Key (Francis Scott) Elementary School

I feel incredibly grateful that my child attended Holy Name School. After K-5 in public school, I wish we'd enrolled sooner--the academic rigor and life skills taught here have been invaluable. The teachers truly care about the kids, and we've experienced a level of individualized attention that's rare these days. They emphasize organization, challenge each child to reach their full potential, and help prepare them for high school.As a religiously agnostic family, we appreciate that the Catholic component is flexible: Catholic students can delve deeper, while families like ours can engage at a level that's comfortable and still learn a lot. I'm not usually one to volunteer at schools, but the supportive community inspired me to help with events and projects. We've also made great friends through the school. Of course, each class has its own mix of students and parents, and we were lucky to have an awesome group.I'm so grateful my child attended middle school here--those years can be tough, and having a school that helps kids become the best version of themselves within such a supportive community is more than any parent could ask for.

UPDATE: SF Archdiocese has now announced a new leadership team for St. Thomas the Apostle School for the 2022-23 school year. They are long-time members from within the school community. We are hopeful for what the next academic year holds! ORIGINAL: Over the past 4 years, we have witnessed firsthand how a strong school community can thrive from the investment of teachers and a solid school administration that believes in raising the bar academically and genuinely supporting students and families. Unfortunately, the new principal (Maria Collins) and administration lack the empathy, communication, and critical common sense skills to continue the aspects of STA that have made the school a success over the years. There is a lack of transparency with finances and the new administration is quick to blame teachers and staff for any issues that arise. Communication is abysmal to non-existent and barely comprehensible when it is issued by the new principal, whether verbal or written. Newsletters frequently lack any useful information and contain misspellings and randomly capitalized words. Discipline and classroom management issues are not effectively addressed and consequences are inconsistently applied, even when the handbook is referenced. Teachers are amazing but they are unsupported and it is very sad how they are treated by administration. Until there is a change in administration at STA, look elsewhere. Also be sure to do your research on how the administration interacts with and supports the school community, students, teachers, and staff since they set the overall vibe and tone for a school's culture.

Terra has felt like San Francisco’s best kept secret for our family. The biggest thing we noticed early on was how much our son genuinely looks forward to going to school. He comes home excited to talk about what he learned, what he built, and what he explored that day, which gave us confidence that we made the right choice.We visited a few public and private schools with a strong Mandarin immersion program. What stood out with Terra over time was how balanced the learning feels, both inside and outside the classroom. Academically, he has grown steadily in both English and Mandarin, and at the same time we have seen real growth in confidence, independence, and how he works through challenges.The outdoor program has been especially meaningful for him. Spending time learning outside each week has clearly shaped how he approaches learning. He often comes home talking about things he created or discovered in nature, and those experiences seem to stick with him in a way that traditional classroom lessons sometimes do not.The small class size has made a big difference for our family. His teachers really know him as an individual, including both his strengths and the areas where he needs more guidance. That level of attention has helped him grow academically and emotionally without feeling pressured to fit into a single mold.We have also appreciated how involved the parent community is. It feels collaborative, and communication between families and the school is very open. The after-school enrichment classes like engineering, cooking, and art have been another highlight because they give him more ways to explore interests he might not otherwise try.Terra is a smaller school, but for us that has created a strong sense of connection and support. Most importantly, our son feels happy, challenged, and excited to learn, which is ultimately what we were hoping to find in a school.