My son is adamantly against attempting Berkeley High, as he feels it will be "too big." His second choice is Skyline, although he really wants to go to a private school (we are awaiting acceptance.) Can anyone tell me/him about Berkeley High and whether it is "too big?" Elaine

People report to me who observe Berkeley High graduates that they seem to thrive in college. They have commented that the BHS students are so much more "savy" and ready to deal with the responsibilities of living in a complex community. I have not seen a loss of idealism either. They seem to still feel they can do something worthwhile with the education they are getting. My youngest (9th grade) says his freshman year at BHS has been the best year of his school experience so far.

Bettina

Our children in Berkeley public schools attend small schools in grades K through 5. I speak for those who have had the good fortune to find that we can create a great community in a small school. Families, teachers, students, and staff can work together to form partnerships in our children's education. We get to know each other well, and can form the logical links of "who can help in this situation?" easily, in a small school. Learning happens on a human scale. Education is personalized. Community quilts are made in hallways after school. Teachers and families bring children together outside of school hours to look at the planets, to count birds, to explore their world. Children are drawn into activities that fuel their interests, and help them grow. Teachers and families collaborate.

By middle school, our kids are attending larger, less personal schools. It's a little harder to stay involved, especially since our budding teens often don't want to be seen in public with us! By high school, many of us feel that we are entering a foreign land, one that is often hostile to our needs and those of our children. Yet there *are* small learning communities at Berkeley High School, and those children who find them, I believe, benefit.

There are the well-known small learning communities at Berkeley High: Communication Arts and Science (CAS); The Computer Academy; The Biotech Academy; Common Ground. But if you look deeply within Berkeley High, you'll also find communities being built in Independent Studies, Village 9, Berkeley Alternative High School, Special Education, ESL, AVID, REBOUND!, the Student Learning Center, African American Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Asian American Studies, Advanced Placement, Freshman-Senior Bridge, and in many after school activities.

I believe that every student and family needs to find a niche in such a large school community, a foothold, in order to succeed. We want every child to succeed, and every child and family to find that foothold. It should be our goal to close the cracks that kids fall through, to help set standards for Berkeley High in important areas -- scheduling, counseling, mentoring, orientation for kids and families, continuous support, and so forth, so that our children are not lost in a hostile environment.

If you are interested in joining in a community discussion of the benefits of and possibility for creating more small learning communities at Berkeley High, please e-mail me and I can put you in touch with the parents, teachers, and students who are studying small learning communities at Berkeley High.

We can help cast the connecting threads that strengthen the educational experience at Berkeley High for all of our students.

Yours,
Melissa