The ONE

I have two students in this school. They have high standards for academics as well as behavior, and they have matured with the help of the school. There are opportunities to get involved, and the principal is a good leader. Their music program is great.

We moved our two kids to McKinley El last year because of the Dual Immersion and STEM programs it offers. We love the school! We have been impressed with the quality of the administrators, teachers, office staff, and PEP organization. The principal, Mr. Symonds, and assistant principal, Mr. Nguyen work hard to make McKinley a thriving learning environment. They are both very responsive to the kids and parents needs and inquiries. Mr. Symonds and Mr. Nguyen are also very supportive of the parent organization, PEP, and often attend the evening meetings to give their input. The office staff is always friendly and welcoming. McKinley has an incredible PEP organization that works hard to do fundraising and supports the school with fun student activities and events. We are also extremely happy that both our kids can attend the Parks and Recreation program after school. The leaders of the program like Diego and Karina keep the kids safe and promote the love of sports. Overall McKinley is the best elementary in our area!

Gabrielino is small which makes the learning environment encouraging and challenging. The teachers are generally caring and courseload is pretty rigorous, especially the science courses. The campus is safe and there are rarely any fights or bullying as most students keep to themselves or their own groups. All the campus staff is helpful and friendly. To be honest, I think Gabrielino does not get enough credit for being a good place to learn, compared to other more wealthy schools around the area. If you want a good education without the elitism or toxicity of other schools, come to Gabrielino.