Berkeley Parents Network: Peralta Elementary School

Berkeley Parents Network

Peralta Elementary School

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > Oakland Public Schools > Peralta Elementary School

Website for Peralta Elementary School: http://www.geocities.com/peraltaschool/

Dec 2005

Lesbian/Gay Parents at Peralta Elementary

I've been looking at both public and private schools for my daughter who will be starting kindergarten next year. Our neighborhood school is Peralta in North Oakland and it seems great--I can see no reason whatsoever to send her to a private school. Except that I'm a lesbian and the private schools, such as Berkwood Hedge and Park Day, sound really supportive of queer parents and their kids. It would be worth it to me to send her to private school if I thought she was going to get a hard time or teased in public school, or if the ciriculum at a private school was that much more ''alternative family- friendly''. Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) at Peralta that might help me figure this out?
Public School Fan

My son is in his third year at Peralta; I think ours may be the only 2 mom family currently at Peralta...at least among the 50 or so families who are active in our small school (240 kids). The staff is very open and welcoming and accepted us right away. You sound like you are familiar with the school so I won't give you the rave about all the positives. We are quite happy there. This is not to say that our son hasn't been teased a time or two about his family but it's so far been outweighed by kids who are jealous that he has two moms. All that said, it doesn't have the same gay positive approach of Berkwood Hedge, Park Day or Aurora have been able to cultivate as private schools. While we at Peralta generally compete with Chabot, I will give them hats off in this area...as they've started a lgbt families group and introduced the That's a Family curriculum. I'd like us to bring that curiculum to our school-- it would be great to have some partners in that project! I'd be happy to talk about more specifics with you. Marguerite

Oct 2004

Hello friends: I have a son starting kindergarten next year (Fall 2005) and I am planning to try intradistrict transfer. My question is for those of you out there who have considered intradistrict transfer to either Chabot or Peralta. Why did you choose one over the other? Are there pros and cons for each I should be aware of? Also, I'd appreciate any information about how you actually did the transfer process. Thanks-- Kate

I haven't sent my children to Peralta (we live too far and not in Oakland) but I definitely WOULD if I could. I worked at Peralta School for 2 years as an MFT intern, and was very impressed with the amazing, dedicated teachers and staff including their librarian who knows all the students and spends lots of time getting to know everyone. It is a lovely and cozy small school with excellent arts, music, and enrichment way beyond what I would expect at most public schools (they had quilting, various visiting artists, capoeria, and more, plus free onsite play therapy and support groups for children who needed extra support to be successful in school,) in large part due to the caring pricipal who makes sure they get every grant possible. Also one of the first grade teachers is an incredible gardener (go look at the school certainly if you haven't) and the result is a bright and blooming cheerful courtyard. Each of the teachers seemed to me to be doing an extraordinary job despite the enormous stress of working under state and district guidelines. Oh, and 2 male teachers and men on the afterschool staff who were fabulous with the kids, in my opinion that is another plus in an elementary school for both boys and girls to have exposure to male teachers. I don't have experience with Chabot so can't compare.... Chris

January 2004

We're districted for Peralta Elementary School in Oakland. My son will be entering Kindergarten in September. I'd like to hear from parents whose children attend the school, particularly the lower grades? What do you think of the school. Frances
I'd like to hear about people's experiences with Peralta school. I know the school has a very active parents group and their test scores continue to rise, but it still rates just as an 'average' school. What are the teachers like? How do they handle open court? How would a very bright, very shy little boy fare at the school?

We have a 1st grader at Peralta and a kindergartner for next year....we couldn't imagine a better fit for our family. Peralta has an incredible principal who knows all her students and has built a great team atmosphere with teachers and parents in running the school. Consider Peralta if you are looking for a small, intimate public school which pays extra attention to the arts and treats all children, regardless of backgrounds, with great respect. My child (and entire family) has had a great experience. Matt

I wanted to share some of my experiences with Peralta Elementary. My son is a current Kindergartener there. I can go on and on about Peralta but I will list just some of the reasons why I believe there are no better schools out there, public or private, who will nurture my son's heart and mind.

1. Rosette Costello, Peralta Principal - An incredibly dedicated educator who literally lives at her school. She is a fighter for her school and her staff and does it translate!

2. Calvert Hand - Teacher - Mr. Hand, like Ms Costello, practically lives at school. He is unquestionably a great teacher. The kids absolutely adore him. You cannot believe how many kids come up to talk to him when he is out in the yard. They actually seek him out to have a chat! When does that happen? Mr. Hand is also the reason Peralta looks the way it does. He works tirelessly to make Peralta the beautiful place it is.

3. Three Kindergarten teachers in each Kindergarten class. Yes, itms true. My son has 3 teachers in his classroom! That doesnmt include all the parent volunteers we have.

4. The campus - the campus is really sweet. Gardens and art everywhere you look.

5. Emphasis on Literacy q There is a huge emphasis on reading and writing. Words are everywhere at Peralta! My son has started to read to me these days. And just last week he wrote his first sentence, ''tmmmrrwwegoto conrhse (translation - tomorrow we are going to Conor's house). He sounded out ''tomorrow.'' Amazing!

6. Art - I love that my son goes to a school where teachers and staff think art is an important way to teach kids about their world and themselves. My son will have the chance to work with really amazing artists while a student at Peralta. Ex: each week he has music class with Bonnie Lockhart, musician extraordinaire.

7. Peralta students really care about their school. They take pains to keep it clean. I think that speaks volumes.

8. Peralta's small size - With just about 200 kids & 8 teachers, the school is very cozy and small. All the kids (K-5th) I have met are simply great - kids I would like my son to be friends with. The parent community is creative and hardworking and undeniably dedicated to making Peralta the special place it is.

That is a very short list of why Peralta is as good as it is and why our family feels so blessed to be there.

One last note about test scores. Test scores are based largely on socioeconomic factors. If you take that into account, Peralta is ranked a perfect 10 when compared to similar schools. This high ranking among schools with similar demographics is evidence that there is outstanding teaching going on at Peralta. You will not find any better teachers anywhere.

nicaruda

December 2003

Considering your options for Kindergarten Fall 2004? Peralta Elementary is a small Oakland public school located at 460 63rd Street in the Rockridge area. Peralta has dedicated teachers, an active parent community, strong academic instruction, and vibrant programs in art, music & gardening. Come find out more about our unique school!

Parent Forum Wednesday, November 19, 6:45 p.m. This will be an opportunity to meet current Peralta parents and discuss their experiences in the Peralta community.

Kindergarten Open House Thursday, January 29, 6:45 p.m. Meet our principal & kindergarten teachers and find out more about Peraltams instructional programs.

School Tours Tours are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning in October. Call the school at 879-1450 to schedule a tour date.

For more information, or to RSVP for childcare for evening events, call Susan Killebrew at 655-2737.

Check out Peralta's website at www.geocities.com/peraltaschool/

suchard

January 2003

I'm a parent of a first grader at Peralta Elementary School in Oakland (near Telegraph & Alcatraz) and would like to recommend this school to any parent looking around for a school for their children. Peralta is no longer a year round school, having changed to the regular schedule last year. It is a small school, under 200 kids in grades K-5, with a very cohesive and active parent community that helps out with funding for art, music, garden and mentoring programs. The teachers collectively have years of experience in the classroom.

For those interested in the numbers, Peralta kids have excelled on the standardized testing. We've increased the API numbers by over 90 points in the last 3 years. In the last year, our number jumped 36 points to 731, though the goal was only 5 points! Last year we were invited to apply for a distinguished school award.

There will be a kindergarten open house on January 23rd at 6:45 pm, for prospective parents. Tours guided by current parents can be arranged by calling the school at (510) 879-1450. Also, please check out our new web site at http://www.geocities.com/peraltaschool/ Steven

January 1999

Just an addition to list of good Oakland public schools: Peralta is a K-5 school with a modified year-round calendar (although the year-round status may change starting next year). It's near Alcatraz and Telegraph. Good teachers, a great principal, lots of parent involvement, and relatively small (about 240 kids). There is also on-site extended care, which is really helpful for parents who work full-time. Nancy

October 1998

My 2 sons both attended Peralta School and had a good experience. The teachers that my oldest son had were excellent. The weakest part of the school is community involvement. The active parent's group members seemed to be in my oldest son's class. He attended up until 5th grade (he's now in 6th). Kathleen

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