Shu Ren International School

Ruth Acty is amazing. Principal Mary is an excellent principal. All the teacher and assistants care so much about the kiddos. I feel so support, my kid feels supported, and we are lucky to be there.

I had two kids in this school. One of them was severely traumatized, the other one fared better but was also not really happy. They have ZERO help for kids during recess. When there is a fight kids are told off, when there is bullying they rather victim blame than helping the child. The principal is old fashioned and loves teachers that yell at and punish kids. Group punishments? Great! Shaming a kid as punishment? Yes!The school has a few fantastic teachers but it doesn't make up for the rest.

We joined Washington just before COVID and the school went fully remote (as required). It was a difficult way to start, and everyone was doing the best they could to adapt. As students returned to campus, the faculty thoughtfully navigated the complexity of reintegrating. Overall, I was impressed. My daughter recently exited 5th grade as a very well-adjusted individual who was performing well in the classroom. We love you Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Baile, and Mrs. Jokela!

I have a 5th grader at Crowden who started in third grade, and we are very happy with the experience. While Crowden is most known for its excellent music programs, we came to Crowden for the top notch academics, and we have found that the level of academics in third, fourth, and fifth grades has been consistently excelling. My daughter's interest in science, art, math, social studies has soared through hands-on projects that bring our her creativity and critical thinking skills; and her highly dedicated teachers inspire her daily. She is an excellent writer. Having taught English at UC Berkeley, I am amazed at the number of students at Crowden whose ability to write and organize an essay surpasses what I witnessed in college freshmen. My daughter's executive functions are highly developed. She completes her homework and practices her instrument without input from me; she keeps her materials organized and ready The art, science, and home room teachers are fantastic, and the social emotional discussions are helpful in that they challenge the students to be leaders in understanding and explaining what it means to be kind to one another. I value the small class size, particularly since the classes are so diverse. Rather than engaging in lip service to diversity, Crowden actually welcomes a truly diverse body of students. In my daughter's class, all of her classmates come from different backgrounds and have at least one parent born overseas. This is representative of the school at large. This actual diversity brings a richness of different mindsets, and the small class size allows each student to voice their unique perspective on the world. Crowden truly celebrates the unique character of each student.

I have just recently pulled my child out of The Berkeley School, and I would not recommend sending your children here, my child was inappropriately harassed multiple times and almost nothing was done, the teachers failed to comprehend the other students and they inserted themselves in my child's disagreement's with other students only to bias the other's opinions, and through the gate of the school my child was threatened multiple times by people walking by. My child has gone through too much here, from students threatening to inappropriately harass them to their friends attempting suicide, almost nothing was done, and to this day I am still convinced the teachers were playing an unfair game of favorites, 2nd and 3rd grade was alright, but 4th and 5th grade was when my child experienced nothing to this day I ever have. PLEASE do not send your children here.

My child started at Berkwood Hedge this year after transferring from a much larger public elementary school. The difference in his enthusiasm for learning has been night & day. He is thriving -- academically, emotionally, and socially -- at Berkwood Hedge, and we are grateful!I can't say enough good things about this incredible school. The quality of teaching, arts programming, and true care demonstrated between adults and kids is phenomenal. Each time I think about our experience, I realize "but wait, there's more!" The list of wonderful things about Berkwood Hedge just goes on and on.

We love Walden! Our neurodiverse, gender neutral 4th grader started at Walden in the 3rd grade and it has been such a wonderful place for us to land after a very challenging school search. Walden's collective model means that everyone on staff is fully committed to the succesful running of the school and success of all of the students. I can ask any staff member for help and they're willing to offer support. Walden is a small, close knit community. There are lots of ways to get involved and find support- such as the neurodiverse families group and the PEACE Committee (Peace, Equity, Activism, Conversation, Education for: justice, liberation, agency, anti-bias). My child loves Walden- they feel safe and welcome there. They love the curriculum and often come home excited to share different art projects they've worked on. They are making great progress in their reading, writing and math skills, while also engaging in rich arts, science and social students content. The school does an amazing job of communication, so we get regular updates on what they're learning and photos of their day, which is a great way to have a lens into their world. There are so many amazing enrichment activities and events throughout the year - from field trips (including overnights for the older grades) to spirit week to Ruby Bridges walk to school day to arts week to science week to assemblies. It truly amazes me what this small, but very mighty, community is able to create for our children. I'm so grateful!