized attention is rare but also what you`re paying for at Palm Valley. The second thing about a school education is its more than just the educational tools; reading, writing, math etc. My older child is learning how to do public speaking, learning how to act and behave, look people in the eye when speaking, Palm Valley goes beyond the traditional curriculum. My son just came back from a 2-day overnight at a Marine Institute in Catalina. To me a school is the sum of the educational work and other activities combined that lead to a well-rounded child`s total education. We have found the school to be overly concerned about behavior issues and we are grateful for this. Where graduates are going is also a good indication of how a school is doing and Palm Valley has fantastic college placement. There are cheaper options than Palm Valley it`s expensive, but you get what you pay for. They also give out a fair amount of financial aid. If you compared Palm Valley to private schools in most other places, Boston, NY, Los Angeles-. it`s a bargain at 30-40% less. I hope this helps prospective parents. All the best in your search.

My students started at Palm Valley in fall 2013 as 7th graders. I have been very impressed - the other kids are so friendly and kind, the teachers are responsive, and the curriculum is impressive (my 7th graders are reading The Odyssey in English!) LOVE the after school sports teams and robotics elective!