San Diego Jewish Academy

We live in the apartment complex next door and the drivers dropping kids off at this school are very fast and aggressive. We have small kids and think it's just a matter of time. Please be a good neighbor and remind the parents that this is a residential area.

2nd grade at SDJA and things are great. The campus is beautiful, the teachers are friendly and so are the families. Class sizes are tiny ... 14-15 kids! Students do PE 3x, science, music, and computers every week, they do gardening, plays and performances, go on field trips and there area after school activities. Keep in mind this is a religious school (but does not feel as religious as something like Chabad)... so there is a large amount of time spent on Hebrew and religious studies ... at least 2 hours per day. Like with any school however, I think education starts at home. We have been reading to our child since she was born so my daughter probably had a head start. But SDJA provides reading assignments, on-line tools, and now assigns book reports. They are spelling is 5 to 6 letter words with different vowel combinations (ou, ow, oe). They teach to the skill level so my second grade student is doing 3rd grade math. So I don't know what some of the other comments are referring to ... it just isn't true. Like with anything... you have to apply yourself!

I am beyond disappointed in the experience our family has had. This is an absolutely Terrible school. No-one could care less about you, your children, or their education. The only interest at SDJA is in receiving tuition payments. 50% of the teachers are horrendous! The other 50% are average. Not fantastic odds for your child, and certainly not worth the $21,000 yearly tuition. ***Beware: The admissions staff person will tell you whatever she thinks you want to hear to have you enroll. Most of what she will tell you is a complete Lie!!! Once you are in, they do absolutely NOTHING for your child. Kids who are 9 and 10 years old are not being taught how to spell 3-letter words correctly!! The principal sent out a newsletter telling parents why it's ok that they don't teach kids how to spell. I've spoken with parents who used to send their children here, as well as current parents of the kids in my son's class who are also leaving at the end of this year for these exact same reasons. There is Zero education! My 2nd grader is now far behind the California public school standards because of the short time he's been here! Such a waste.

I have had such a positive experience at SDJA--from the first time I visited the school over 5 years ago and until now, that my children have been there for nearly 3 years. I have one child in elementary school and two in preschool. It is an excellent school with caring and challenging teachers and supportive staff as well as a cohesive and surprisingly diverse family community. My children are happy to go to school each day and I feel good about sending them to what I see is a nurturing and safe environment. Each child is different and my chirldren have bee challenged to meet and exceed their potential and identify weaker areas and work on them, while recognizing and applauding but still challenging stronger areas. My eldest arrived on the first day of kindergarten, having come from another preschool, unable to read anything or even write his name. Quickly, this changed and he was reading at grade level as the school year progressed. Now, he is an avid reader. He was never made to feel dumb or inadequate by teachers or peers. This positive learning environment certainly led to his blossoming as a reader. The small class size and dedicated reading blocks are also very helpful. He was not able to lag behind and got the attention and extra help he needed. The proximity to the preschool allows collaboration and now he is a proud reading buddy to one of his little sister's classmates, helping to plant the love of reading in another child. His sister is entering kindergarten in the fall. She can write clearly not just her name, but every child in her class! But most importantly, it is a pleasure for her to do it! This was not the result of rote repetition. She is proud of her writing ability, though it is not even her favorite area: that would be art class. Her preschool teachers are wonderful and encourage her passion and exceptional ability. The connection to the larger campus and lower school also allows her to benefit from the dedicated lower school art teacher, studio and supplies. The P.E., extracurricular and hot lunch options available to he preschoolers are also a benefit of the proximity to the lower school. My youngest started in the fantastic day care and will continue in preschool next year. She also loves school and her friends and teachers. I am amazed that she has science projects that she is excited to show me and describe to me at pick up. All of the teachers send weekly newsletters, usually with photos, so I can read and see what my children have been up to that week. But the biggest compliment is that at the first parent teacher conference and each regularly scheduled conference for all of my children and with each of their teachers, we did not have too much to discuss because I was always and constantly kept informed of any important issues and had similarly shared my concern areas with them already. They don't wait until the conference; they call or email or tell me at pick up or drop off or ask me to schedule a time to see them. These are dedicated, loving professionals who are truly partners not just in my children's education, but even in raising them. I am very, very happy.

My son has wanted to go to SDJA for years and as a high school freshman he is finally attending... and LOVES IT! The other students are friendly and have welcomed him. Now he has friends that speak Hebrew, Chinese and Spanish. He is on the Robotics team and is prepping for soccer. He couldn't be happier - which makes us happy.