My son attended St. Isabella from K through 8 and my daughter is currently in 4th grade. In that…read moretime we've had a few different principals but the current one, Mrs. Naretto, is by far the best. The size of the school, with one class per grade, is just right allowing everybody to get to know each other and the location, away from busy streets, with a large, grass field is safe. Aftercare is a particularly strong asset as you can use it on an hourly basis, as needed, with no long-term commitment. Teachers really care for the kids and the environment is supportive. I was not catholic when my son first started at SI (I have since become catholic). When we were considering schools for him I was not very religious and was unsure about a catholic education but my wife went to catholic school and felt strongly about it. I have since come to understand the importance of moral teaching, social justice and why it is important for your child, Christian or not, to understand that they are not the center of the universe (despite what mom and dad think!). In addition to giving our son an excellent education that prepared him for high school (he is excelling in his first year at Marin Catholic) SI taught him that serving your community and helping people in need are more than just nice ideas, they are the core of a well adjusted person and a valued member of society. Making a positive impact on the world is as important as knowing your times tables or what year the Declaration of Independence was passed. Maybe more so.

lowk mid school frfr teachers cool sometimes but lowk only a few fire ones. Mr. B is lowk skibidi,…read morefun events and education tho.

Great school they care alot about there students and their families. Anytime I had a problem either…read morein school or outside school they were helpful and more than willing to so whatever was needed to help my grandson succeed in class

When I student taught here, I hated it. The principal did not know how to run the school at all. I…read morehope she is doing better now. Also the fifth grade teacher I student taught was rude, mean, and would treat me like a 5th grader. She is not a person who should be teaching. Her name was Kate. Would never recommend this school for any future teacher or parent.

My kids have thrived at SV. The teachers, counselors and the administration work to support each…read moreand every student. The sense of community is strong, and there is a strong focus on morals, values, and accountability. I feel the school works in tandem with the parents to develop students of character. The families are wonderful and the teachers are supportive.

My son transferred in sophomore year and had a great high school experience. He made lifelong…read morefriends and had some amazing teachers.

I thought this school would be great for my child but its not. My child gets different treatment…read morefrom Ms. Jill. I have noticed that other kids get more extended time for assignment while my child doesn't. DONT get me started on her bad attitude. She has such a low temper.

The perfect solution for a busy child who 'wants' to learn at any age…read more Our child went from pubic to private to Pathways and graduated 2 Years ahead. We highly recommend!

Loving teachers and a wholesome environment. The kids are outside as much as possible. My daughter…read moreis in the preschool (sage) class. We transferred after having a not so great experience at a different school where the teachers were cold and burnt out... this is the complete opposite. The teachers are amazing. In particular, Ms.Carrie, is a gem... greets my daughter every time we do drop off, holding her hand and telling her how happy she is to see her! This is a nature based school and the have an amazing lunch program with organic healthy food. My daughter went from being a picky eater to now loving her veggies thanks to the lunch program. The director, Melinda, is fantastic, super smart and passionate about the school and loves every single kiddo. This is the best preschool in Novato!

We love Hummingbirds Nest. This is our first preschool experience where our dude loves being…read moredropped off, and tells us to pick him up from school as late as possible. The teachers are caring and supportive. He comes home singing songs about nature. They play outside a ton, even in the rain, which is perfect for us. He loves his friends there. His imaginative play is fully supported. He helps around our house more now because that is just normal, part of school too: chop veggies for soup (with safety knife), help sweep, etc. We've seen such a complete turn around in our son after a really tough school right before this (teachers there were cold, our dude said he didn't feel loved there, he revolted) and when another school closed suddenly. Melinda and team communicate openly with parents, which is so refreshing. (Note: ignore the for sale sign; that is for the property. The school stays). My mom taught kindergarten for years and knows a good school when she sees one; she also loves this place. Thank you to all the teachers and staff at Hummingbird Nest!

Kumon has helped my daughter SO much! Her math grades have improved and she doesn't mind doing her…read moremath homework anymore! Corey is super responsive and a great teacher! My husband says he is the old school teacher kids need!

Now that both of my children are finally enrolled (had to wait for the youngest to qualify), I can…read morehappily say, we love Gan, and the entire staff. Not only is everyone respectful, and attentive, and patient, but Gittel is amazing, endlessly available, and bestowed an evenness I have never seen before. The space is thoughtful and open-ended, imploring endless creativity. The activities offered touch on all of the senses, and the environment is all around loving, kind, and caring. The daily rhythm supports my highly sensitive child, and allows her time and space to properly eat, drink, process the day and activities. There are multiple options for sensory input (vestibular and otherwise), as well as places for sensory escape. It truly is unrivaled, and if you're lucky enough to encounter an opening, I highly recommend you take it.

Our family feels so blessed to have found the Gan community, and it all starts with the director…read moreGittel. It is abundantly clear how much she cares for each family and staff member. She is a great communicator and we never feel in the dark about what is happening at school. She has a deep understanding of child development and is incredibly supportive of each child that steps through Gan's gate, no matter what their struggles are. Her kindness and wisdom help us to know that our kid is in good hands everyday. She also hires such wonderfully creative, caring and skillful staff. She seems to encourage the talents of these staff members which has resulted in immensely enriching experiences for the kids, like learning about mindfulness, conservation, ecology, and so much more. The fact that it is an outdoor school is an awesome added bonus! The space was very thoughtfully designed to encourage exploration and learning through play. Our hearts are full of gratitude to Gittel, the staff and the whole Gan community.

I cannot rave enough about Mandy Kirk. She's brilliant, enormously insightful, effortless with…read morechildren and cares beyond measure. My husband and I were faced with a tough decision when our 6th grade son who was on a leadership scholarship at a very expensive independent school where he is doing very well both socially and academically came to us and told us that he wanted to go back to his old school for junior high school. His reasons - he wanted a more challenging academic environment and was afraid that if he stayed at his current school he would not be as well-prepared for high school which would in turn affect his college opportunities. Mandy listened to him voice is opinion, listened to our concerns and then asked a lot of questions. She was so respectful of our son and asked some great questions that really made him think. He told all of us that he wanted to be more academically challenged, he wanted more structure and he wanted more homework. The thought of that scared us as parents because he left his old school because the structure, discipline, academic challenges seemed too much. This is also why his current school which catered to a more critically thinking child seemed like such a good fit. Mandy's gentle questions and how she guided his and our thought processes made it clear to us as his parents that he had thought about this extensively, his decision was proactive and internally driven and he knew what he was doing. Mandy helped us to listen to what our son was really saying, to understand that he was asking to be more challenged in junior high school, to understand that he wanted more and better study skills and that he was ready for it, to just let go and again listen and trust our son. Mandy also suggested a coach for our son to make sure that he would be successful. He loved that idea much more than getting a tutor since he's all about sports. She also suggested that we consider getting him tested. There has always been a disconnect between how verbal, engaging, ambitious and forward thinking he is and his ability to focus if it's a subject that he is not 100% fascinated by. All in all, she left and we were all completely clear on what the right decision was. Mandy is worth her weight in gold. We can't praise her highly enough. Neither can our son. In his words, "She's amazing, she really listens and asks good questions that make me think. I was pretty sure that this is what I needed to do but now I'm certain that it's what I need to do." Mandy, this is definitely your calling!

Do it!!!!! Call and meet with Amanda, you won't be disappointed…read more A friend recommended we see Amanda regarding out 13 year old daughter. Amanda gave us more insight and great advise that made sense than any counselor we had spoken to. Her report after meeting our daughter was concise and spot on! Thank you Amanda, you're amazing!!