Berkeley Parents Network: School of the Madeleine

Berkeley Parents Network

School of the Madeleine

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > School of the Madeleine

Nov 2006

Re: Comparing Catholic Schools
Hi- I can only speak from my own experience, but my son is a 3rd grader at the School of the Madeleine in Berkeley. He has been there since Kindergarten and we could not be happier. The school is a warm and supportive community for both the students and families. The principal and teachers are top-notch. The academic standards are high without feeling overly pressured. Simply put, I love the school and am looking forward to my other 2 sons attending there, my secong son begins next year. I also looked at St. Jerome's but personally liked the feel at the school of the Madeleine better for the sense of community. It felt somehow more orderly without feeling overly strict. I know families at Corpus Christi who are also very happy. We are Episcopalian and not Catholic and feel very welcome at the Madeleine. There are of course many Catholic and parish familes at the school, but my experience is that families from other faiths (Protestant, Jewish, Muslim) feel equally good about being at the school. The school promotes academic, social and moral development and teaches students to give and care for those in their school and to their wider community. It is a very special school with a solid academic track record. Laura

Feb 2006

Does anyone know if the School of the Madeleine welcomes gay and lesbian families? We understand it's a Catholic school, we know it's very Berkeley, but just how Berkeley? anon

I believe that the School of the Madeleine is Berkelely enough to handle gay and lesbian families. My daughter is in first grade and there are no gay or lesbian families in her class. However, as a parent, I am happy to say that the group of parents that I know are all very nice and welcoming and I don't see that it would be an issue. I do not believe that you would be the only gay/lesbian family, but I don't know the statistics. Good luck with your school search. Joan

I am a current Madeleine parent of a 2nd grader and have 2 younger children whom I very much look forward to sending to the Madeleine as well. Our experience at the school has been incredibly positive. The administration and staff are top notch. Conflicts and problems among the kids are addressed head- on in a loving and constructive way. Bullying is not permitted and kids are expected to treat one another respectfully. In fact, conflict resolution skills are taught to the kids beginning in kindergarten and are part of the curriculum through the upper grades. As far as diversity goes, I find the school to be anything but homogenous. I don't know the exact demographics, and there are probably fewer African American families (maybe 10% of the school from my observations) than other racial groups, but there are substantial numbers of Hispanic and Asian (including Chinese, Japanese and Filipino) students. I'd guess that my son's class is at least 1/3 enrolled with students ''of color.'' The diversity extends to religious diversity as well - despite the Catholic nature of the school, there is a large segment of the school (perhaps as much as 1/3) who are not Catholic. There are Jewish families, Muslim families and many inter-faith families, including mine, who find the tolerance, respect for others and social responsibility taught at the school to be an important part of our children's education. The academic standards are quite high - the school is by no means a ''pressure cooker'' environment with an overly accelerated curiculum. But the students at the school are held to a high standard, do excel, rank highly on national test scores, and from everything I've seen, go on to do extremely well in high school and get in to top rate colleges. There are a few fundraising events per year at the school, but this seems completely in line with similar fundraising efforts made by other private schools in the area. And I must say that I have never felt pressured to give more to the school than our family can comfortably afford. And given that we have 3 young kids and are just trying to make ends meet like everyone else, we are by no means at the top of the giving scale.

The Madeleine is an excellent school, a warm community with a talented staff and engaged parents, and I feel so thankful to have my family be a part of such a wonderful place. Laura

I have a child in the first grade at the School of the Madeleine and I am extremely pleased with it. My child loves school and is learning well. The teachers treat the children with respect and caring. I volunteer in the classroom and am impressed with how calm and in control the teacher is. There is a morning assembly every morning that includes the students, teachers, the principal, and any parents that want to attend. The school motto is ''let's be good to one another'' and the students say it every day before they go inside to start their day. There is an open door policy for discussing any issues that come up.

I went to Catholic school for 12 years and my husband (who is not Catholic) went to public school and we both think that the school is terrific. An extra bonus is that the community is warm and welcoming. We have made many friends and feel that other parents are also watching out for our children. The school teaches the children that they are part of a bigger community and they can make a positive impact every day. We have two younger children that I intend to send to the School of the Madeleine. Joan

Feb 2005

Do any parents of current or former students have anything to add to the discussions of St. Jerome School and the School of the Madeleine? We are parents of a 4-year-old who will start kindergarten this fall, and we are interested in both schools. Both seem to have unique strengths. We are Catholic, but not particularly active in our church. While we feel that our daughter would probably find the curriculum more interesting and challenging at the Madeleine, both seem like good schools with dedicated teachers and staff and a warm welcoming atmosphere. St. Jerome is located nearer to our geographic neighborhood and the BART station (I commute to SF), which we find very appealing, but we're not sure how much weight to give to that. We would like to get as much information as we can, and hear as many personal experiences as possible, before making this difficult choice. Any and all advice welcome. concerned parents

I am the mother of a 1st grader at the Madeleine, and we applied to both The Madeleine and St. Jerome's. I liked both schools very much, but my husband I simply felt more ''at home'' and a real sense of community at the Madeleine. It's also a little closer to our house. We are friends with a St. Jerome's family and my understanding is that St. Jerome's is a little more of a ''commuter school,'' meaning that lots of families there come from Hercules, Pinole, etc and drop off kids at St. Jerome's on their way into work. Many Madeleine familes are from Berkeley and some from El Cerrito, Albany and Oakland.

We have been very happy with our choice. We have loved our son's teachers for both years and the principal, Mitch Calegari is exceptional. He was at Thousand Oaks years ago and is very experienced as an educator. The teachers at the school seem to feel very supported by him and like working for him. We think the school, teachers, curriculum and extended care program are outstanding and we could not be happier with the school.

Good luck with your decision. They are both good schools. Laura

We live closer to St. Jerome than the School of the Madeleine. We were married and our children were baptized at St. Jerome. Yet, we chose the School of the Madeleine. We have been very happy with our choice.

The thing that tipped the balance for me was the building. The building at the School of the Madeleine has a lot of light and is airy (not to mention the view from the upstairs!) That appealed to me. We went to the open houses of both schools several years in a row and I just liked the ambience at the Madeleine better, the Kindergarten in particular. I loved that the Kindergarten at the Madeleine had two rooms and a kitchen. The kids actually get to cook. That sold me!

But, you know what, now that I've had children in school for several years I realize that there are so many things that go into making a school right or wrong for a child that we as parents cannot possibly anticipate them all. So, make the best decision you can with the information you have and go with it. Then take a deep breath and relax. It all works out in the end one way or another. Good luck! Anon

November 2003

We are interested in hearing information about The School of the Madeleine in North Berkeley. We have set up visits already but would like to hear from currently/recently enrolled families about things the school won't tell you.

catholic family looking for the best place to send our kids

I am responding to the questions that have been posted about the School of the Madeleine in Berkeley. As a current kindergarten parent, I cannot yet speak to the older grades, but I can say that my son and entire family have been extremely happy with our choice. We looked at the gamut of private schools in the Berkeley / Oakland / El Cerrito area last year trying to decide on the best match for our family. We applied and our son was accepted at all of our top choices. In weighing out this decision, we decided on the School of the Madeleine because it felt warm, unpretentious and strongly committed to academics. It was the only school we considered that truly seemed like a community and where we did not have to work so hard to impress people. The staff are experienced, warm and caring. The principal, Mitch Calegari, has years of public school principal experience prior to coming to the Madeleine --- he is phenomenal. Not to mention that the cost is at least half to a third of the tuitions of other private schools in the area. In addition, we are not Catholic but feel very comfortable with the way religion is woven into the overall curriculum. It is definitely Catholic but is extremely respectful of the other faiths represented by the students. Parents of older children and graduates that I have spoken to seem equally pleased with the school, both academically and socially. The graduates have gone on to excellent high schools and colleges. The students at the Madeleine are taught from the beginning to ''Be good to one another,'' and that spirit is reflected throughout the student body and faculty. The school is also extremely diverse which is important to us and different from some of the other private schools that we looked at. Our son is thriving at the Madeleine and looks forward to school even more than weekends. The Extended Care Program for working parents (which we are) has also been wonderful. We could not be happier with our school choice and look forward to our other two sons attending the School of the Madeleine.

An extremely happy Kindergarten parent

January 2003

Hi - I'm wondering if there are parents of kids attending School of the Madeline in Berkeley, who would be willing to share some of their experiences of the school. In particular, we are not Catholic. Is it crazy to even contemplate attending SOM? What percentage of the families at SOM are actually non-Catholic? Are students ever accepted for higher grades (3,4), or just K? How are the academics? The spiritual studies? Is it strictly ''Bible teachings'', or the larger values/ethics of treating ourselves and each other well? Is the school accepting of other kinds of diversity ~ ethnic, sexual orientation, family structure, etc. etc.? What high schools do SOM kids ''typically'' attend (public, private?) Any and all comments warmly appreciated. Thanks, Pondering a change of schools in Berkeley

This is in response to the inquiry about School of the Madeleine. We have had two children at the school for almost nine years and have, for the most part, been quite satisfied with it. It is a lovely, open community and provides a ''Catholic'' education vis a vis its Berkeley roots. While there is religious study of Catholicism on a daily basis, the emphasis most certainly is on strong moral values, being good to one another. I guesstimate that perhaps 20% of the student body are non-Catholics and are warmly embraced. I wouldn't not choose the school based on religion. While the class sizes are large, there are many subjects that are taught with only half the class at a time. The sports programs are fantastic, especially for girls. One of our children is off to high school next year and we feel they have had a strong academic base to prepare them. Many students go on to private high school, particularly Catholic, but many go on to BHS and other private schools. I encourage you to attend the school's Open House which I believe is Jan. 26th (although you should check the date with the school office), where you can meet teachers and parents. Good luck. a satisfied parent

My daughter attends the School of the Madeleine. She likes it. I'm neutral. The classes are large (35 children, one class per grade), the curriculum is traditional. If someone asked me to rate the teaching, I guess I would say middle- of-the-road. Religion is definitely a factor, so it is something to think about before you send your children there. I am not Catholic, and if I were to do it over, I can't say I would choose the Madeleine, or a Catholic school, for my child. However, I know of some families who have switched from public school and are happy with the decision. (I know others who have left for public or other private schools and are happy, too!)There definitely is a sense of community. Ethnic diversity is present, and there is no separation along ethnic lines. I don't know about sexual diversity, maybe not much. The principal is very good. It's small and safe-seeming. All the major holidays are celebrated in the traditional sense. There is a good after-school program, a healthful school lunch program, and a fun summer program. Currently the tuition is not covering the expenses, so I think the rates will go up. Oh yes, and there are many non-Catholic families in the school.
Madeleine parent

We have been at the School of the Madeleine for almost 4 years and are extremeley satified with the school. The teaching is structured and very thorough and students are well prepared for the best High Schools in the area. They are taught to think critically and to face a multitude of challenges that exist in the world - projects and field trips are creative and diverse. The higher grades (7,8) include special retreats and leadership programs that really seem to develop the childrens sense of self and respect for others. Having transferred from another East Bay private school, we were pleased with the ease of transition and the immediate sense of community the school provides. About 75% of the students are catholic, (we are not) and we appreciate the strong sense of ethics and morals that the school teaches and are very much in agreement with the spirit of the school. The class size (approx. 35) is a bit misleading as most classes are split up or taught by two teachers at a time so that students really do get a fair amount of individual attention and manage to excell at their own rate. The schools Open House on 1/26 will provide a bit of insight into the class projects and teachers and parents are usually available to answer questions. I highly recommend the School at any grade level.
Satisfied Madeleine Parent

February 2003

I attended School of the Madeleine for 9 years and my sister and brother did as well. There is one more sister still there. I had a very good experience there and would like to let others who are interested in the school know that it offers many great things. It is a Catholic school, but there is not an overwhelming emphasis that makes students of other faiths uncomfortable. There were many non-Catholics in my class and there were never any issues related to faith preference. The integration of moral and ethical education and discussion was definitely interesting and a great learning experience. I must say that overall, my time there was great! The upper division teachers are great resources and prepared me well for high school. The Madeleine stresses the importance of community which can be hard to find in other places. I got along very well with my class of 36 (the class sizes are a smaller now) and made many great friends. I think that the idea of educating the ''whole person'' was what made all the difference. I have many happy memories from my time there.
A Madeleine alum

1997

To the parent who requested information on the School of the Madeleine:

The Madeleine is a Catholic school, the parish school of St. Mary Magdalen Church. Most of the students are Catholic but there are a number of non-Catholics (I'd guess about 20%).

My daughter is a 3rd grader at the Madeleine, her fourth year at the school, and we feel very fortunate to have her there. We've been happy with the teachers all and all, we really like the principal, and we really appreciate the feeling of community among the school families. There's also an excellent extended care program. The only drawback I can think of is class size - up to 36 kids per class. Debby

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