Search Database

The Arbor Learning Community (Southern California)

• Website

  https://www.thearborlearningcommunity.com/

• Topics

  • Educational Options: Homeschooling
  • Grade Level: Elementary School
  • Grade Level: High School
  • Grade Level: Middle School
  • Twice Exceptional: Learning Disabilities

Comments

Parent on 10/20/2016

We just started at the Arbor this semester, having hesitated since it is over an hour's commute each way for us - but now we are sold! The classes are high quality and the staff attentive. We initially only signed up for one day a week of classes to minimize commute, but added a second day when, 3 weeks into classes, my son thought one of his classes was too easy and the teacher and staff immediately worked to provide him the option to move to a more advanced class (held on a different day). In addition to accommodating the academics, the kids get to socialize with others during supervised breaks and lunches and make friends with like minded peers. The best promotion I could make comes from my son, who gave the Arbor 2 thumbs up and said, "The teachers are great, they are in tune with the students and have just the right amount of humor to keep everyone participating. And I like the kids." When asked what he liked about the kids, he said, "They are like me." - Finally he's found his local tribe!

Parent on 6/6/2016

We discovered the Arbor Learning Center and its great classes a year ago. As a parent, it is a constant challenge satisfying a young curious mind and Arbor seems to find the formula. The science classes are a wonderful combination of hands-on experiments, indoor and outdoor demonstrations and in-depth material. A great variety of writing classes that can fit any young writer, using multiple writing styles. Fall 2016 schedule is available now and contains exciting core and enrichment classes for everyone. The center is moving to a bigger location this summer in order to offer additional classes and to accommodate the growing community. Our experience was tremendously positive. My daughter discovered a new world to explore surrounded by dynamic teachers and great friends.

Parent on 5/16/2016

The Arbor Learning Community provides a positive educational experience. My daughters eagerly look forward to every Arbor day morning. Their classes and the environment provided by The Arbor’s teachers and management are exceptional and a wonderful influence on my daughters’ education and personal development. My daughters’ have been able to attend a variety of classes at The Arbor, such as a Story of the World / writing combo, Shakespeare, chemistry, geology, and ceramics. Next Fall we will add a realistic drawing class! The writing classes at The Arbor have also been a very helpful addition to our school year. The range of students’ grades/ages in the classes works very well with the overall learning environment. This range allows my girls to take some of the same classes together, even though they are two-years apart, while also allowing them to take separate classes. Our overall experience at The Arbor has been extremely positive and has enriched our daily homeschooling lives.

Parent on 2/8/2016

Two of my students enjoyed classes at The Arbor in the fall of 2015. They enjoyed the challenging hands-on activities. I appreciated that the classes fit well with what we are reading and studying at home. The small class size allows the teachers to give students more individualized attention.

Educator on 5/25/2015

For the past two years, I have been so fortunate to share my passion and knowledge of science at the Arbor! We are an amazing community of learners and educators and parents - all working together- on inspiring and teaching young individuals to exceed in all areas! We provide high-level, engaging classes where students are empowered to actively participate in learning! The students and families are truly wonderful in their support of one another and the programs! It has become such a wonderful part of my life! Look forward to meeting and working with all the young, inspiring, and inquisitive minds out there who want explore the world around them!

Parent on 4/8/2015

Our family is so lucky to have this opportunity to take classes at The Arbor. This is our second year. It is well run and excels at reaching our children at their own individual levels. I feel safe and confident that they are being respected and nurtured. The classes are small, engaging and impacting our lives in a positive manner. If you are considering classes here, I wouldn't hesitate to go check it out.

Parent on 1/18/2015

We discovered The Arbor Learning Community in the spring of 2014. My three girls took a writing class and my older two took a geometry class. I couldn't have been more pleased! I love that each class isn't just for one grade level, but that learning can encompass all who are willing and ready to jump in. While I love the experience of homeschooling my children, the amazing teachers at The Arbor bring such a richness of knowledge in their subject matter into my children's lives that it sparks excitement of what they are learning for our whole family. We also appreciate the atmosphere of kindness that is encouraged at The Arbor. It is not only a place of educational learning, but a place where students can have meaningful interaction and feel safe to be themselves.

Parent on 10/24/2014

My son is bright and dyslexic, a combination that makes even traditional "homeschool" class offerings difficult. This is his second year in science classes at The Arbor. The teachers do an absolutely phenomenal job in supporting him where he needs it, but allowing him to grow and learn well above what others has become expected of him because of his special set of learning limits. He's a 4th grader right now, and learning concepts beyond what my 6th grader is learning in her regular school classroom. It isn't just his learning though; the teachers really, truly, genuinely care about him and his growth! Amazing!

Parent on 10/20/2014

If you want a learning environment where your student is viewed as a curious learner and not simply as a chronological age or a grade level, then you will feel at home at The Arbor. It is so rewarding to interact with teachers who celebrate a student’s curiosity, abilities and interests. The teachers never try to pigeon-hole a student into groups with age-peers or restrict a student to a particular curriculum based on arbitrary criteria. The staff at The Arbor genuinely want to know what makes your student tick.

Parent on 8/7/2014

The Arbor is a great place to learn! It offers a variety of classes, all taught by experienced teachers. The teachers all have the ability to "think outside the box" and offer hands-on learning. I cannot say enough about this place or program - it is wonderful!

Parent on 7/31/2014

The Arbor Learning Community is everything my kids and I need to be successful homeschoolers. Attending classes 2 days a week gives them the instruction by amazing, enthusiastic and credentialed teachers, which I am not capable of providing for them at home, while allowing us the freedom to either expand upon those lessons at home or focus on other learning opportunities. I am particularly excited about the high school classes that will be offered this fall and I know my son will not only have an amazing freshman year education but also a fun and rewarding learning experience. As a secular homeschooler, I am so happy to have found a high quality, secular option which provides my children with a wonderfully diverse social environment.

Parent on 7/18/2014

My son took classes at Arbor all last school year and I highly recommend it. The teachers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. While the teachers are always prepared, they also will `go with the flow' to allow good things to happen. Science classes in particular are filled with hands on activities. And my son was starting to dislike math until he took a class from Arbor's director, who changed his attitude. Definitely worth checking out.

Parent on 7/13/2014

To be completely honest, I had no intention of homeschooling my children. However, my eldest (PG) daughter made me change my plans. I handled well the grammar, foreign language, mathematics, history, literature, etc. aspects. However, I realized that despite my best intentions, I was not feeding her in the sciences. I was drawn to The Arbor for the science classes, and I was not disappointed: fourth graders dissecting ... not to mention extracting the DNA of strawberries .... refraction, nuclear decay!? Terrific! Add to that high school-level photography classes, literature, performing arts, and writing curricula. We are truly enamored of The Arbor, and especially the attention to teachers they hire. They offer high-end classes that invite children to reach higher than their friends' experiences, and really question and discover at the synthesis level of learning. We love The Arbor!

Parent on 7/11/2014

The Arbor Learning Community has been a blessing to our family, but most importantly for our daughter. We valiantly tried to “fit in” at public school and had many rocky days; we tried unsuccessfully to immerse in a home school option through our school district, then only to become increasingly frustrated. What we truly didn’t want was to shave off the edges of our “square peg” in order to fit her into the “round hole.” We wanted more for her: to meet her gifted needs, to be challenged intellectually, to find like-minded friends, as well as like-minded teachers. The square peg, gets to remain that way and she couldn’t be happier!

Parent on 5/23/2014

My daughter used to attend a highly-rated public school, but we soon realized that it was not equipped to meet her educational needs. The decision to homeschool was scary at first, but thanks to The Arbor, my daughter is now thriving. The teachers are first-rate. They are subject matter experts who truly understand how to teach gifted children. The director obviously puts a lot of care and thought into designing courses that will keep gifted minds engaged. I love the fact that even elementary-aged children can take chemistry and study Shakespeare! They also get to have "normal" school experiences, such as field trips, science fair, and a spring play/musical. When I used to ask my daughter how her day went at the public school, she would answer with a listless "Same." Now when I ask her how her day at The Arbor went, I get an exuberant "Great!" That sums it up perfectly.

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