Fusion Academy Walnut Creek Downtown - Walnut Creek, California

Debbie L.

My son went to Futures Academy Walnut Creek for 8th grade during 2020-21 school year. It was a terrific school year for him - he caught up nicely on some academic gaps he needed to fill before high school, which was our goal in enrolling him at Futures. The teachers, staff and Derek Cavilla, the director, were all wonderful - great people, super flexible and responsive, easy for my son to connect with. My son learned so much, and he became more curious about a variety of academic topics through the year. We were especially lucky that their distance learning went so smoothly (we'd planned to enroll at Futures pre-Covid and felt very grateful that he was there during the pandemic). He's heading to a small independent high school for 9th grade (we decided not to stay at Futures only because the social opportunities are less there than at a non-1:1 school) and he feels confident going in to this new phase. We would recommend Futures highly for any family whose kid needs individualized attention for whatever reason, and it's also great for kids who have other pursuits that make a regular schooldays schedule difficult to keep.

Eric D.

Our son is finally spreading his wings and this school has a lot to do with it. His self confidence is growing daily if not every minute. We moved him to five different schools throughout the Bay Area before arriving to Halstrom Academy in Walnut Creek this summer and is now starting his Senior year there. For the first time, he loves school and is looking into pursuing college. The staff there is nothing short of incredibly passionate and they genuinely care about the student and his or her family. Ten thumbs up from our experience and perspective.

Desiree G.

Futures Academy in Walnut Creek is a phenomenal school. We chose this school for my 2nd yr high school student based on the robustness of their course offerings, individualized approach to teaching and scheduling flexibility, as well as student support. Not only does my son love this school and ALL his teachers, he is also thriving in his new environment (even with a remote first semester). I think Futures is a game changer when it comes to students being part of the education process instead of simply a recipient of curriculum. As a parent it’s been nice to be able to reach out directly to teachers and administrators whenever I have questions or need support. My son didn’t like the huge campus environment at our local public school and has felt more comfortable at Futures because of its smaller size. They implemented some online group programs this year to help keep students engaged with each other and develop friendships during covid lockdown. Overall Futures has been great for us. I highly recommend the Walnut Creek location as well. The team, led by Dr. Derek Cavilla, is fantastic!

Emil O.

This school is a program that caters to children and brings out the best in them academically/social emotionally. The forward thinking program, one to one ratio lectures, and curriculum make any child reach beyond their full potential. My sons previous schooling was a 'make the grade or don't ' typical public school, leaving him with a GPA of 2.0. After his first semester at Futures, he had a 3.83 GPA. Derek, Chris and the amazing teachers are a massive part of how teaching should be everywhere!

Nick K.

Spent 2020 watching my child get abandoned by the public school system resulting in falling grades, cratering confidence, and increasing stress. We moved to Futures Academy and he has really blossomed. His grades are recovering, his confidence has returned, and the stress has lowered for all of us. The teachers, staff, and administrators are all focused on delivering the best education possible for my student. Its really been an amazing and wonderful experience.

Shani M.

Our son has ADD and recently switched to Halstrom after a frustrated first semester in Public high school. What I love most about Halstrom is the individual attention your child gets. The public school system is just too resourced strained to be able to give this level of care. Previously, my son would accumulate weeks of late or missing assignments before the school's online grade book was updated. Often by the time we found out, he would be too late to turn things in for credit which only discouraged him more.
Now, as soon as an assignment is missing or incomplete, I get an immediate email from his teacher.
The teachers all work with him one on one and sincerely seem vested in his success.
I also appreciate how responsive the school principal Carol is. She often answers emails evenings and weekends in real time! This is basically unheard of elsewhere.

I was initially worried about his social interaction, but on day one it became clear he was finally with "his people". Other kids who'd had similar struggles getting organized, staying focused and keeping engaged in school. He hit it off with two boys his age right away and was even invited over someone's house the first day of school! This NEVER happened before. In fact, although he made friends at his previous school, he was never invited to anyone's house. They are a small group but they have a lot in common and treat each other with respect and understanding.

I also appreciate how the school celebrates cultural holidays and has fun events for the kids. A parent organized a Chinese NY celebration complete with decorations and food. This would never have been possible at a larger school.

Lastly, I'll say the stress level in our home has gone WAY down since he started at Halstrom. Before, we were always yelling at him and conveying disappointment over his grades and missing assignments. The only feedback we got about our son was negative. Now, he is thriving, and our home feels peaceful, and I believe he feels proud of himself.

Izzabella A.

When we first started with Halstrom it was easy to work the team, scheduling was reasonable - taking into consideration what worked best for our family. The director was helpful, engaging and positive. For reasons unknown to our family, that changed significantly. The overall attitude is poor towards my student and towards me. Even corporate is hard to reach, and even though they listened - no follow or resolution came about, making it a waste of time all together. Things that were verbalized our emailed were later changed without explanation and with denial of those things even after emails were shared. The vibe is “oh well, who care”. Not pleased. Don’t send your child there. Not worth the cost. Not worth the headache.

Colleen B.

My daughter attended Halstrom for two years of her High School math requirements. She struggled learning math in the large class sizes at her public school. With the individualized instruction available at Halstrom, she has been successful in her math classes. I am a satisfied parent.