Hickory Tree School

I tried enrolling my son into kindergarten and was told he didn’t «qualify»??? He didn’t qualify because he couldn’t add and write his name very clear. Mind you he was 4 ½ years old trying to go into kinder. I actually had the NAACP investigate my case. I felt the principal and the administration was very racist. I wouldn’t have my kids there even if it was free.

Hickorytree school is a fine upstanding example of what a private school is all about, strong academics and caring professional teachers. Parents must be advised that this program is an advanced program and if your child is not prepared to immerse his self in it it will be of little value to him or her. The school uses advanced reading and mathematics and students will begin in preschool will quickly find themselves operating at a grade level above those who are attending public schools.
The school offers a fair and balanced discipline when there is a problem and makes every effort to resolve it with parents.
The school could more professionally document injuries creating a form to send home to parents want to child is injured on the playground, etc. rather than a sample and written note. However, every time a child is injured even a minor scrapes or bruises the school does communicate with parents how the injury occurred and what first aid methods were applied.
This school fosters a loving environment encouraging the children to embrace relationships with one another, encouraging athletic activity and providing entertaining field trips that are both fun and educational.
When parents have a problem with the program it is usually because their child is in capable of fulfilling the great expectations and high standards set by the school administration. One cannot expect a child who is undisciplined at home to come to school and know how to sit still, be quiet, and learn the material that is being presented.
As a former administrator of a private Christian school I can honestly say Hickory school does a fantastic job of educating children and preparing them for their life experience.

My son attended this school for pre-​K and the only reason I am giving two stars is because his teacher, Mrs. Adrienne, was amazing. The other teachers make this school a terrible choice, unfortunately. There were numerous times that he was publicly humiliated by the other teachers– as a 4 year old or any other age, this is NOT okay. My son would tell me about which teacher yelled at kids on the play yard when I picked him up each day. The owner/​administrator hardly greeted me as I would pick my son up each day, as well. You would think that she would be happy to say hi to patrons that are paying to keep her school open.
Some red flags that concerned me:
–The first week that my son was at this school, he came home with bruises on his back which were quite alarming. He told me that some of the older kids were being mean to him on the playground, which was never corrected or addressed by any of the teachers although I mentioned it quite a few times. By law, preschool students and older students shouldn’t be on the playground together at ANY time.
–My son had brought a bracelet to school to share for «Share Day». He threw it up into a tree while playing with it on the yard, and the teacher supervising refused to help him get it down. Upon arriving to pick him up, he told me about the bracelet and I simply took a broomstick to get it down. It took all of 30 – 45 seconds to get, yet the teacher told me she didn’t want to get it down because he probably would just throw it back up there again. Try some positive behavior management, please!
–I attended the Halloween parade, and was greeted by a teacher asking me with the snarky comment, «So you’re another lucky parent that doesn’t have to work today… Must be nice.» This same teacher never had anything positive to say, but one would hope that, on a day where many parents were visiting, she would be somewhat cheerful. Nope, not a chance.
Looking back, I partially regret not pulling my son and placing him in a better school; only partially though, because Mrs. Adrienne made up for all the faults I could find within the rest of the school. She is truly a gifted teacher who has a genuine love for kids.

If I could give this school 10 stars I would! I have two children attending, one in Pre-​K and one in Kindergarten. They have both been at the school since Moon jumpers (Toddler class). I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hickory and can’t imagine having had my children anywhere else. The core of the school is amazing because of the loving, sweet and extremely intelligent people they have working with the children. From the front desk, Mrs. Andrea, you are kindly greeted EVERY morning with a smile and a «good morning», my children run behind the desk and hug all of the staff, THEY ARE THAT HAPPY TO BE THERE! I don’t ever recall being that happy to go to school. From there the teachers, not just the ones that are my children’s teachers, say hello to me and my kids, what? how do they know my babies :0), because they are that kind of school. Then my children’s teachers, Mrs. Marilyn and Mrs. Donna, OMG I love these woman and I know that my children will NEVER forget the positive, uplifting and caring imprint they have left on my children. I’m also extremely impressed by the director Mrs. Jennifer and the Principle. They are so involved with every accept of the kids daily lives and make sure that every experience will enhance their education and make them better students and people. The curriculum is an amazing balance of fun and learning.
I must address the poor reviews here, please don’t be swayed by these reviews, it’s true that unfortunately not enough parents who also LOVE this school write a review. To that effect, I CALL ALL PARENTS of Hickory to write a review and tell everyone how amazing this school is. If people write to complain that the parking is bad, they are looking for convenience and not a top-​knotch school who values academics and structure. If your child wasn’t accepted as a good fit well then that makes me happy. I am glad that Hickory is selective about who attends the school. Why would anyone want to deal with a difficult parent??? That means that the focus will be taken off of the academics and that won’t help the child or the parent. So to say someone isn’t a good fit is a favor, they saved your time and the schools time.
I see Mrs. Andrea at the front desk giving breathing treatments to multiple children throughout the day. I walk on the playground and see teachers sweetly comforting crying children or simply holding a toddler on their hip as they sing the ABC’s. Mrs. Marilyn and Mrs. Donna have both gone an extra twenty miles to help my children when they were struggling with concepts by moving their desks closer to them and dedicating one-​on-​one time with them. I have been able to talk to both teachers anytime I needed and they have actively sought me out if they had concerns. WHERE ELSE DOES THIS HAPPEN!!!
Hickory fosters and nurtures children in a way that no other school I have encountered has. They take great pride in feeding the kids healthy food, offering extracurricular activities to enrich their learning as well as at school and off campus field trips throughout the summer to keep the children active. They have Fun Fridays like crazy shirt or hair day, pajama day etc. They have contests like guess how many candy’s in the jar and then the closest guesses when baskets filled with goodies. On every holiday my children bring home a special and thoughtful gift their teachers have helped them construct, the most recent was a fingerprint pendant necklace for Mothers Day. There is a class party for many of the holidays and teachers thoughtfully put together baskets, boxes and buckets of goodies for them each time :) .
I leave any reader who is considering Hickory Tree as a school for their children with this. If you are blessed enough to get into this very in demand school then you will not be disappointed. However, remember that JUST because we pay for the school that doesn’t give us the right to nit pick about EVERYTHING, be realistic, be kind and realize that Hickory TRULY treats the children like their own. Hickory has ALWAYS accepted my children, my children tell their teachers they love them everyday. Every day I drop my children off and I KNOW that they will be cared for. They take care of my babies and give them an amazing education to top it off, for that I love them and am eternally grateful.

My daughter has been going here for a year now and I’m very pleased with the school and staff. They challenge the kids yet give them plenty of opportunities to express themselves.
I have never had a bad experience with any of the staff and I have found that the staff truly enjoys their time there.
The kids have plenty of opportunities to learn, play and become socially strong.
Parking is a challenge, but walking the ½ block from the adjacent Ralphs parking lot is no biggy.
Go in, get a tour, and add Hickory Tree School to your Top 3 schools for your child.

This preschool is absolutely fabulous! My daughter loves her teacher Ms. Adrienne! The whole staff is very personable and caring about your child’s well being. School is very well maintained, clean, organized, and with a good curriculum. My daughter is 5 and she is learning Spanish already. AWESOME PLACE!

My two daughters attended preschool and kindergarten at this school. They absolutely loved their experience, and my wife and I have nothing but great things to say. The staff truly cares about the students and students work a grade level ahead of the California standards. My children were both very well prepared to start first grade and are performing well above grade level. This school does not nickel and dime you like some other places. You basically just drop your children off in the morning and they feed, educate, exercise, and care for them until you can pick them up. We never once worried about their health or education during their entire time there. It is on the smaller side, but safe and well maintained. You should check it out.

The school runs like a business. Only cares about profit rather than education. It is sad that the principle picks her priority. Do not enroll this school as you would regret.