• Parents' Reviews of Cragmont School
• After School Programs at Cragmont

Parents' Reviews of Cragmont School

Re: looking at schools in the Central Zone
Well, I can only tell you about Cragmont, cuz that's where my kids go to school. My kids like it a lot and so do we. You can look on the archives (if the recent Cragmont blurbs were archived) for some detailed reviews. I'll touch on a couple of characteristics.

We find Cragmont to be a caring community where mutual respect is valued highly. Kids are taught to be respectful of themselves and others. It is a village and all the adults pitch in to help the kids understand the importance of respect and caring. The school feels very safe. Arts-wise, there is a rich program of visual arts and dance. This year the kids have art and dance and music one day each week. Art is always offered in the on-site afterschool program.

Academics-wise, Cragmont teachers work together to ensure a consistent approach across diffrerent classes in each grade. The many experienced teachers are well able to teach to kids throughout the academic spectrum. Extra help is provided to students as needed in math and language arts. Extra challenges are provided for kids who find academics easier. Science is taught by two well-loved teachers, through the garden program in the lower grades and in the science classroom in 4th and 5th. Additional science is taught by many of the classroom teachers.

There are many student teachers participating at Cragmont and learning form the master teachers. Parents help in mnay of the classrooms, too. Two volunteer coordinators help organize all the helpers. The parent community is very involved. A lot of Moms and Dads attend PTA meetings and organize events. There is a special parent group for the Latino/a family community and another for the parents of children of color. It is made clear that anyone (regardless of race) is welcome to attend ony of these groups' meetings. There is also a Diversity Committee with a broad membership.

The new principal, Mr. Vu, is a very smart and warm leader with a good sense of humor. He is a diplomat (in the best sense of the word) and helps both kids and adults work out issues.

In summary, I'd say that Cragmont is a very supportive kid-staff- parent community that values diversity, respect, and learning and is focused on the growth of the students. And as one well- loved staff person says, ''It's all about the kids!'' Stop by and observe if you get the chance. Cragmont Parent

I'm beginning to look at public elementary schools in Berkeley and wonder if anyone has recent information/recommendations to share? I am in the ''Central'' zone and interested in a rich program with as much arts programming and faculty and student diversity as possible. Thanks, researching early

The visual arts teacher, Joe, has his own classroom. Kindergartners visit him each week, and older kids spend one semester with him. This allows for extra long classes when they are with him. Joe also teaches art in the on site after school program. The kids study master artists' work and learn sophisticated techniques and styles. They work in 2 D and 3 D. Various parents and teachers bring visual and theater art to the school in many ways. The garden and its program are blossoming. The science program is strong. The basics in math and reading are paid a lot of attnetion. The school day is full at Cragmont, and some rote work is done at home, in order to fit the arts into the day.

The PTA is strong and diverse. An African American parents' group and a Spanish-Speaking parents' group both help to bring their concerns to the whole comunity in a constructive and supportive way. Next year's PTA executive committee includes a diversity of officers. The staff at Cragmont are also diverse. The other schools you mentioned are also wonderful. Fortunately, Berkeley elementary schools have lots of great stuff to offer, and their families are dedicated to supporting the arts.

Stop by next year to visit the schools when you get a chance (call the office first to determine a good time), see some of their performances, see some of their community events, go to PTA meetings; and you'll get a good feel for each school's community. (And please make a dontaion in time and/or money to whatever school you land at - Thanks! Cragmont Mom

I am a parent who is starting to look into K for next year for my first child. I would appreciate hearing from parents whose children attend Cragemont or Oxford what their experiences have been like. I am especially interested in knowing (but please also comment on whatever you think is important):
-strengths and weaknesses of the school
-level of academic performance (I saw the scores online for the 2004-5 year report). I am especially interested in knowing how well the children are learning in a classroom with a diverse body of students
-discipline: good?, too loose?, too strict?
-feeling included / excluded as a practicing Jew?
-sports programs
Thank you!

I find that the teachers are doing well in working with parents to craft a program that suits their child and that will work in the classroom setting. Especially in kindergarten, children show up with a wide range of academic skills. The teachers do a pretty good job meeting the needs of all of them. AND there is no replacement for you being involved at the school (at ANY elementary school) if you are able to make the time. If you can't be involved at the school even once a month, it is wise to see your kid's teacher face-to-face about once a month to check in (at ANY elementary school).

As for any BUSD student, if your child has particular learning challenges, you can work with the school and the district to get extra assistance for them.

Discipline is great at Cragmont. It feels very safe and respectful. The principal and the teachers emphasize respect for all quite a bit. Every teacher has the right to teach and every child the right to learn. Kids that break the rules and/or disprupt the class are worked with in a constructive manner, and if they cause too much disruption, adjustments are made so that the rest of the class' learning doesn't suffer. I'v heard from a parent of a challenging older boy (from a few years back) that she thought the principal did a fantastic job working with her son.

Sports happen on the play ground every day during the recesses. Older kids are junior coaches and organize games for younger kids who wnat to play. A specific Sports and Games Time class happens once a week for each classroom. Kindergarteners and the younger grades are the only kids allowed at the smaller playground.

The students also have a wide range of dietary needs/restrictions. Kids (and teachers and parents) who are vegatarians and kids (and parents)who have nut allergies attend the school and their needs are met.

A wide variety of cultures are present at Cragmont and the diversity is respected and celebrated. The active PTA has diverse leadership. The teaching staff are diverse, as well. There are many mixed race students and so many families, themselves, are diverse. There is a parents group focusing on the particular education challenges facing african american students, and parents from the range of ethnicities at Cragmont are actively and enthusiastically supporting the group's work. I can't tell you how Cragmont is specifically for an observant Jew as I am not Jewish, but hopefully you will hear from the Cragmont families who are. Many Cragmont kids attend the popular onsite after-school program and a bunch (both Jewish and non-Jewish) go to the JCC with kids from around Berkeley and Albany). You may want to check both programs out this school year. If you sign up for the JCC afterschool program, and let the school district know, then your child can be bussed (for free) to the JCC. The JCC can tell you haw kids from different schools get to the ''J'' afterschool.

I encourage you to visit the schools at different times of day, in different clssrooms. Check out the release time classes during the day like art and dance. Check out recess time. Check out festivals and PTA meetings to get a feel for the community spirit. I hope you find and get into a school that meets your needs.
Cragmont Parent

Re: Moving back to the Bay Area - which school district?
Regarding your question, I certainly don't think your 6 year old will feel stigmatized in K; a lot of kids enter late, are 'held back' a year, esp. boys. I see them doing very well. As my kids are half Latino half caucacian, so far I really enjoy the berkeley Elementary school we are at (cragmont). They both finally made it into the bilingual (Spanish English) classes, which are also offered at LeConte and Rosa Parks. Our pricipal is tops and pushing and name calling are given a referral to the office, for example. We have a great student body and are doing GREAT on the Star testing, especially given our diverse student body. I love having the diversity. I feel that it, more then anything else, prepares my children for real life. At their jobs, they will most likely have colleagues of all different backgrounds. Also, when I drive by Marin Elementary, eg, in Albany, I think: boy, my children will kind of stand out there, not being all Caucasian and/or Oriental. Good luck on your search. Also, the academic standards are high. A friend transferred to Head Royce from Cargmont (very prestigious private school) and did fine. Other children coming from private schools have to catch up! There are a TON of interventions as well for the lower third of the class, incl. teachers staying after school to tutor math and language!
love our school

My daughter is eight and is in Cragmont elem. There is an excellent art teacher that is gifted with the kids, making it almost an arts magnet in the emphasis on visual arts. The afterschool program is excellent, affordable and well staffed. The teachers vary in the degree of positive discipline they use to manage the classrooms. I am glad to speak with anyoine with questions. micky

Dear all, does anybody have a child at Cragmont school in Berkeley? I am thinking of sending my child there next kindergarten year, and would be grateful to receive ANY kind of feedback or reports about the school - is your child happy there - does your child learn anything - are the classes orderly....and so on! Kathy

Pluses: Lots of parent involvement, including volunteering in the classroom; lots of enrichment (the PTA is very good at fundraising); uniformly very good teachers. You can request a given teacher, which is not true of all the Berkeley schools. Great play structure for first-fifth grades. Great art teacher and school library. Special science and music programs in all grades. Good computer specialist; 3rd graders are learning how to touch-type this year.Very good reading-recovery program.

Minuses: (probably true for all Berkeley schools). On the whole, discipline isn't great, although the parents have been working with the staff very hard on school climate the past two years. One parent commented to me that the presence of a Spanish immersion program means that a lot of well-behaved children aren't in the regular classes, meaning that it is harder to spread out the kids who are discipline problems. I don't think the classes are as good as they could be in terms of spread of academic abilities, although this year it appears to be very good for the 3rd grade and the principle has become aware of the need to keep this is mind when assigning kids to split-grade classes.

Is my son learning at school? That's hard to say. We work with him a lot at home. For K and 1 he was in a combination class and reading wasn't taught to him by the teacher. (They had a high-level aide who specialized in reading.) But he got a very solid grounding in phonics and his reading really took off in 2nd grade. I also worked with him a lot during the second half of 1st grade and through the summer. I think there could be more homework. Sometimes the enrichment programs threaten to overtake the time for basic learning. Fran

I'm pleased with the school's leadership and communication but it's not like I have a lot to compare it to. I think the principal is extremely dedicated and more than willing to work on any problems that arise and he's dedicated to coming up with programs that will work for all the kids. He's begun some very creative programs for both outside time and behavior/respect problems that so far seem effective to me. Liz

Afterschool Programs

I am considering which afterschool program to enroll my future Cragmont (Berkeley) kindergartener in. I reviewed the info on the webpage, but as I cannot tell when the comments were made, I would like to make sure to get some recent input. If you have a child enrolled in the afterschool program at Cragmont or the Jewish Community Center, I would be interested in hearing what you think of their program this year (both positive, and areas that need work). What are the kindergartener programs like? Also, do you know of any major changes coming up for next year? Any thing else we should know? If anyone has any recent experience with other Berkeley after school programs that they would like to toss in the pot, please do, as I'm sure many of us would benefit. Thanks! suzanne