Does anyone have anything to say about Berkleley Montessori School? I know they have a new Head and changes have been made. How is communication home to parents? Do kids have enough physical activity? How is the community? There is no space large enough to meet as a community. Is that a big loss? No assemblies? Are kids challenged enough? I heard in the past, some kids were leaveing lower elementary without basic math and writing skills. Has this been addressed? Thanks! Curious parent

One of the wonderful things about BMS is that there are a lot of great parents in the community with a lot of strong opinions. As you all probably know, this is a double-edged sword. One of the ways in which I feel we are all learning to be a healthier and more effective community, is by better achieving that elusive balance. We are learning to make skillful use of the talents and energies of parents, without this leading to the sense that we are chasing in a million directions at once, or that a small group of vocal parents are steering the ship.

The play-yard is not huge, but the school makes good use of Strawberry Creek Park, which is right across the street. There have also been improvements to the lay out of activities during ''outside time,'' so that kids have a range of choices to engage their energies. Our wonderful next door neighbors, Congregation Netivot Shalom, have made their community space open to us for use both during the school day and in the evenings as needed, so there are ample opportunities to have large gatherings.

My sense this year is that there is a consistent commitment in the lower elementary classrooms to basic skill levels being met. I know that this has been a concern in past years, and I think a combination of some new staff and better use of learning specialists has resulted in marked improvement. One of the challenges for parents who may be accustomed to a different style of education, is to understand that all Montessori teachers look at achievement over a three year time frame, as all students spend three years in each, mixed-age classroom. This allows for children to truly learn at their own pace. As a parent, I was thrilled when my first grader was doing third grade level math work. It was more challenging to be thrilled when that same child was struggling to read even toward the end of second grade. Good communication with his teachers assured me that he was working away, even though little progress was apparent, until suddenly, at the end of second grade, seemingly overnight, it all clicked for him. He is now a happy fourth grader, reading at the same level as his peers, and delightedly losing himself in reading for pleasure. Throughout this he was never stigmatized for being “too smart” in math or “not smart” in reading, and for this I will be forever grateful. I hope this helps. I am choosing anonymity out of respect for my kids’ privacy, but would be happy to talk more to anyone about BMS. It is a truly great school. Happy BMS mom

The new Head of School, Janet Stork, is fantastic: dynamic, bright, and absolutely passionate about progressive education and meeting the learning needs of every child. I think she is very good about communication and very accessible, and provides numerous opportunities every month for anyone to talk to her in person. She has also encouraged the professional development of every staff member, which has translated into an energized faculty, enriching even more what our kids experience. She has added weekly yoga classes to complement the weekly movement classes, so I feel my children get enough exercise, especially with recess and sports after school. The school can use the synagogue's multipurpose room next door for assemblies and all school events, although it would certainly be nice to have our own space.

My children have certainly learned *more* than they would have in a traditional school, including math and writing, and have been encouraged to pursue their academic interests. I think that is what is possible when experienced and skilled teachers provide the individualized education the Montessori approach fosters. There have been some staff changes at the lower elementary level, and the new Head has added a school psychologist and weekly child study reviews for the faculty, administrators, and learning specialists working with one child to discuss the special needs of that child. I know there are also plans to hire another learning specialist to assist children who have special needs, so I feel the concerns you mention have been addressed.

The community is vibrant and full of very bright parents, teachers, and staff members passionate about serving the children, but in the past they haven't always agreed on how best to do that. I think our new Head of school is a great leader who is harnessing the energy of the community and helping everyone pull in the same direction to make BMS an even better school. Her model of school as learning community, where everyone, teachers, administrators, parents, children, are learning, is a terrific vision for the future. -Happy parent

I have just returned to the U. S. and am trying to place my 5 year old in a good kindergarten in the Berkeley area. I am considering Ecole Bilingue and Berkeley Montessori, and would appreciate comments on these schools for this age, plus any other recommendations for excellent private schools. Thank you

Re: Thinking of switching our 7-year-old to a Montessori school
I believe that there may still be openings for the 2006-07 school year at Berkeley Montessori School for a 7 year old child, and I doubt that exposure to Spanish would be a factor in acceptance. The sooner you can make the switch the better, as it can be difficult for children to make the transition later on. Please call the BMS admissions director Carol Clark at 510-665-8800 ext. 103, or check out the web site at http://www.bmsonline.org. We have been very happy with the experience of our children at this exceptional school.
Berkeley Montessori parent

Re: Montessori Preschool near UC Berkeley
I would highly recommend Berkeley Montessori's preschool program, just off Shattuck on Francisco very close to downtown Berkeley. The program is very rich and stimulating, the teachers are nurturing and very caring, the children are happy and inquisitive. The school is online at www.bmsonline.org, or you can call 665-8800. Good luck, Happy BMS parent

Re: Berkeley Montessori vs. Montessori Family
We had a hard time deciding between Berkeley Montessori and Montessori Family as well, but in the end, we thought that the classrooms at Berkeley Montessori were a little livelier in terms of collaboration between the children, and that ''felt'' better to us. I am a strong believer in gut instincts when choosing schools and other childcare for your children. We have been very happy with the tremendous teachers and vibrant community at Berkeley Montessori as my son has moved from the Early Childhood program through Lower El (1st-3rd) and now Upper El. But we may well have been happy at Montessori Family as well. I think we are blessed to have so many wonderful schools in the East Bay! Another Montessori Mom

Hi, I am hoping any parents whose children have attended Berkeley Montessori or Walden school in Berkeley can respond to this question. We are considering a bunch of different schools right now for next year and I am curious how these two schools graduates transition into a different school setting after completing the BMS or Walden school program? I am concerned about my child being ''behind'' when transferring to a public school setting in 9th grade (if that is what they end up doing). I have this ''feeling'', which is really based on nothing, that these two schools may allow so much freedom and independence that my child(ren) could end up doing more of what she wants and not enough of what she needs? I could be way off base here. I would love to hear any positive or negative feedback and am really looking for answers from children who have already attended these schools and how they are doing now in their current schools. Thanks for any information. Anon

Your concerns are valid, of course. but the questions you raise about being ''behind'' are totally the opposite of what I've experienced at BMS. In fact, many of my 9th grade friends at Albany High are struggling with algebra, and haven't gone nearly as in depth as we have with the books they study in English class. For example, this year we've spent three months reading and discussing ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,'' writing papers and doing projects based on the book. My friends at AHS said they dont't read classics like that until they are juniors. We're a mixed class of 7th and 8th graders so, in fact we're already far ahead! In 8th grade you take test prep and timed essay practice to help prepare you for HS. Besides the academics, the BMS teachers are awesome! I have great relationships with them and feel that if I don't understand something, I can go to any of them and explain what I don't understand and get help without feeling embarressed or intimidated. I feel this is very important to be able to do this with your teachers.

BMS is a great school with a tightly-knit community of nice kids and caring teachers! There is so much more I could tell you about BMS so free feel to contact me. I honestly know that I am very socially and academically prepared to enter high school. Antonia helen

Also, bear in mind that the Middle School at BMS is not a Montessori program but a bridging, transition program that helps kid prepare for a rigourous academic high school and college life after BMS. Hope this helps! Sima

I am considering sending my 4 yr old to Berkeley Montessori's Summer Program and then continuing for preschool and kindergarten. Any feedback on starting in the summer and on the school in general? Most recent comments are a year old. Thanks! Amy

I wanted to address some of the comments made about Berkeley Montessori School by an anonymous parent in the last Private School issue. One of the greatest strengths of the school is the amazing faculty, and the wonderful teacher:student ratio, with two teachers for each class of approximately 24 children. All of the Head Teachers at BMS are Montessori trained and highly experienced. After completing their Montessori credential, Head Teachers are required to have worked as an Assistant Teacher for at least 3 years before becoming a Head Teacher. All of the faculty and staff education and credentials are available on the BMS web site at http://www.bmsonline.org under ''Education'' ''About Faculty & Staff''. My son's teachers have been truly amazing.

In terms of grading, students at the Early Childhood Campus and Elementary school receive written reports rather than grades, but parents also have the opportunity to talk to teachers at two scheduled conferences during the school year, as well as any extra conferences requested by a parent or teacher during the school year. The teachers are trained in observing the children carefully and can tell a parent where their individual child falls in the continuum for any particular area of study. This observation and knowledge of each child by teachers is part of the beauty of the Montessori method.

The middle school graduates do go to excellent high schools, and the information about which schools they went to is also on the school's web site, under ''Students'' ''Graduates''.

In addition, the BMS test scores are on the web site, under ''Community'' ''Test Results'', and they are quite good. However, I would also like to point out, as has been done before, that test scores really reflect the socioeconomic status of the children, not necessarily the education that is going on in the school. BMS works very hard to achieve diversity, with an important Tuition Assistance program, and need-blind admissions. Not every private school does that.

Of course each family's experience at a school is individual, and each family needs to find a good fit for them. But I would be happy to talk to parents interested in BMS and answer any questions they might have about the school, speaking from my family's experiences. I think it is a very wonderful place to educate my children, and a wonderful community to be a part of. Sima

Hi - I've noticed the new Berkeley Montessori building going up, and it's made me curious. How do current parents feel about the school? (academics, socially, diversity, ''playground dynamics)? About the move? Is the newer building going to allow a larger enrollment? If you have transferred out of Berkeley Montessori, what led to that decision? And, if you decided to go, has it met your expectations? In general we hear very little about this school, so any pluses or minuses would be nice to know.

Our younger son had a less consistent experience in the lower elementary program (grades 1,2,3) at BMS, but in the upper program his teachers are excellent and he's now more academic than his brother ever was! I know he will be very happy at the middle school and I'm sure he'll have his pick of private high schools.

At BMS Middle School,there is a good amount of attention on math, a really good science prep with Lawrence Hall of Science program, and lots of work on writing, writing and more writing. BMS is a school, as my older one says, ''where you can be yourself'' and because it is small, the kids are protected from the big-middle-school/popular culture/peer pressure stuff for a little bit longer. I'm all for that during those tender years and found my older one all the stronger for that bit of extra childhood. There's sports at the middle school in a league with other east bay middle schools, and some terrific study/travel experiences to Wash. DC and the UK and Mexico. I'm into small schools and classrooms where there is time for the kids to develop meaningful relationships with their teachers, which BMS does with true excellence at many levels, especially Upper El(grades 4,5,6) and Middle School.

There's something to say for leadership too. BMS has an extraordinary head of school, Lee Davis, who sets a tone of excellence. She's spearheaded the purchase of the new site and it's development with remarkable strength and consistency. But more important, it's her leadership style, that I think is really great - fair, hardworking, and very joyful.

BMS Old Timer

The new Elem.-M.S.site is very exciting, and will be ready in February. The new school buildings are ''Green'', environmentally sensitive, and they have built in the idea of classroom as teacher about the environment.

The administration has done a great job of focusing efforts to purchase a new site and raise funds to build a new school. And the Parents Association has really blossomed over the past few years, building a sense of all school community and facilitating communication with the administration when parent concerns come up.

One weakness I see is the quality of some of the resource teaching, like music and physical education, as well as the summer program. Also, it is hard for our family to afford private school. But we feel that the cost has been well worth it for our son to be in such a wonderful, stimulating, loving environment where his learning knows no limits.

Happy Berkeley Montessori Parent

1. The Montessori curriculum can be difficult for some children to understand, especially if s/he has not gone to a Montessori preschool. Be sure you know how the classroom is structured; try to determine in advance whether your child can handle that kind of educational environment and curriculum.

2. While some of the teachers are excellent, others are not. If your child is assigned to one of the latter, you're stuck for 3 long years. To our knowledge, classroom assignments _cannot _ be changed. Be sure to check out the academic background and educational credentials of any head teachers to which your child might be assigned. Make sure those teachers have the background to teach your child what you want him or her to learn.

3. In our child's classroom, alot of time was spent on activities that we did not find germaine to the academic Montessori curriculum. For example, the class routinely played on the playground for 15-25 minutes extra before school started. There were also many day-long fieldtrips and other activities that had no discernible relationship to the academic studies. This is in sharp contrast with our child's current school, which starts promptly, and whose field trips and non-academic activities always have a direct link to the subjects being studied in class that week.

4. Individual teachers have alot of autonomy at BMS. If you have problems with your child's teacher, it can be hard to get the managing staff to intervene on your behalf. Again, no changes were allowed.

5. The grading system is very spongy... All the kids in each multi-grade classroom are evaluated on the same scale: not yet, in progress, and proficient. This makes it very hard for a parent to know exactly how their child is doing academically and where he or she might stand in comparison with his or her chronological peers. Moreover, the grades for our child's classroom didn't arrive until well after the school year was over--in mid July.

6. Although BMS says that its middle schoolers go on to excellent high schools, we would suggest checking that out. Most of the students who graduated last year did not, as we recall, go on to established or well-regarded high schools.

7. To determine how well BMS students master the ''standard'' academic skills, look closely at recent test scores for BMS students. The figures we have, for 1999, were in the mid-70th percentile, not nearly as high as those of many other private schools in this area.

Anonymous

Our two children attend Berkeley Montessori School and we really love it!

At the pre-school (aka early childhood center) we have spent four years with the full day program, a life saver for two working families and single parents. This program has a traditional Maria Montessori approach, uses four teachers for about 20 kids, two in the morning, two in the afternoon. We also happen to have ateacher with Chinese and Englsih-so our children are learning a great deal of chinese along the way. We have built a warm, family focused community here. The pre-school campus on Francisco, near Shattuck, features four classes, three part day and one full day. the yard and garden are wonderful, including small planting areas for each class to manage. An art room and music program are maintained.

The elementary campus is now housed on Leroy near Cedar is serviceable, the teachers are great and the whole thing is planning a move to a brand new campus next year. The new buildings are designed and ready to build as ''passive solar'' architecture designed by Pfau, SF. We are all very excited by the project, and the growing opportunites we see ahead.

I am a serious fan of this school, so if you have questions, please call. Theresa

I know that some Montessori schools I had visited felt a little more rigid and quiet than BMS. We chose BMS because we liked the looser (more talkative and collaborative) approach, more common in AMS (rather than AMI) schools.

The academics are superb, and each child can work at his or her own level. This requires great teachers who know the children very well and can allow them to work independently. My son's teachers also do a wonderful job fostering kindness, respect, and caring between the kids. The school really nurtures his innate love of learning, something I am especially thankful for.

Some weaknesses of the school: there is no foreign language enrichment in 1st-3rd grade, the tuition increases each year more than I wish, and my impression is that because the classroom communities are so strong, the sense of a whole school community is less than at schools where you switch teachers from year to year. But the Parents Association and administration are working hard on this last point.

The greatest strength of the school is the set of dedicated, talented, nurturing teachers.

It is a great gift to have our son in such a rich environment every day, even if it is a financial stretch for us. We are also very excited that the school will be moving to a brand new site next school year. My son is incredibly happy, so we are happy. I think BMS is a great school.

Sima

Fantastic teachers, small relatively unknown middle school, definitely takes in students from other schools at 7th and 8th grade. Not a traditional Montessori environment - different from the Elementary School in that respect. Very academic but very supportive of a range of abilities. Teachers are very approachable.

Detailed report cards, exceptional math program, prepares students for high school at a strong level. Usually one or more short camping trips and one big spring trip - sometimes international per year. Sports teams, Spanish and Art electives are offered.

I expect with the new building next year, the school will have a much greater wave of ''fame''. The Middle School will also increase in size which will give more social opportunities. c

Berkeley Montessori School has a wonderful elementary and middle school program. Both my boys attend and are academically well ahead of their peers, but most importantly they're having a wonderful time learning! hope

We would like to hear any and all feedback on Berkeley Montessori School. We will be returning from a year in Paris and that may be the only school with an opening for our soon to be third grader. Thank you. Margaret

Outlining, grammar, sentence structure, the paragraph, writing literary criticism, and creating a bibliography were all taught at length in his 7th and 8th grade English classes. The enjoyment, memorization, rhyme and meter of poetry were well covered. In addition, through one of his teachers, Charley had the opportunity to take a special novels course each summer, which he greatly enjoyed.

My son's high level of academic preparedness is not just in English - he's finding that he is well prepared for all of his classes. The only weak spot at BMS is the Spanish program and this is not unique among most middle schools.

The English and Math teachers at BMS Middle School are extraordinary. I truly appreciate this now that my son is in a challenging high school environment. Debby

By way of background, both of my sons attended Berkeley Montessori School's preschool. Both were in Nancy's class, though I know Denise, and my children were with her in the summer program. We loved BMS preschool, and thought all the teachers were really great, Denise included. We adore Nancy and remain friends with her. The preschool is a warm nest of nuturing and learning. Both my kids went on at BMS and one will go to Lick-Wilmerding HS next fall, and the other is thriving as a fourth grader there. I believe that no school is perfect, indeed we supplement with outside music and sports, but on the whole we are very, very pleased with BMS. We especially valued that the preschool classroom/age mix led to a very special kindergarten third year. It builds confidence, competency, and kindness in the child. It also means that as a parent you avoid the hysteria of applying to kindergarten and putting your child through all that stress at age 5/6. A very good thing. Plus the mixed age group and extended materials and curriculum allow your child to explore and grow at her own pace. She can work on what she needs and wants most to learn, advance and solidify her skills, and feel completely comfortable at her own level. (This keeps going in Montessori, for example, my fourth grader is in the sixth grade math group where he learns the things he is hungry to know...) We feel that the BMS preschool gave our boys the foundation for their future education, a self directed learning style, and the confidence to be generous spirited, kind people. Debby

Regarding great middle schools: Berkeley Montessori School on Leroy Street has a wonderful middle school program. BMS added a 7th-8th grade program a couple of years and from all accounts is very successful. Call at 510-843-9374 and make an appointment for a tour. I think you will be impressed.

The BMS Middle School Program supports young adolescent students in their academic, social and emotional growth. The program promotes academic excellence, expands critical thinking skills and supports the development of each student's unique potential. The program is known for its solid support of students who are moving through the difficult social and emotional transitions of early adolescence. Middle School students are expected to assume leadership roles at the school. Many of our middle school graduates enter their freshman year at both public and private high schools at advanced academic levels.

My son attended Berkeley Montessori School for three years (kindergarten to second grade). The teachers are great! The teaching there gave him a wonderful start, especially in reading. I put him in public school (he goes to Cragmont) because as a single mother I couldn't afford it anymore. They do have scholarships but that didn't help me. Anyway, he loves Cragmont School (on the Franklin School site). Carol Lynn

My daughter is a second grader in Berkeley Montessori School. I am quite pleased with the curriculum and the caring, professional attitude of the teachers. There is a younger program 2.8 years to kindergarten at one site and an older program, first through eighth grade, located in the old Hillside School site on Leroy. The Montessori method is to put several age ranges together -- i.e., first, second and third grades; fourth, fifth and sixth grades; and seventh and eight grades. This seems to work out well. Children work at their own level so, for instance, if assignments are completed, a first grader might move on to do some second grade works, etc. The school fosters interaction and caring among the age groups, i.e., the older children help the younger ones with projects or read to them, etc.. The children are for the most part well behaved but lively and attentive. My daughter started at BMS when she was 4 2/3 yrs. and they had her reading in a matter of weeks. I was very impressed. The curriculum includes movement, music and language (Spanish and Japanese). There is an emphasis on math and science. The whole school is now participating in an innovative interdisciplinary oceanography curriculum presented by The Lawrence Hall of Science. For instance, this week is "Ocean Week" in my daughter's class and every thing they do will relate to oceanography - reading, writing, math, etc. There will be a field trip to the Berkeley Marina. The children are encouraged to bring objects from home (i.e., shell collections, pictures, personal experiences, etc.) and friends and family with knowledge of the sea are asked to participate by soming to the classroom and sharing their knowledge with the children. I think the school is great (mayby not perfect but what is) and encourage you to check it out for yourself.

My son is currently 3. He is attending Berkeley Montessori School, and loves it there. At first, I thought it was too structured, fascist, and disciplined. However all the kids were happy, creative, polite, and the teachers were full of energy and good ideas. They have a music teacher that comes once a week. Kids also visit neighborhood parks weekly.

In my opinion, kids have a short attention span and need some guidance in accomplishing activities. The Montessori curricula helps kids focus on an activity from start to finish: they make choices among a set of activities and also pick up after themselves. There are always new activities, but also some that are a permanent part of the classroom. This allows kids to build confidence and demonstrate their abilities on old activities, but also explore new things.They also encourage older kids to explain things to younger students as a way to learn and socialize.

One teacher in the preK class teaches Mandarin during circle time, and offers saturaday class for interested kids over 4 at extra charge.