Berkeley Parents Network: Madera Elementary

Berkeley Parents Network

Madera Elementary

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > West Contra Costa County School District > Madera Elementary

Jan 2008

I would like to learn more about your child(ren)'s experience in upper grades in Madera school. We are interested in transfering our child next year, to the 4th grade. We have heard many positive comments about Madera, but so far I only know about K to 2nd grades. What kind of special elective classes there are for older kids? How do they handle larger classes? How are teachers enjoying teaching, or being challenged with large group of kids? Thank you very much in advance!

My daughter loved her 4th grade teacher, who is a long-time veteran, providing her students with a rich and varied curriculum. The other teacher has only been teaching at Madera for a few years, but he works very closely with his 4th grade colleague and is very enthusiastic and personable.

My daughter's 5th grade teacher retired after 25+years and the replacement teacher, a former Madera parent of four and very involved and exceptional volunteer, completed her teaching creditials a few years ago. The 4th & 5th grades average about 29 students, but can technically accept 33. My daughter was a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) student, as were about half of her class. While there were no special elective or separate classes for GATE students, teachers prepared more challenging work folders for students to complete. Thanks to one very committed volunteer, we do have special pull-out sessions for our high achievers...but this exists solely from this one parent's extraordinary energy and gift of time and resources.

Madera continues to be one of the top public elementary schools in the state and our API score has been our highest in recent years. A very involved parent community raises funds to support many programs, including computer lab, music, field trips and cultural enrichment. This type of support allows our faculty to excel. vicki

August 2006

Hi, Would parents of students at Madera share how they like the school? My family are considering moving to El Cerrito area and hear about this elementary school. What do you like or dislike about the school? What is learning atmosphere, discipline issue, teacher quality, after school care like? Thanks! anonymous

We have a daughter entering 4th grade at Madera -- our neighborhood school -- and next year we will also have a Kindergartener there. We've been very happy with it overall. All my daughter's teachers have been good so far -- each with different strengths and interests. The school was remodeled recently, the facilities are nice and welcoming. (And you can't beat the views!) We like the diversity of the student body, and appreciate the high level of parent involvement and fundraising which helps offset the lack of district/state money for music, arts, etc. There is a pretty strong offering of after school enrichment classes (e.g., languages, African dance, carpentry), as well as an on-site afterschool program. If you have specific questions you'd like to ask, feel free to contact me. Lori

If you are moving to El Cerrito you actually have three great elementary schools to attend based on where you live. My daughter attends Madera and we love it. What we enjoy most are the teachers, the active parents, the PTA which is providing so many extra benefits for the children such as computer and music classes and the real sense of community. Also the school was recently completely remodeled so the campus is very nice. The teachers enjoy what they do and it gets passed on to the children who love coming to school (most of the time.) Madera is what public schools use to be and should be again. Fortunately Harding and Kensington are very similar. Parents in this community are making very positive changes at the local schools. I know that wherever you end up enrolling you will have a very great experience especially if you are willing to get involved at school. Madera mom

May 2006

We are new to El Cerrito, and will be enrolling our two children in either Castro (our neighborhood school), or requesting a transfer to Madera (also very close by). Can parents chime in on the current standing (socially, academically, physical building issues, and so on) of these schools? Also, our children would be attending the After School Program wherever they end up, so I am interested in that, too. We are looking for a safe, nurturing environement for our quiet kids, and also some help for our son, who is not reading at grade level. So, any comments about reading or resource specialists is also greatly appreciated! Want to Stay Public!

We've attended WCCUSD for the past 6 years and have lived in the area for even more. We did lots of research before we moved here. If I was choosing between the two for my children I would definitely pick Madera. If you are transfering, you better get a move on, the transfer process was moved up this year and happened in Feb/March. Madera is easily the second most desirable elementary school in the district so you may want to call the school office and see how full they are for the grades you are looking into.
Sharing what I would do

Not to discourage you, but I'm pretty sure the school transfer period is closed. The on-site afterschool program is run by the City of El Cerrito. Here is the link: http://www.el-cerrito.org/recreation/youth_services.html. Castro Day Camp (info also at the link) will have pretty much the same kids and staff as the afterschool program, so sign up for a week or two of Castro Camp to get an idea of how that is. I like the afterschool program and the camp just fine, my child has been attending both for two years. --El Cerrito mom

April 2006

We have just moved back to the area and our local school is Madera Elementary. We have missed all the tours and have been told that it was too late to organize anything now! could anyone who have toured the kindergarten, who know of the kindergarten program, teachers, materials, facilities, aftercare program and other aspects (whether negative or positive) give us their views and impressions? Thank you! anon

My child is in first grade at Madera so we have two years of experience at the school. I'm sorry you missed the tours because I think that orienting and welcoming parents has not been a great strength of the school and it is hard to find extra ways to get familiar with the place. However, this was a topic of discussion in PTA this year and it may be better next year. There should be an informational booklet in the office and I think there will be an orientation manual available in the fall.

The other issue I see happening in the school is a lack of harmony between the PTA and teachers (even though they are both supposed to be part of the group, it feels to me like the PTA is pretty much just parents with a token teacher attending each meeting). I think both groups are very committed but there is some concern expressed by long term faculty (and people do seem to stay for long careers at Madera) that because parents are there for a shorter time, they don't understand the needs of the school as well. Just my impression.

However, I have many positive feelings about the school. All three kindergarden teachers appeared to be wonderful- warm, committed and leading kids into the world of school and ''formal learning'' in a very positive way. The PTA is very active and currently has two co-presidents who I think are doing a great job. You may want to attend the next PTA mtg. May 9 at 7:15 to get an idea of the community. The facilities are beautiful and there are many events, assemblies and after school learning opportunities that are interesting and educational.

If you start at Madera, I would recommend getting involved early with getting to know the other parents and PTA and even volunteering in the classroom if possible. I have found that increased involvement has helped me to know and appreciate the school. Good luck. anon

Our daughter is now in 3rd grade at Madera, and we are very happy with our local public school. The school has recently been renovated, and looks great. We loved our daughter's K teacher Mrs. Severy, but I think (?) all the teachers are well regarded, and you don't get a choice (although you can request morning or afternoon class). We used the afternoon on-site day care only slightly -- a couple of days a week, just to give our daughter a chance to play, since the K day is, as you know, a very short one. It was great for us, but you will probably find people who have used it more recently and can give more up-to-date info. lori

December 2003

I would like feedback about Madera elementary...class size, quality of teachers, curriculum, diversity. Is it a safe place for my child to be? Thanks
El Cerrito Hills Mama

My son will be starting kindergarten next fall. I'd like to hear about experiences with Madera Elementary, especially from parents whose children have attended the school in the past two years. The school does not allow parents of future kindergarteners to visit (per the prinicipal), which makes it difficult to decide if this is the right school for our child. luyo

My daughter is in third grade, and has attended Madera since kindergarten. Overall we've been really pleased with the school--her kindergarten teacher was wonderful, and she loved the whole experience. Madera has test scores similar to those of Kensington Hilltop, so I suspect that the classroom experience would be similar between the two. Madera has about a 50% transfer rate and is quite diverse. I don't have any experience with private schools, and so cannot compare private/public. But if you're looking for a good public elementary school, Madera's great. Jennifer

Our daughter is in 1st grade at Madera, and we are very happy there. Her 2 teachers so far have been wonderful -- very experienced, warm, thoughtful, responsive. I spent some time in her Kindergarten classroom, and I was very impressed. This year I haven't been in the classroom much, but I am spending a lot of time on the school yard at lunch time, helping with yard duty, so I am getting to know the kids, and some of the other teachers. The school is under construction this year, which puts a lot of extra demands on the faculty and staff (and students), but everyone seems to be rising to the challenge. There is a tremendous amount of parent involvement, lots of PTA-funded ''extras,'' frequent special activities for families, and a very strong sense of community. And we can WALK to school! Feel free to contact me for more info. Lori

see also: Anxiety about choosing a kindergarten Madera vs. Hilltop

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