Berkeley Parents Network: High Schools

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High Schools

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Private School Reviews

Bayhill High School 9-12 (Oakland)
Beacon Day School Oakland K-12
Bentley K-8 (Oakland) 9-12 (Lafayette)
Bishop O'Dowd Oakland
Children's Learning Center K-12 (Alameda)
College Preparatory School 9-12 Oakland
Contra Costa Alternative School 9-12 Orinda
East Bay Waldorf El Sobrante K-12
Head-Royce School Oakland K-12
Holy Names Oakland
Maybeck 9-12 Berkeley
Orinda Academy Orinda 9-12
ReGENERATION Learning Program8-12 Albany
School for Independent Learners9-12 Albany
St. Mary's College High School Berkeley 9-12
The School of Choice 9-12 Oakland

Private high school for N.Berkeley kids?

April 2007

I have some questions about east bay private high school. I have been reading the reviews on BPN and they all sound wonderful. Our daughter will start looking at possible high schools this year and any input from parents of kids at area schools would be great. Our daughter is very bright, but also loves art, sports and is very into her social life. I gather that CPS is very strong academically from previous postings, but how is there arts and sports program? (In fact, where are there athletic fields for that matter!?) We live in North Berkeley, and I like that she could take public transportation to school on her own, but will all her friends live over in Oakland? Does this isolate kids? I have also heard wonderful things about Marin Academy academically, but also about their sports and arts programs. However, I worry about the effect of the long commute on my daughters social life as well. Can any parents comment? Will all of her friends live over the bridge? (How do kids at MA from East Bay deal with that?) Or should we just bite the bullet and send her to Berkeley High? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all. berkeleymomanddad

If you are looking for quality sports facilities for a high school you might consider Head Royce in Oakland. It is located near the mormon temple off of Hwy 13. My son is going there for middle school. While we have yet to experience the school, I can say the campus boasts beautiful sports facilities and we were very impressed with the classes we observed. They also have a strong drama and art program to go along with academics. Terri

Check out Berkeley High. After all, BHS has the most number of AP and Honors classes than any school in the area, the largest/most varied athletic program of any high school west of the Mississippi, and an incredibly visual and especially performing arts program (the jazz band of course is nationally ranked). In addition, BHS offers more languages than many colleges (Spanish, French, Latin, Swahili, German, and starting next year Mandarin Chinese). With this year's implementation of the new International High program, every student has the opportunity to be in a community-based setting. In addition to the IH program (where students will be able to choose to receive an international baccalaureate degree), there is Academic Choice (traditional, college prep), and the small schools: Communications/Arts/Science (CAS), Community Partnership Academy, Social Justice, and Arts/Humanity (AHA), themed and/or somewhat non-traditional college prep. Not to mention the amazing number of clubs, associations, and other student activities. Yes, Berkeley High can be intimidating for some students and for some, the independence and freedom at BHS can be too much to handle but I truly believe that NO PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BAY AREA provides more overall than BHS in terms of academic opportunity, academic rigor, and more importantly life experiences. Karen

We live in N Berkeley and my older son is a sophmore at CPS. He really likes CPS and the school is a good fit for him. CPS's strength is academics, but they have a good arts program. We've been to some very impressive student music and drama performances. I've seen art shows of student work that were also amazing. My son isn't an artist per se, but he's been taking stagecraft this year and is really enjoying it. While they do have sports teams, yes there is a field and they use other facilities, I don't think the sports programs have the strength of the arts and music programs. Kids at CPS come from every where, not just Oakland. There are other kids who live in N Berkeley, some come from Marin, Walnut Creek, Moraga, etc. Kids pick a common place to meet to get together, meet on Shattuck to go to a movie, etc. Sometimes they will go together for burritos or pizza on College Av after school. As a full time working parents (and I do a lot of business travel) we really appreciate it that the CPS teachers and administration have their act together and we spend no time dealing with school issues. CPS Parent

We investigated private high schools, went through the whole application process and enrolled our daughter in a private school for ninth grade. (She was accepted at multiple schools.) She ultimately decided to attend a school in Marin, and the commute was awful even though the school provided a bus from N. Berkeley, upwards of three hours per day. She also found that she really needed to be in a larger school environment, having attended private school for K-8. We finally agreed to let her transfer half way through her first semester to Berkeley High, despite already having committed to the tuition at the private school, and the experience has been great for her.

Because she came in mid-year she didn't get a choice of program or classes, but the school worked with her to get her into the right level of classes, and she is certain she made the right decision. She is the only Freshman in several of her classes. So, my advice is, look into Berkeley High as a positive option, not a last resort. Many people outside of the city find ways to enroll their children in BHS because it is a vibrant community with excellent academic options. The right school for your child depends on their personality and interests. Happy BHS parent

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