We transferred here after two years in a local public school and cannot be happier. The campus is extraordinary and filled with beauty all around, from the redwoods to the babbling stream. Education with purpose is not only their motto but one they truly live up to. The community and staff are down to earth and kind and inclusive and educated and driven and all around wonderful. They truly shape the minds and the character of the students to be sharp, creative, and conscientious members of society. read more

San Domenico School - Elementary Schools Near Me - San Anselmo, California

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so I just want to review their hiring process. I was asked to do two not in person interviews that seemed great. then they told me I had to go to the campus and they expected me to be there from 7:50-1:30 on a work day interviewing with different school admin. I did as much as could because like most people I actually have to work a job that pays. After spending 4 hours there I told them I'm sorry I have to get to my other job. You would think that investing that much time would result in being hired. But no it did not. All I can say is any other place would have respected a persons time and not wasted half of their day. they would have gotten all the people together and had a panel interview. so I mean all I can say is that I feel really disrespected by this staff. Who does that? I dunno. if you like bougie people that clearly do not mind wasting your time this is the perfect location for you. And sorry I do have to say this because you must be an extreme elitist to think wasting half a work day doesn't impact the average joe. it does. if someone who has helped open wellness centers and is on the 40 under 40 list for the north bay business journal isn't good enough for them, then who is? thanks! Not only this but the person in charge Stacy Cohen, left me several times during this 4 hour stink to wait on the admin who had not received any copy of this interview schedule from the day before. She had emailed me the night before this schedule telling me she had been sick on her travels but when I got there and she was coughing all over the place she continue to tell me she wasn't sick. One of the people she had set up to interview me never even showed up. They were not even on the campus that day. So I sat for an hour of my time waiting for someone who isn't there to show up in a library while I could have been at my actual job. So not only is this snobby elitist behavior but inconsiderate and rude. If this is what you want from your admin staff of your school please go here. Not to mention being extremely combative over things that made no sense. She apparently got angered when I shared an answers from one of her staff as if this was my opinion. A major lack of ability to take any criticism, it was an extremely unprofessional interview in which at the end I still offered to come back another day to meet with these other people who could not be there that day and since I was leaving. Instead they just waited till after the holiday weekend to tell me no thanks. read more

My son started at SD in kindergarten, currently in 3rd grade. SD has been an exceptional school for him, socially as well as academically. SD focuses on the complete child, pushing them to be not only strong academically (age appropriately) but also encouraging/supporting them to be good humans, who care about their classmates/teachers. Curriculum is very strong and well planned. SD teaches the kids how to "think" and "feel" and encourages them to talk about what made them proud during the day and what they could have done better for next time. I appreciate that they strive to keep the kids young, which to me is important given how "fast" culture is these days. I want my son to truly enjoy his elementary school experience. I want him to be excited to go to school and learn, and every day that happens at SD .I also appreciate how the teachers pivot when my son needs additional support in the classroom. Beautiful campus. Teachers are truly incredible! We hope to be at SD through HS! read more

It is way too expensive for the kind of education that they provide. The teachers don't care about your child there, they just care about the next paycheck. There is so much work for your child that if they miss one day, they could be behind for months, getting Fs the whole time. It is more expensive than most colleges and worse than public school. 1/10 would not recommend. read more

I can't believe SD is on yelp. This is hilarious. I'll just put in my two cents then: SD is probably the most wonderful and amazing place you could possibly send your high school aged daughters. It is enriching as a full mind, body and soul education. From your basic 3Rs to sustainable living and choosing your own spiritual path, SD graduates you into a world where many other 18 year olds are still searching for themselves. I graduated a confident woman and so did the life-long girlfriends I made there. Most of the girls *grumble grumble* about going to a tiny little all girls school but they have no idea what's in store for them. I grumbled at first too, but seven years later I still have so many wonderful memories of the campus and the teachers and Sister Gervaise and the library....I will miss it always. This place rocks in so many ways. read more

SD is a great school! Enough info posted about the normal school life. I'm going to talk about one starring feature that you should NEVER miss about this school. What makes SD so special is the Virtuoso Program, which offers young female musicians a great musical and life education. It is a place for your talent to shine! If you are interested, you should definitely check out the VP page on the school website. I am a violinist in the orchestra and I enjoy being in it as much as I did the first day I joined. It is such a rich and joyful experience! The conductor George Thomson is truly a great and inspiring musician and also charismatic as a person. He chooses really good repertoire for this 3-time National Champion Award winning string orchestra. I could never thank this program enough because of such a wonderful experience! read more

I have had an incredible experience thru my niece, who has attended this school for the last several years. I wanted to acknowledge bus driver Nadia Ariza, who has driven her to and from school for the last 5 years. My niece was always nervous about being picked up for her ride to school, but the smile and warm personal contact from Nadia every morning and afternoon allowed my niece to feel confortable and confident each and every day. Thank you Nadia! read more

I went to San Domenico from pre-k until freshman year and it was possibly the most morbid experience of my life for a multitude of reasons. First, the head of school has a habit of hiring people who are either members of her family or people in which she has prior close connections with despite their qualifications for the job. On top of that, she has many relatives that are students at the school whom are treated with special care and receive extra, unnecessary recognition. The administrators at this school have not the slightest idea as to how to deal with serious issues, and instead, apply their central focus on minuscule issues. For example, there is an alleged rapist who graduated from San Domenico last year (2019) and when this information came out to the public, San Domenico did nothing more than send an email to the school that essentially shoved this under the carpet and told the students to not talk about it- while this student received no penalizations and was even granted an award at the end of the year. Another student was distributing girls nude photos during a class (which is child pornography) and again, this student received no punishment and was again granted an award at the end of the year. I could go on and on about this schools lack of focus and constant patterns of setting blatantly awful examples for both the young and older students, but I'll leave it with these appalling examples. read more

my daugher graduated from san domenico in 2017 with honors and, as a result, was very well positioned to select the college of her choice. her san domenico experience was tremendous, and a part of her life that i'm sure she will never forget, especially considering the very close friends she made in the four years she attended. the ethnic diversity sd offered and championed never ceased to amaze me, a diversity that also encompassed international students from every corner of the world. i was equally impressed with sd's willingness to make their tremendous academic program accessible to lower income families, which further enriched the sd experience. having said that, my daughter enrolled at sd when it was an all-girls high school, and her class remained all-girls throughout her time there, as the classes below her began to accept boys due to sd's (controversial) decision to move away from an all-girls high school format. parenthetically, i can't say enough about what i consider to be the enormous personal and academic benefits an all-girls high school can offer. my daughter also attended sd when it was considered a "catholic school", however it could hardly be compared to the "catholic school" sd once was decades ago, which i considered to be a positive. altho we are a catholic family, we had no desire for our daughter to attended a rigidly denominational high school, instead our priorities were focused on the education and academic support she would receive, which sd delivered in spades. now that sd is no longer an all-girls school, i'm sure it's quite a different experience. however i am close friends with two families who have high school age boys enrolled at sd, and they have been very happy with the experience. read more

While I can't speak to the education they provide today, as a graduate, I do know that San Domenico provided me and my dearest friends a wonderfully enriching and empowering environment. However, I am also referring to an environment that was all-girl. Currently, boys are admitted as well, and this is not the learning environment I encountered. It appears that the school is attempting to rebrand itself and time will tell what it will become, good, bad or indifferent. read more

This is a fabulous school that is COED PreK-8th and then GIRLS only in High School. We sent one child through the primary school and middle school and the other one is in 7th grade. We could not have been happier with the outcome. The older one was well prepared for a VERY rigorous academic high school and is thriving. The campus is GORGEOUS, they have facilities for athletics, swimming, riding, tennis, hiking, mountain biking and have a truly inspired curriculum. The "outdoor classroom", aka garden, is another great asset. They use it for almost every grade and class, but especially science, math, art, and eco-literacy. It is an independent "Catholic" school which means they are able to use whatever curriculum they want and don't go overboard on the religous stuff. They turn out open minded, polite, hardworking, creative kids who get involved in the community and world around them. The school makes an effort to offer new programs for kids as it becomes apparent there is need. For example, the middle school now offers flag football and lacrosse and the administration has added an extended after school program preK-8th to accomodate demand. I can't say enough good things about it. Last thing. We live in Southern Marin and have been able to send our kids there because of the fabulous FREE bus system. (there are about 6 different bus routes from ALL over Marin, SF and the East Bay. read more

San Domenico is an amazing place to educate your child. Students receive an outstanding education! The school is there to support your whole child--in addition to the academics, they carefully focus on the social and emotional well-being of each child. Students are happy and excited about learning. The parent community is incredible too! The campus is amazing!! 515 acres! Students have the opportunity to utilize the music conservatory, swimming pool, tennis courts, equestrian center, incredible library, the new athletic center... I could keep going. The 1:1 iPad program starting in 4th grade has been integrated seamlessly into the curriculum. No wonder they were named an Apple Distinguished school! Truly, San Domenico is the best school I've ever been part of! read more

Our daughter started San Domenico in Kindergarten. We only wished we had found the school the year prior for PreK. While other local programs were focused on "play based education" San Domenico has an integrated program that reaches down to the PreK level. She is now in 3rd grade and we could not be happier with the "whole child" education your daughters, two at the school now, are receiving. The academic rigor of the school challenges our 3rd grader in a positive way. She loves her school work and takes it very seriously, instilled in her by her teachers and the administration. Simply, they care. So she cares too. The teachers are involved, attentive, supportive, and fully have the resources and support to understand your individual child. After school education and sports are second to none. This campus has everything and the professional coaches are some of the most popular people on campus. Golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, cross country, volleyball, an incredible everyday swim team program that even our PreK student can join!) The equestrian center on campus is incredible. I am able to stop on the way out of campus and just walk the barn with my little one saying hi to the horses. One teacher even teaches Hip Hop after school on fridays. In short you really don't need to go anywhere else for your after school activities. Which is wonderful. Finally the arts and music programs! The art and music teachers and facilities are top notch. If you want to experience this for yourself attend a school concert featuring the virtuoso program, or walk by the middle / high school art rooms next to the tennis courts. Or a stroll through the music center after school to see the chorus program and the littles ones playing recorder or violin. They will even give the parents lessons or take one with your child. A stroll trough this campus and you get it...PreK through High School, engaged, happy, challenged children. Integrated. You get a sense of the energy and positive environment without even talking with anyone. You just feel it. read more

Please note that the one-star reviewers have likely never set foot on campus, but are reacting from afar to an evolution that will not affect the lived experience of your children. San Domenico remains a caring community and rich academic environment, ever conscious and respectful of the Dominican values -- honoring and especially treasuring the presence of the Dominican Sisters -- that make it a uniquely wonderful school. read more

As a parent of two students at San Domenico i am pleased to say they are doing a great job. Yes it is a bit pricey but I know that some students are receiving pretty generous financial aid. No matter what the cost it has been worth it. My son has grown in confidence and really has begun to enjoy school and learning. My daughter is shining. I am a great fan of the high schools All Girls education and see that it gives young women the chance to excel without worrying about looking like the dork brainy girl. This is a great place. Some had warned me about an all girls school stunting a young women's social experience. For good or bad this has not seemed to be one of the problems. read more

This is really funny that SD is on Yelp. SD is really cool and beautiful. There's a couple of odd-ball teachers in there but otherwise cool. (a.k.a. Mrs. H) I'll let u SD folks figure that one out. Really nice place, beautiful hills surronding. Best school around! read more

Send your daughters to San Domenico High School! You could not find a school with more heart, more academic rigor delivered innovatively and with attention to each girls individual needs and the support to help them be successful. My daughter had an illness during her school year, and the teachers and administrative staff with there to support her to get her back on her feet, so she could continue to be successful. They were not worried about their score card. They were worried about my daughter. read more

Currently I have 2 kids that go to San Domenico Primary School - my oldest is in 3rd grade and has been at the school since PreK and my youngest is in the notably top notch early ed program there now. (And my son will hopefully start there when he is 4). After 5 years, I can say that I am so impressed with the school. THEY CARE so much about the WHOLE CHILD - everyone from the teachers, the administrators, the counselors, the nurse, the maintenance staff, everyone. I am very impressed specifically with their thorough assessments, their caliber of teachers, their continual efforts to incorporate parent feedback, their service learning, their extra curricular offerings, their food, their sustainability, their athletics, their award winning music programs, the FREE bus system that is quite a social hub, the Sleepy Hollow and San Anselmo communities, not to mention the backdrop of the 500 acres of beauty surrounding the kdis as they grow up and spend most of their days there. Mostly, I am so proud of the people that my kids are turning out to be - so far:)- I feel like San Domenico is a partner in raising my kids and I am so very grateful for this. Thank you San Domenico. read more