Overall not bad for a public school, I guess I should be glad my kids go here above other public…read moreschools. Like many others in the area I wish I could afford private schooling but with the cost of Marin / Mill Valley this will have to do Hang in there kids middle school isn't easy no matter where ya go!

This is amazing school with a Fantastic cuticular choices but the classrooms now are not used for…read moreits original purpose. for example the science classrooms have way too many sinks and not Originally made for science but instead to learn how to wash dishes and cook food. As someone who has gone to Mill Valley Middle School for a couple of years this problem needs to be fixed to provide future generations the learning environment where they can thrive and learn in a place suited for what it is being used to do.

As a parent with more than one child at Mark Day School, what continues to stand out most is how…read moredeeply the school truly knows each student. Beyond academics, teachers take the time to understand who children are--their strengths, challenges, interests, and values--and help them discover how they want to contribute to the world around them. Mark Day School builds on basic structures of academic knowledge acquisition and focuses on something far more meaningful: developing thoughtful, reflective, engaged humans. The culture encourages students to think critically, speak confidently, and act with empathy and purpose. Public speaking, collaboration, and self-awareness are woven naturally into daily life, not treated as add-ons. The result is a community of children who are not only capable learners, but genuinely wonderful people--curious, grounded, and a joy to be around. Mark Day has a rare ability to shape students who will contribute to society in meaningful, positive ways, and as a parent, that gives me tremendous confidence in the education my children are receiving.

We were a new 6th grade family joining the MDS community. Our son was previously at Highlands…read moreChristian Schools in San Bruno from 18 months old (They have a wonderful toddler daycare) to the 5th grade. It was great for our son to be entering the 6th grade at a new school with another dozen or so new children from outside schools. The summer buddy family program gave us an opportunity to meet other rising 6th graders and their families. We cannot thanks these parents enough for the warm welcome prior to the start of the school year. In the 6th grade the kids are given their own laptops to be used throughout Middle School. The 6th grade 4 day Outdoor Ed trip to Pinnacle National Park fell on our sons birthday. It was his first time away without any parent chaperones and he loved it. The school dealt with COVID-19 by following the science and took great precautions to ensure the safety of the children. In late March 2019 there was a 2 week teacher training then the kids were back in school via Zoom. We continued to use distance learning in the 7th grade until the winter break when he returned to the classroom. He is now in the 8th grade and we feel grateful to MDS for keeping our kids and community safe. The teachers, administrators and staff are 100% vaccinated as are the students age 12 and older. The kids ages 5-11 are now catching up to reach 100% vaccinated. The high level of education and life experiences our son is getting at MDS has exceeded our expectation. He has made new friends and is excited to be looking at the next chapter of his education, High School. We highly recommend this independent school.

I love OLL. I'm a parent of a first grader, and I truly couldn't be happier with our experience…read more From the start, there has been a strong sense of community that makes the school feel welcoming and supportive, not just on campus but beyond it as well. We absolutely love our first grade teacher, Mrs. Oswald. She brings so much warmth to the classroom and has a wonderful way of keeping the kids engaged and guided without it ever feeling harsh or rigid. Over the past two years, we've had a few situations come up with my son, both health-related and in the classroom, and I've always felt that she was fully in it with us. As a parent, I've felt genuinely supported, not just as an advocate for my child, but as a partner in his growth. That kind of care is rare. I've also been impressed by how the school handles concerns. Whenever something has come up, the school has followed through thoughtfully and addressed it quickly. The classroom community has been incredible, and the relationships extend well beyond the school day. The parents have truly become friends, and we regularly connect outside of school, which has been such a gift for our family. If you're looking for a school where your child is truly seen and where community extends both inside and outside the classroom, OLL is a special place.

If you're looking at schools in Novato, put Our Lady of Loretto on your list. The thing that won us…read moreover is how much it's truly about the kids. It's a small school, classes around 14 --15 kids and that means every single child is actually known here. My kids don't get lost in the shuffle; their teachers know them, notice when they need a nudge, and celebrate the little wins. Walking in, it just feels warm. I have made wonderful parent friends too. Can't ask for much more than that. Highly recommend taking a tour.

I went to Cherry Valley for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade…read more I have memories of playing Double Dragon on the play ground, I saw a skunk in a hole and got scared, they made root-beer in a caldron for Halloween, Mr. May was my 2nd grade teacher, and I think Mrs. Leno(?) was my 1st and 3rd grade teacher, we used to play wall-ball when the older kids weren't using the wall, I got stung by a bee, I liked to play with dinosaurs in the sandbox instead of learning to read and that's about it. The school wasn't and isn't very diverse. Stats 2007 Number of Studens: 337 Low Income: 14.7% Caucasian: 83.7% African-American: 1.8% Asian: 2.7% Hispanic: 6.2% Native-American: 0.6% I think I had a good time here. My parents pulled me out when my sister went to Jr. High because Cherry Valley has some weird hippie school schedule and they wanted us to all have vacations at the same time.

Wonderful school to send your kids. They have many oppertunities for parents and children to…read moreexplore many of the non traditional school methods of teaching. The teachers are most of the time out of the box thinkers who spend years with each student. They are relly into the envorimental aspect of teaching. The school is what you put into it...like most school they are always asking for money...but that can be a good thing as they go places and teach the kids. It's year round so that's a little different but I have enjoyed it. The Library program with Mrs. Derby is TOP NOTCH!

What a wonderful school community. I truly enjoy teaching my science enrichment program at this…read moreschool. The staff, educators, kids and families are very encouraging as a whole and eager to create a positive, diverse learning environment.

I will say that it is an absolute honor and privilege being a former student and proud alum at "San…read moreRafael High School" (home of the "Bulldogs") for the entire four years I attended. Located on a 33-acre campus directly in between 3rd St and Mission Ave in the heart of central San Rafael, this high school was founded back in 1888. However, the current campus has been in place since 1924. From a geographical standpoint, I would have to say this high school is in the heart of Marin County with thousands of students that graduated while moving onto successful career paths. My personal journey at San Rafael High began in 1991 where I took a variety of required college preparatory classes that included English, US/World History, Geography, Mathematics, Foreign Language (Spanish/French), Government, Science, and Physical Education. I also took other various classes that included Home Economics (which covered cooking, money, & life skills), Woodshop, and during my tenure at the school, I was also part of a 10-watt non-profit radio station known as KSRH. All of these classes helped pave the way through a variety of unique courses to further advance my career development into college and beyond. As for the campus itself, it is quite large as the main focal point is the iconic administration building featuring grand columns that have a timeless and grandeur look to it. This is where assemblies, plays, and other various school events are showcased. There are several other standalone buildings that feature a large cafeteria, a dedicated drama/art area, and hallways with general studies. The rear part of the campus boasts a large track with football field, outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, soccer field, and baseball fields. And for those "potheads", this was where the term '420' began back in the early 1970's. Also, if you watch the 1984 music video "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger, the majority of this video was filmed on campus. I will say that during my tenure at this high school, the entire curriculum was absolutely memorable and excellent. I was one that truly and genuinely enjoyed going to school since it was a wealth of information that I retained over the past few decades. All of my teachers were wonderful and helped me guide myself on the path to success. Furthermore, San Rafael High was the one high school where it was culturally diverse; not just with the students but also the teachers that come very all walks of life. During this stretch of my life, I got to meet a lot of amazing people whom I became close friends with and are still friends with to the present day. With that said, I am giving "San Rafael High School" a unanimous five-star rating.

Graduated SRHS in 1972 and to this day I still have the fondest memories..In my freshman year of 68…read moreit was still uptight but by 69 all hell broke lose..We were smoking pot all over the campus, teachers, principle and deans were cool with it..Sometimes at lunch break we would have a keg of beer out on the soccer field..Teachers were great and we all went on to become successful..I'm still close friends with many and I was part of the 420 gang..Wish I could relive it again..

I attended Redwood as a freshman and sophomore from 1967 to 1969. The math and English classes for…read moreAP students (they didn't use that term back then) were excellent. With about 1800 students, it stands to reason that quite a few would be academically outstanding. I personally knew two who went on to Harvard and one who went on to Yale. Virtually all of the students who bothered to study qualified for a UC or CSU campus. The rest went to community college and then transferred to university, or they had no interest in college and went into sales, the trades, the military, etc. I had attended a small private school and was not comfortable with such a large high school. I had no understanding of what people dread about large public high schools: cliques, bullies, etc. But for someone who wasn't particularly outgoing, I was treated reasonably well. I have always been interested in what is going on in education. I understand that Redwood chose to stop taking money from the state of California (am I wrong?). That would be a good thing. The more parents have control over what their students are learning, the better. Some people talk about Redwood kids being snobby. That was certainly not my experience when I went there. But large public high schools are much more forgiving environments for children who are goodlooking, athletic and outgoing than they are for students who aren't any of those things. I advise parents who have choices (e.g., public vs. private schools) to keep this in mind when they are selecting schools for their children.

UPSIDE - Best teachers around, especially Ms. Rubio who consistently works overtime to help her…read morestudents succeed. Top notch education for your children. DOWNSIDE - Lots of drugs, entitled kids and intense social politics; emphasis on money and status. Not too unusual for a high School, but this school makes the book Mean Girls look like child's play. Little or no participation by my daughters teachers concerning diversity week which is sad, because the kids I have met here show a surprising lack knowledge about people who are not white, straight, rich or privileged.

At 165 years, St. Vincent's School for Boys is one of California's oldest schools. Founded in 1855,…read moreunder the direction of Jose Sadoc Alemany, 1st Archbishop of San Francisco. The school's current campus was designed in the 1920's by Leo Mitchell in a seamless mix of the Spanish Baroque and Mission Revival styles. It's crowning centerpiece is without a doubt its extraordinary Californian Churrigueresque style.

STUNNING WEDDING VENUE (4.5 stars)…read more My good friend married his beautiful love at this location 08.09.14!!! The property was spacious, the church was beautiful, and to witness the union was incredibly sweet. Mass was given (yay! Don't have to go Sunday). Next to the church opens up to a courtyard which held cocktail hour. Open bar of basic beer, wine, and bubbly were served. Mini appetizers were also served by waitstaff on silver platters. There wasn't much shade and everybody went to the side buildings to save themselves from melting in the scorching sun. In the back was another larger outdoor courtyard where the reception was held. For an "all boys" school the restroom was neutral for the evening. BUT we discovered a (fairly clean) women's restroom near the swimming pools. This gorgeous venue also turns erie at night... Lol especially the kids playground resembling a scary scene from a horror film. We rolled super deep for the wedding and all sat together. And every single one of us were blown away by the setup. Buffet style eats, open bar, pictures and videos, homie deep, and talking about "the years" when we all met each other when I was 19 and here we are in our mid 30s celebrating Jtec's wedding!!!! Time flies, I heart my extended BayArea SPAMilia. The best part of the evening... Everybody gone, staff packing up, we all run to the dancefloor, DJ spinning songs just for us, jamming tunes underneath the cold evening night (drunk), and some jumping into the courtyard fountain!!! CLASSIC. That's was one of the funnest weddings I have ever attended. Can someone get engage and have another wedding here!