Catholic school with great faith formation?

We are looking for a K-8 Catholic school in the East Bay that places a high priority on faith formation. (We are practicing Catholics.) Academic excellence would also be wonderful. Any recommendations?

We live in Berkeley and have looked into School of the Madeleine, but found it to be a bit light (for us) on catechesis. We were also hoping to find a school that was a bit more ethnically diverse.

We are willing to drive as far out as Richmond (in one direction) or Oakland (in the other). Thanks in advance! Happy Catholic

I am also surprised by their knowledge and grasp and ideas about God, Jesus, Mary, and church. It's clear to me that they have learned quite a bit from some one else, and it wasn't me. I really think they've learned quite a bit at their young ages and I don't get the sense that it is in your face learning.

St. David's is very diverse. There is a sprinkle of a lot of ethnic groups. I would guess that the most predominate group is probably hispanic. It certainly isn't all white like Corpus Christi was when I was growing up. Times have changed.

Classes are small at St. David's. It's got low enrollment, which probably makes classroom management much easier and allows the kids to have more individualized attention...which is just fine with me.

There's a lot of tradition in the St. David community. I live and work in the community and I find that all the alumnus I talk to about St. David's remember it fondly. It's probably past it's hey day....but it's traditions linger. My son looks forward to the traditions. I think we'll be at St. David's for a while.

Feel free to contact me if you want to talk more.

Pleasantly surprised... judy

You might want to consider St. Jerome in El Cerrito - it's a great school. I find it to be academically stong, very diverse and religion is taught daily at all grade levels.

The school is hosting an Open House on Sunday, January 29 beginning with Mass at 9:00 led by the Student Council followed by the actual open house from 10-12:00. That would be a great way for you to explore the school. Otherwise, call to schedule a tour 510-525-9484 http://stjeromecatholicschool.org/

Good Luck! St. Jerome Parent

There is the St. John the Baptist School, San Pablo Ave., in El Cerrito, just beside the St. John Church. Another landmark is the El Cerrito Post Office just across it.. Going north along San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, it's on your right with the Bank of the WEst as another landmark. The school has a diverse student population and is owned by the Church.

Another school that you can check out is the St. Jerome Catholic School along Colusa Ave., Berkeley/El Cerrito boundary.

I hope the above information will help. Good luck!

Respectfully, Victoria

Catholic high school for child with out gay parents?

I am a gay parent looking into eventually sending my now 7th grader to a Catholic high school. I just swichted my daughter from a BUSD middle school because (among other reasons) she was hanging with a pretty homophobic crowd. Am hoping that the smaller, private middle school she will attend next year will make it easier for her to to be out as the child of a gay parent. (Not for my sake but so she can feel safe sharing her full self with those around her). The private high school offerings look very limited ... And surprisingly I find myself more attracted to St. Mary's and Bishop O'Dowd than the secular schools. Am I insane? Do people have experience with how these schools handle LGBTQ issues for their students and parents? A Berkeley Mom

We are a Jewish family and have been incredibly supported, do not feel awkward at all and think it is a great educational environment (nurturing but challenging). There are a number of LGBT families as well as girls who seem comfortable expressing their sexuality as it works for them.. maggie

One student in particular, Kelsey Johnson, was honored for her efforts, and she was named the PG&E PrideNetwork Scholar, earning a $5,000 scholarship for her anti-bullying efforts at SJND. She founded the alliance, called The Us's, which has organized a Day of Silence and raised money for the Trevor Project at SJND.

And, in response to recent concerns nationwide about young people being bullied, Kelsey established every classroom and every office on the school's campus as a Safe Zone for students who might feel like they don't fit in. She also was honored by Girls Inc. with their Women Who Dare award.

I'm proud to say my kids are part of a school that takes tolerance seriously, and I'm also happy to say there weren't any issues at SJND that prompted the action. It was more a reaction to stories like the one at Rutgers that inspired students. SJND is also a great academic school, with a great diversity of students, all of whom are college-bound.

Are children taught evolution in Catholic school?

Hello, wondering if anyone could give me an updated feedback on St. Theresa's Elementary in Oakland, where the children go to school when graduate and if they are taught evolution. Yes, I am a scientist/catholic and can't imagine my child learning science any other way.

Please if you do not believe in evolution, this is not the place to discuss it, I just want to know how this catholic school handles it and don't feel comfortable asking the school myself. Thank you. anon

''According to the widely accepted scientific account, the universe erupted 15 billion years ago in an explosion called the 'Big Bang' and has been expanding and cooling ever since. Later there gradually emerged the conditions necessary for the formation of atoms, still later the condensation of galaxies and stars, and about 10 billion years later the formation of planets. In our own solar system and on earth (formed about 4.5 billion years ago), the conditions have been favorable to the emergence of life. While there is little consensus among scientists about how the origin of this first microscopic life is to be explained, there is general agreement among them that the first organism dwelt on this planet about 3.5 Since it has been demonstrated that all living organisms on earth are genetically related, it is virtually certain that all living organisms have descended from this first organism. Converging evidence from many studies in the physical and biological sciences furnishes mounting support for some theory of evolution to account for the development and diversification of life on earth, while controversy continues over the pace and mechanisms of evolution.''

''Currently, I see in Germany, but also in the United States, a somewhat fierce debate raging between so-called "creationism" and evolutionism, presented as though they were mutually exclusive alternatives: those who believe in the Creator would not be able to conceive of evolution, and those who instead support evolution would have to exclude God. This antithesis is absurd because, on the one hand, there are so many scientific proofs in favour of evolution which appears to be a reality we can see and which enriches our knowledge of life and being as such. But on the other, the doctrine of evolution does not answer every query, especially the great philosophical question: where does everything come from? And how did everything start which ultimately led to man? I believe this is of the utmost importance.''

I will grant you that the Vatican has a number of views on other issues that I have difficulties with, but on evolution, I think they're doing just fine.

Wikipedia has an exhaustive treatment of the ''evolution'' of Catholic dogma re evolution, if you are interested.
Faith and Reason Can Coexist