As a parent, choosing the right high school felt like one of the most important decisions for our…read morefamily and I can honestly say that Carondolet has exceeded our expectations in every way. From the very beginning, the sense of community stood out. The teachers are not only knowledgeable, but genuinely invested in their students' success. They go out of their way to support each student individually, whether it's academic help, college guidance, or just being there as a mentor. My daughter feels seen, encouraged, and challenged in the best possible way. Academically, the school offers a strong and well-rounded curriculum with plenty of opportunities for students to explore their interests, whether that's advanced classes, arts, athletics, or extracurricular activities. There's a real emphasis on developing confident, well-rounded young adults, not just good test-takers. What I appreciate most is the environment. It's supportive, inclusive, and motivating. Students are encouraged to be themselves while also striving for excellence. There's a healthy balance between academics and personal growth, which has made a huge difference in my daughter's confidence and independence. Communication with parents has also been excellent. We always feel informed and involved, and it's clear that the administration truly cares about both students and families. If you're looking for a high school where your child will be challenged, supported, and inspired, I highly recommend Carondolet. It has been a wonderful experience for our family.

My time spent at this school was so informative. I learned that I was " less than" the boys…read moreattending the school associated with Carondelete, De La Salle. There was a distinct difference between how the boys were treated and how the girls were treated during my stay at Carondelete. I was a student there a long time ago. Far before Yelp! however I feel that my experience needs to be shared with prospective students and their families.. I would never, as an alumni send my daughter to Carondelete. Save your money. This school will teach your daughter that she is less than her male schoolmates. For example, during a coed civics class the boys claimed that the woman victim in the famous Miranda case (the case that enshrined the right for every suspect to be informed of their legal rights in a language they could understand) should have been raped if she suffered such an offense! This conversation was glossed over by the school administration. No pupil or instructor suffered any disciplinary action. In fact, by being offended by the assertion that the female victim in the Miranda case should have been raped rather than have her purse stolen, I was made to feel like an outcast. I can not stress it enough. If you value your daughter's autonomy and her sense of self, do not send her to this school.

Top notch school and really excels in working with Special Needs children if you are so lucky to…read moreget Ms. Prado and her team and Dale is exceptional.

Burton valley is the best school i have ever been I just finished 5th grade and I going to miss my…read moreteachers and friends I was always welcome education was always the best I really like this school

Orinda Academy has been a great fit for our family. The teachers and staff really get to know each…read morekid, and the students are kind and supportive of each other. It is college prep and the work is tailored to each students academic ability, so they are always being challenged to learn. It's a calm environment with great staff.

We moved to the East Bay from NYC during the pandemic to be close to grandparents. It was…read morechallenging for everyone, particularly our children, 16 and 12. We found Orinda Academy, the lovely and healing environment we needed. Our 16-year-old entered in 11th grade, made friends, and excelled academically. OA's combination of nurture and rigor was just what we needed! The parent community is open and supportive. We also value an environment where teachers, administrators, and the entire school community know and care about our children. Our daughter is now 18 and in college and our younger one, now 14, just entered 9th grade at OA. So far so good! They are making friends and love their teachers. Our second time around and we could not be happier!

Choosing a Catholic School in our area was a difficult decision and we cannot be happier with the…read moredecision to enroll him at St. Mary's last year. The St. Mary faculty and parental support is fantastic. Our schools "Faith Family" is a amazing peer mentoring program that helps the younger students get acclimated to their new school and St Mary Catholic Church activiites. Although faith-based around a Catholic education, I feel the school is more about empowering our children to be confident, academic and social individuals & citizens within our community.

St. Mary's is a Catholic school with strong academics and lots of love. All four of my kids went…read morehere. My grandson has the same third grade teacher that his Mom had! Teacher retention is highest in the diocese. Jenny Bellows is the current principal and a top-notch educator; a Carondelet grad. She's a gift to the school. The teachers singing and dancing on stage at the end of last year's concert was priceless! If you are just looking for a private school as an alternative to public education - you are looking in the wrong place. It's a Catholic school - with huge parent involvement/commitment - checking homework, fundraising (if you know you know), participation in Mass, faith families (older kids mentor the younger). The hall is lined with all the graduates. People often write negative reviews, but check things out for yourself. I'm blessed my kids went here.

Wonderful school with teachers that care, students that listen, and a community that truly cares…read morefor one another.

i attended acalanes. the people in this community pay vastly inflated prices for their homes in…read moreorder to send their children to a "top school," but at the time that i attended to this day (more than 20 years later) i find the lamorinda community, acalanes high and their accolades to be demonstrative of the dunning kruger effect. i found the curricular offering to be narrow, the teaching to be uninspired and the administration to be incompetent and punitive. when i moved to lafayette my freshman year from another district, the school guidance counselor told me without any form of assessment that i would be behind, since an acalanes education is far superior to any other in california i could have received previously. she set me up for failure at a critical juncture in my education by enrolling me in remedial courses when i had previously been grade levels ahead and part of california's GATE program, which is based on both scholastic performance and iq testing. my husband, who attended campolindo experienced similar undermining by his guidance counselors, but went on to get into every college he applied to, including berkeley and ucla. he ultimately achieved a phd from ucla, despite and not because of his education within the acalanes union school district. during my two years at acalanes, i found both children and parents to be socially and emotionally immature and sheltered (at times, intergenerationally so) with vastly inflated egos, mistakenly believing their positionality to be the result of merit rather than intergenerational privilege and wealth. as a teenager, i experienced for the first time ever in my life parents who behaved jealously, gossiping about me and attempting to undermine me and engage me in drama as though i were a peer and not a minor child, and foregoing opportunities to set mature examples, which in hindsight, they probably weren't capable of. when i performed well in sports, my classmates attempted to mock me by calling me gay. when i got a boyfriend, they attempted to insult me by calling me a slut. these behaviors from elementary school aged children might have been developmentally appropriate, albeit unusually mean-spirited competitive, but i was downright baffled if not amused to encounter these behaviors in high school students. students at a "top school district" no less. i was not allowed to shine or excel in the ways that i was naturally inclined. if i was offered a special part in choir or in drama class, my peer's parents pushed them to compete with and usurp me. my younger sister attended acalanes with scott dyleski. i believe that scott was a product of the environment at acalanes and of the wider lamorinda community. although i absolutely do not condone his actions, i do believe with my now expertise is psychology that the inevitable outcome of systematic oppression of spirit is rage. students perform well on tests (the basis of "top district" claims) because standardized test performance is the singular focus of an acalanes education, and because parents have the resources to helicopter parent and tutor their children to perform on tests and extra curricular sports. there is neither container nor outlet for diversity of thought or for creativity. diversity of any kind is hard to come by - culturally, socioeconomically, etc. english classes are taught like math classes - strict adherence to writing formulas ("manuscript format") are required for passing grades at acalanes, but need to be unlearned for success in higher education and in business. after two years of attendance, i told my mom that i felt this school was making me stupid and depressed. i still agree with this assessment. to this day, one of the privileges in life that i am most grateful for was the opportunity that my parents gave me to transfer out of acalanes for my junior and senior years in order to attend a far more rigorous and engaging school - maybeck high in berkeley - which probably saved my life and certainly changed its trajectory for the better. the dunning kruger effect persists in these students even into middle age, as i have come to find. more than a few are still narcissistic, spoiled and entitled. i am extremely lucky that i am curious and creative, and that i always took it upon myself to find social, emotional and intellectual nourishment whenever i could. this inclination helped me to survive the acalanes experience. clearly, i would not recommend sending an impressionable and developing mind through this school system unless it is your goal to cultivate ego-syntonic adults who achieve out of a misappropriated need for love and intellectual nourishment.

This is a good location to watch the fireworks. A live band plays through the fireworks display so…read moreif you want something extra go here. They also take donations to keep this one going so if you have some extra cash, donate to them. We were able to see part of Martinez's fireworks show after the one here finished. Parking can be a bit tough, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. My 7 year old niece approved of this location.

Great school. Every one is helpful. Great sports too! Especially Football! Yelp wants me to write a…read morenovel.

Murwood has been the most amazing experience for both of our kids. From our fabulous principal, to…read morethe diverse student community, amazing teachers, incredible after-school program, and truly outstanding PTA, I honestly don't think there's a better school. We feel so lucky and blessed to be part of it.

Wonderful teachers who love their students! The diversity of the school is amazing. It's a happy…read moreplace to learn. We love Murwood!

We were so lucky to find Orion Academy! Our teen joined sophomore year, and they have been thriving…read morein ways we've never seen them thrive before. The kids are bright and quirky and kind, and the teachers and leadership truly understand how to support 2E/ASD kids in ways that will prepare them for life after high school. My teen has become so independent in just a year at Orion, and I am confident that this will only increase as they begin the transitions program in 11th grade. Social emotional, speech, executive function, and self-regulation support is cohesively built into all aspects of every class in ways that are clearly transferable to other settings during and post-high school. The school is 100% committed to helping prepare every student for whatever their goals are for after high school. As a bonus, the school is super sensory friendly in all ways, something no public school IEP can really accommodate for. Dr. Stewart has designed a real gem of a school!

My son is now 26. He went to Orion for 4 years starting in 8th grade…read more The school insisted on laptops but refused to allow parental control software. The school puts personal laptops in front of the kids all day at school and all evening for homework. These smart obsessive kids search porn and develop computer addictions due to unlimited computer use and no supervisory software. One girl cyber bullied others then hacked the school's system. The school refused any responsibility. The school said keeping kids from porn and obsessive use was a parenting issue. Secondly, they have no physical education for already resistant kids. They made it mandatory for parents to provide PE after school and on weekends. Overstressed, overtired parents battled to get homework done. and did their best but failed. My son is now a computer/porn addicted adult who has no physical passion. He is a shut in. This happened to several of the kids in my son's class. Be warned. As there may not be options. Insist on parental software if you can. Talk with other parents.