Holbrook Language Academy

Great school, great team. The principal is super dedicated and attentive to the needs of the school and especially the students. It is a safe place for our children with attentive and respectful staff. Dual language dual immersion are challenging but certainly the best

Just an fyi. The scores from here are based on 3rd graders and above. The 2nd through 5th grade classes are NOT our dual immersion classes (as of this review). The school opened the 2017/2018 year. All the upper grades came from all over the area, and thus any scores posted until about 2021 are from students primarily educated in not so great schools from around the area. Many of students left for a new school because they were not doing great at their other schools...

We have had an overall good experience at this school. What initially attracted us was the language component, as well as the investment in modern 21st classrooms replete with smart TVs, computers, tech- based learning, STEM lab, etc. There is a strong academic focus. I do agree with the prior review about the wish for even more academic rigor; however, I think we have to realize that kids in the dual immersion classes are already learning almost twice the amount of information in a day as a comparable English only class. The principal is open, supportive, approachable, and determined. Her own son is at Holbrook. This is clearly the job she wants, and there has been a commitment to not only providing a quality education for the kids, but to work on a pathway to continue the dual immersion program through middle and high school. The parents in the dual programs (these just started with last year's kinder class, with the re-opening of the school) are generally great and collaborative. Of course, there is always that small group of parents who cause problems and are difficult to deal with. However, that will be true at any school! The families of the older grade students have generally not been involved with the school, and I believe that to be due to how the school was just opened, and those families being from all over and outside of this district (and this has not been true with the classes who have started at Holbrook as Kinders). The PFC Club is a very welcoming group of hard working and dedicated parents, who have a goal of bettering the school in any way possible. They have been an instrumental support for the school, and are committed to the culture of diversity one would expect from a language- based school, as well as making sure all possible academic supports are in place. It is truly a melding of parents and community members, who are very invested in this school. This school also surprisingly has the CARES after school program (which is usually for lower income schools, but a high number of our families are fairly well off, and the surrounding area is full of high paid commuters). I have found they have more activities than Diane Adair, and are also more academic focused. The CARES leadership at Holbrook is amazing and also very approachable. Lastly, as an FYI, the school does not have data here because there are not sufficient numbers yet.

This is the second year since the school has opened. Our experience so far has been positive. My boys have enjoyed small classroom sizes, the dual immersion program, and the innovative use of technology in the classroom. The only drawback would be rigor. I wish my boys were challenged more in their academics. 4/5