The Gooden School

My granddaughters love this school and are excited to go every morning 3rd grade they get an instrument!

A school is a dynamic thing to review, but I'll give my honest perspective. In substance my child attended Gooden for 1-5 years. I'm being unspecific on purpose for reasons of anonymity. Would I recommend that you pay the tuition of $16,000 for this learning institution? No, I would not. Over the years we encounter one teacher we truly liked and had an impact on our child. The others teachers were either relocated or just not that engaged. Did my child learn the curriculum? Yes. Was my child happy? Yes. On that same note I'm sure my child would be happy and would have learned at any other public or private school.

The administration is the weak link in my opinion. Over the years I saw several changes including at the head of school (principal) position. Recently I saw the head of school abruptly resign mid-school year. To me it showed instability and that trickles down to faculty. I could see the impact it was having on the staff/educators.

As for the culture, we found it to be selective. I believe the more social you are the more you and your child will fit in. If you're less inclined to fraternize then you might feel alienated. I also didn't find the school to be diverse, but that could be reflective of Sierra Madre's demographics.

I could expand or elaborate more but I won't. It's difficult to consolidate years into summary. I'll just end with that there are a lot of schools out there. I'd take other institutions into consideration before enrolling your child here.

Community and Nurturing are two words that come to mind when I think about The Gooden School. Not really knowing what to expect from a private school, I was pleasantly surprised with the kindness that surrounds not only the kids but the parents too. The teachers are wonderful and care a great deal about each student. The size of the school and the classes really allow for a strong community that made us feel safe and welcome from day 1. The Gooden School offers so much more than just community. It's a place where I feel my son is turning into a well-rounded human. He's learning music and math and plays golf in the after school program during the year.

We are both working parents so The Gooden After School Program, also known as "GASP" is a fun place where he can run around and have free play. The GASP director and teachers are fun and attentive. I often find them playing monopoly, uno, or just free play out on the field. It's a cozy atmosphere that my son often times does not want to leave because he's having so much fun with kids of all ages.

I heard a lot of wonderful things about The Gooden School before we applied and now that we are here, I have seen first hand that all of those nurturing and kind comments were true!

I can't say enough GOOD things about Gooden! This school has saved my daughters mental health during the pandemic. Not only did her incredible superhero kindergarten teacher Mrs Paz personally drop off supplies and welcome her to the school with her superstar counterpart Miss Isabella but they took the time to get to know us. She could have been lost in the shuffle starting Kinder in the middle of this crazy time but she got valuable in person time when other schools didn't open and I felt they did it all extremely safely. Forever grateful for this school during this time.

The children of Gooden School have something special. After four years here (so far), I can see a clear behavioral difference in the accepted social norms among Gooden students vs. students of other schools. I noticed it the first year, but there is a feeling in the atmosphere that remains constant.

Gooden School students are the type that refill the ice cube tray after using the last one at a friends' house. They will pick up a friend's violin and play - not to practice, per se, but just for afterschool fun. They will approach a new kid on the play ground and invite them to play together. These are all actual examples I have witnessed multiple times.

Gooden School students accept other children for who they are. They are inclusionary. They are kind.

If you are considering The Gooden School, I invite you to spend an hour or two sitting at Starbucks or some place in downtown Sierra Madre on a Friday afternoon. There you will find children from all 4 Sierra Madre elementary schools blowing off steam after the week. They misbehave; they act as if you are not watching. Here, you can observe children in their natural habitat. You will recognise the schools that the various children attend by their uniforms (St. Rita's, Bethany, and Gooden children all wear shirts that tell you what school they attend, those not in uniform are from Sierra Madre Elementary). Come watch.

The community at The Gooden School is special. The faculty and families are great. My kids are having a great experience here. It is a hidden gem of a school.

I currently have a child in the middle school and in the elementary school at The Gooden School. The science and STEAM programs are hands on and provide great experiences. They do some great projects like egg drop, making solar ovens, building and testing earthquake proof houses and different types of dissection. Every year the middle school students participate in a science fair where they present and are judged by experts from Cal Tech. So cool!

Also, The Gooden school has small class sizes and that is wonderful! I know my kids get the attention and support they need.

I had heard wonderful things about Gooden before we attended and we are so happy to be a part of the community. I am so happy my kids are having a great experience!

The Gooden School offers exactly what we were seeking for our daughter, strong academics, a welcoming and supportive community, and most importantly, a safe and nurturing environment for our daughter. At Gooden, the school emphasizes supporting the development of "the whole child," something we knew we wanted, but didn't realize truly what a difference it makes. Last year in kindergarten, she not only learned to read, write short stories, and have fun with hands on projects in STEAM, art, music, drama and Spanish, she also found support in her emotional development, mentoring from teachers and older students, and meaningful ways to connect to the importance of kindness and helping others. This approach creates a school atmosphere that extends beyond the classroom, the students are engaged, kind and talented, both at school and within the larger community. We feel lucky to have found Gooden, and our daughter is excited every day to go to school!

Our two kids have been at Gooden for many years.

I'd say that it's a great private school and competitively priced.

We are part of a larger community which is comprised of the faculty, staff, and fellow parents. Communication is good and we don't feel left out.

Sometimes it's hard to differentiate between curriculum that is offered at our nearby public school and the homework we see. When you begin at private school you can believe that there is this magical custom-built offering, but in fact Gooden teaches from a lot of the same California text books that a local public would. The difference lies in small class sizes, better teachers, and a more well-rounded opportunity to learn. Our kids look forward to their days at Gooden and that's really the bottom line.

The music and arts curriculum is important at Gooden and well run. There isn't an extraordinary amount of parental involvement required, but you'll want to participate because the people and environment are fun.

I'd say Gooden is a top best bet for most any parent considering private school.

We have been at Gooden for five years now with our fourth grade boy and his brother now in first grade. We couldn't be happier about the education they are receiving as part of this tight-knit community in Sierra Madre. The teachers and staff at Gooden are very dedicated in providing an education that prepares all students for the best high schools in Pasadena and the Los Angeles area. The small class sizes are a big plus since they allow for individualized guidance that is rare to find even at other private schools. Music, art, PE, technology, Spanish, and Latin (5-8) supplement the classroom experience and are exceptional and well-executed. Volunteering is low pressure but you'll want to contribute knowing that your kids love going to school every day and are surrounded by a community that values their growth as they mature in to young adults.

I wrote the review over 4 years ago when our daughter finished her first year(4th grade) at Gooden and now she is graduating next June, so I would like to offer my final review here upon her completion of 5 years at this school. Regardless of the changes they had in the leadership position they have had in the last few years, Gooden's core has not changed and actually they seem to be going stronger!! They are truly a gem-where else do you find the school like this in L.A.?? Our daughter still loves each day at Gooden as much as she did in her first year. During the years at this school, especially in middle school, she has learned how to "self -advocate", approaching the teachers if she did not understand something in class, or if she was not sure about the homework due etc( she is still work in progress but we really appreciate that the teachers are all on it and encourage the kids to self advocate to prep themselves for high school!!) and nicely transitioned from elementary to middle school. She is blessed with amazing group of teachers every day. Gooden also has been very understanding about our daughter's commitment to ballet training after school, allowing her to fully participate in performances and competitions. We truly appreciate Gooden for understanding each child with their unique talents(just as they say on their website about the whole person approach) not just looking at the test scores and offering them a lot of chances to challenge and demonstrate talents(music, drama, science, languages, arts, PE...you name it) in their every day school life.