We are interested in any current reports from families with children enrolled at Mira Vista Elementary School. We would especially like to hear from parents who have children in 4th and 5th grade. Thank you for any information you have on the school community, administration and upper grade teachers. East Bay Mom

Our 5th grade teacher, Mr. Haynie, has been with us quite awhile. He is excellent with kids who love school, but has very little tolerance with kids in his class who are just there to be social (lots of detentions). Mr Johnson came to us this year and he teaches the 5/6 split. The kids really can relate to him, he is young with lots of energy. From what I see is a great asset to MV. The 6th grade class is taught by the wonderful Ms. Posner. Some of our 5th graders and their parents do not believe their child is ready for middle school. Ms. Posner is a wonderful teacher who engages her students and encourages them to think outside the''box.''

Please give out school a try. This is the most diverse school in the district. There is very little bullying, most of the kids get along wonderfully. Please come by for open house and check out the campus. Mira Vista Parent

My daughter is assigned to Mira Vista Elementary in Richmond for Kindergarten. I saw some very nice reviews on the website and when I called the school, the people I spoke with were extremely friendly. I was just wondering if anyone has any new reviews of the school. This is my first daughter going to school, so I don't have any experience with this stuff yet. Thanks!

We are very fond of Mira Vista. Our son has had wonderful first and second grade teachers. The school is very diverse and there is a warm and active community. Many of the teachers have been at the school for years and are well-loved. The school recently won a grant that permits it to provide free after care through 6 p.m. The facilities also were recently renovated, new landscaping has been put in on the grounds, and work on the play ground is nearing completion (new play structure for the older children, new play equipment for the kindergartners, a ball wall, new striping on the grounds, etc.). The school also has a lovely garden that students help to tend.

The school has a number of annual events and the turn out is really impressive. There's a fall festival around Halloween. Recently we had a winter holiday show during which different classrooms performed songs and poems with an international theme. The attendance was wonderful. It was standing room only.

Our test scores are not quite as high as those of Madera and Kensington but they are reasonably good and improving. As I understand it, the improvement in the students' overall reading scores last year was one of the best in the district.

My son has learned a lot during his time at the school. He's comfortable and happy there. Parents are very welcome in the classrooms as volunteers and vistors and my son's teachers have been available, kind, and helpful. We think Mira Vista is a wonderful place.

Happy to talk if you have more questions. debora

Re: Kindergarten options in west contra costa unified
I missed the original post, but I'd like to put in a plug for Mira Vista Elementary in Richmond. My daughter is a second grader there, and my son will enter next year for kindergarten. The teachers are excellent (with a few exceptions!), the school has been updated and remodeled, and the PTA is small but active. The principal, Mrs. Hendon, is new but I've liked what I've seen so far. I have volunteered in the school library and my child's classrooms, so have met many of the children. The student body is very diverse racially, ethnically, religiously, and for the most part get along as well as any group of children. The school is K-6, which means you may be able to put off middle school decisions a bit longer! Christine

Our girls currently attend Ocean View Elementary and Albany Middle (next year Albany HS). Originally, we got into these schools because we lived in the village and when we had to move due to my graduation, we secured an inter-district transfer. Now, due to the Albany schools being impacted, we may not be able to renew the transfer and our girls would go to Mira Vista Elementary and Kennedy HS in Richmond. These schools dont look great on paper (test scores) but I am aware that isnt a great gauge of the school. My daughter does horribly on standardized tests, so I am leery of relying on them to judge the school. Does anyone have experience with these Richmond schools that might help? Please let us know if you have ANY advice. Jodie

Any recent experience with Mira Vista Elementary in Richmond? What are its strengths/weaknesses? The info on their web site is quite old in some areas. Looking at Contra Costa Unified's web site, Madera's standardized ratings are much higher than Mira Vista. Is it possible to get a transfer to Madera? Should we try? Is there something concerned parents can do to improve Mira Vista before a child attends? Our daughter will be entering Kindergarten in '05. Thanks. Curious

Mira Vista has a really strong, yet small community of very involved parents.I think being involved in your child's school is an essential part of making a school work, and this is definately true for MV. MV has some of the most wonderful dedicated teachers I've ever met, especially the K-3 teachers. (our kids didn't go beyond 3rd grade at MV...another story).

MV's principal, Carlina Moss knows every child's name in that school, as did our previous principal, Dean Karahalios. My boys got a good education at Mira Vista and also really great exposure to kids of different races, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles....some they made friends with, some they didn't.

We started a fabulous garden project at Mira Vista about 8 years ago and it's still going strong. We got grants from various organizations including Aquatic Outreach Institute.The students are involved in the school gardens and various projects.

I thoroughly support having a neighborhood public school. I'd suggest ignoring the negative things you've heard, and go check it out for yourself (as you are doing by writing your post)...go on the school tours, talk further with the teachrs, principal, other parents, some of the kids...attend a PTA meeting or a school event and see what it's like.

Personally, I think state test scores are an unfair view of a schools quality. There are too many variables such as non- english speaking kids, kids who don't take tests well, and kids who work carefully and slowly and can't finish a test in the alotted time(such as my younger son).

In fairness, I should tell you why we left MV and are now at Tehiyah Day School (also in the neighborhood). When my oldest son was in 3rd grade he was bored and needed more of a challenge. He's a bright boy and loved learning and he needed more than he was getting at MV. There happened to be room in his class at Tehiyah...long story short, in 4th grade he started at Tehiyah. He's now in 7th grade and is doing well.

Our younger son went through 2nd grade (very happily) at MV but he has some anxiety issues and was not ready to go on to 3rd grade. Rather than keep him back to repeat 2nd grade at MV when all his friends were going on to 3rd grade we chose to enroll him in the 2nd grade at Tehiyah. This was a good move for him but we were very sad to leave Mira Vista and our friends and teachers who we adored. We'd NEVER considered a private school before but this sort of fell into our laps and seemed like the right thing to do. Please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like more info and opinions about MV. Given the problems and lack of funds that most of our public schools have, I think Mira Vista is a gem. June

Test scores don't tell the entire story about what a great school Mira Vista is. Please don't pass over it in a search for higher test scores. You'd be missing a gem. Mom of 3 Alumni

Does anyone have experience with Mira Vista and/or Madera Elementary Schools? I would love to hear experiences with 1st grade teachers and the principal in particular. Thanks!

We have been very involved at Mira Vsita school even before my oldest son was in kindergarten. I can only tell you about our experience through 3rd grade. It's been great. The kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers are gems. You have never seen more loving and dedicated teachers (we have our favorites and there are 1 or 2 teachers that I would not choose for my kids).

We have a new principal this year, Carlina Moss. She is even more of a jewel than the fabulous principal wehad for the past 5 or 6 years, Dean Karahalios, who is now at Terra Hills. Carlina is so supportive of our students and teachers. She's very honest and real and knows how to get a job done. She diciplins with love and support, knows each and every student. She spends time in the classrooms so she really sees what's going on. The teachers, as I know them are very caring and loving and are good teachers. We have been very involved in the school and that has given us (and other families who have been involved) some leeway in requesting specific teachers for our kids.

Mira Vista is a very diverse school racially, culturally, socioeconomically. If you want clean and prissy and white, don't come to MV. If you want your child to go to school with children of different races and backgrounds, thats the place to be.

I volunteer in my sons classroom regularly so I get to see how his teacher teaches. Classroom volunteers are always welcome. The library welcomes parent volunteers, any event thats put on is done so by volunteer parents. We also have a wonderful school garden project at MV. It was started about 6 years ago by my husband and some of the teachers. We've gotten several large grants from Aquatic Outreach Institute to install and build our gardens. This year we received a $5000.00 environmental project grant from the PG&E environmental dept. We were 1 of 4 schools in Calif. and 30 schools in the US to receive this money. We are very proud of our school gardens. Some of the teachers involved with the gardens (specifically Mrs. Underwood (K), Mrs. MacCracken (2nd) Mr. Watts(2nd) take their students out to the gardens to do planting, art, nature, science, etc. We have a great community of very involved and dedicated parents at Mira Vista. If you're someone who likes to roll up your sleeves and get involved, you can sure do it at MV.

On a different note, my older son goes to a private school and there is no comparison. The private school teaches in what I consider a more creative way (I speak only from experience of 4th and 5th grades), it's kept cleaner, there is a lot more parent involvement....but we pay dearly for it. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that for a public school, I think Mira Vista is a great place to be. I especially love that it's a 2 minute walk from my house...my son has friends in the neighborhood that he can play with, whereas my son in the private school has to be driven to play with his friends.

It's a tough decision. My suggestion is to talk to people (as you are doing), go visit the schools you're interested in, talk to the teachers and principal, and don't listen to anyone who trashes other schools...they usually don't know anything about them. Good luck. June