This review is solely regarding the front desk staff at this school. Unfortunately, my first…read moreimpression was very disappointing. When I arrived, I greeted the receptionist politely and even asked how she was doing, but she seemed completely uninterested, almost as if I had wronged her in some way, despite this being my first time ever interacting with her. I understand that everyone can have off days, maybe it was hot, maybe she hadn't had a chance to eat yet, but if that's the case, I would kindly suggest the school consider installing an air conditioner and maybe even a small snack bar for the staff. Front desk personnel are the first point of contact for any organization, and it makes a lasting impression. Unfortunately, in this case, it was not a positive one. Thank you.

Went to HRS for grades 3-12. Got one hell of an education. I would like to think I'm a…read morewell-rounded person and HRS is a big reason why. If I have any writing skills at all, it is due to the excellent English and History teachers I had here. All my science knowledge (which is very limited admittedly) is via Head-Royce. How many schools have teachers that got a PhD from Yale or UC-Berkeley? Very few I imagine- HRS was one of them. In short, the academics here are excellent. And socially I was pretty content. Sure, there is no football team, homecoming, etc, but I don't feel deprived whatsoever for not having any of that. Still friends with people from HRS, even though I graduated over a decade ago. Certainly made some life-long bonds here. I feel very blessed to have been able to go here, and wish more out there had the opportunity to do so.

Just spent my 15th or 16th erev Rosh Hashanah at the JCC, thanks to the wonderful organization…read moreknown as Jewish Gateways and their two amazing rabbis, Stephanie and Bridget. What a fun experience! My three year old was able to enjoy a safe, supervised playground adventure with kids his own age, while we grownups had our own time during the service. If you are searching for meaningful Jewish interaction in a safe, secure, worry-free environment, this is the place for you!

The JCC preschool is the most loving, caring and thoughtful preschool my son has ever experienced…read more We moved from a different country, with huge gaps in language and culture, and the JCC team has made this so much easier for us. My kid is always happy to get in, and never wants to leave. There is a very nice community there as well, with families from all religions and lifestyles, everyone is welcome!

I can't recommend Strategies for Learning highly enough! Natalie and Michelle have both been just…read moreamazing. My son (6 yo) has a number of learning disabilities and tonight he was able to accurately recite the entire alphabet to me (twice!). For parents with kids who struggle in school, it is the small victories that matter so much and to see your child make such a major improvement in only three months is just amazing.

We worked with BJ McIntyre and he was really great. He is kind and fun and was really curious about…read moremy kid and what she needed to succeed and feel positive about herself as a student. The strategies he taught her have helped so much. We would definitely recommend!

My kiddo finished her first year of after-school programming at Hanwen and is looking forward to…read morenext year. She's attended other Chinese-language programs in the past but shared with me that she's learned the most at Hanwen (from songs to zhuyin to full characters). On top of that, there's a great student community and they have fun activities like kung-fu, too. Thanks for running a great school, Ron and team!

Our daughter (5 yrs old) currently attends Hanwen's afterschool program and she loves it. In…read moreaddition to the Chinese language classes, she is also enrolled in a mindfulness class (her favorite), a kung-fu class, an abacus class,and a yoga class. The instructors and the founder (Ron) are all highly engaged, supportive, and friendly. The program is very well run and offers a wonderfully enriching environment and an extensive assortment of activities. Our daughter reports to us on a daily basis (in Chinese) about things she learned and things she enjoyed doing with her new friends. We highly recommend the school to all our friends and enjoy being a part of the community.

Our daughter recently started at BIM. I am originally from Japan so I was looking for a full…read morejapanese immersion school and I have so far been impressed. BIM does an excellent job at incorporating traditional Montessori teaching methods with japanese language and culture. The children not only learn the language, they also get to experience the culture including holidays and other traditions. The educational team is excellent, a group of teachers who pride themselves on being warm and loving while encouraging the children to grow at their own pace. We have another baby on the waiting list, make sure to sign up early as it can take a while for your space to open up.

I had the great honor of working at BIM as an office admin and co-teacher for 3 years. Even though…read moreI had tons of teaching experience and ECE units under my belt when I started, BIM was the first and only Montessori program I worked at. I learned so much about the Montessori method from my fellow co-teachers and was always inspired by their hard work and dedication to their craft. Japanese is my second language that will no doubt deteriorate if I stop using it, so being able to use it daily in various situations at my place of work was also a huge benefit for me. The BIM community as a whole is extremely tight-knit and supportive. I had never felt so loved and appreciated by the families I worked for before BIM, and it was heartening to witness new bonds and friendships being formed among everyone firsthand. Of course, I really miss the kids most of all and the funny things they would say and do, but feel very lucky and privileged to have 3 years' worth of fond memories with them. BIM, iroiro arigato! Mata ne!

My 8yo, who was deeply opposed to summer strings camp, came back with incredible joy and glee after…read moreday 1 of camp and begged to do the camp again next summer. The entire two weeks she was incredibly engaged, even choosing to practice on her own (which she'd never done before!!) because she was so enthusiastic about the music and camp. I'm so impressed by Crowden's faculty and counselors. I was also really amazed at the end of camp recital how much the kids were able to learn. They had a chorus with the whole camp where they sang a Bach cantata in German together - and it actually sounded good! Crowden really ignited a fire in my kiddo who was definitely meh about music up until now. Can't wait to send her back for another summer session.

The intro to music for kids class is ridiculous. Just a waste of money and time, actually…read morecounterproductive if your kid wants to learn music.

I took Beginner/Intermediate Improv with Diana Brown this past summer, and I liked it so much, I…read moretook it again this past month! Diana has a supportive and empathetic approach that I really appreciate. There is a high priority in making this a safe space, to the point of even inviting people to state their boundaries (in terms of both content you could talk about in class and physical contact/limitations). One of the things I really like is that she asks us how we feel after each improv exercise, almost like informal therapy (it is important to note that this is NOT a substitute for actual therapy). Due to her travels, I've experienced two different substitute teachers, one of whom was more focused on technical feedback and one that focused more on physicality. It was interesting to see different teaching styles, though I still preferred Diana's style. One of the things that was important to me was that this class happened in the daytime, so I wouldn't have to take public transportation at night. It is also important to note that this location is easy to reach by public transportation, which is better for my health and the environment! I will note that when I was searching for different improv classes in the Bay Area, I noticed that Berkeley Rep was one of the more expensive classes. However, if you can afford it and are feeling trepidatious about trying improv, I recommend saying "yes, and..." to this one!

Great venue for adventurous audiences!…read more I've been to a number of shows here, and I really appreciate the shows they book and the venue itself. The theater is small enough to feel intimate while still large enough to still find affordable tickets. Located just off the downtown Berkeley BART, you are steps away from tons of great food and drink options. The theater itself has a bar and sells nibbles (sweet and savory). You are allowed to bring drinks into the theater, so long as they are covered. Their mission statement, as taken from their website, is: "Berkeley Rep creates ambitious theatre that entertains and challenges its audiences, provokes civic engagement, and inspires people to experience the world in new and surprising ways." I am happy to support a local theater that is taking risks to bring important topics to the stage and engage audience members to reflect critically on society and their involvement in it.

Tilden Prep has been transformative for our son, who's twice exceptional. It offers greater depth…read moreand breadth of curriculum and more highly educated staff than its competitors, like Fusion Academy. For example, Tilden offers Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. While such courses are offered at a community college, having the option to learn 1:1 is critical in giving a student a more solid foundation before entering a 4-year college. At the same time, the rates make more sense than Fusion Academy, which is on a trimester system and 30% more. Tilden is run like a school rather than a corporation. It's more pure to its cause. Good job Tilden. Keep up the good work!

Our son had a great experience at Tilden. He is very bright but struggled to organize his thoughts…read moreand get them down on paper. We enrolled him in English 9 at Tilden and had him take the rest of his classes in his public high school. His Tilden teacher, Dave Locey, helped him learn the steps of writing and feel good about his progress and talents. He said Mr. Locey was the best teacher he'd had :). He wanted to get ahead in math (because the common core track forced him to take math slowly with a lot of boring repetition) so we enrolled him in Geometry through Tilden over the summer. Even though he could have taken Geometry online for less money, we felt the one-on-one instruction and monitored pacing and instruction helped him stay on track and thus made it more likely he'd succeed. He got through the course very quickly and is now starting Algebra 2 at his HS so he'll be able to take Calculus before he graduates. His Tilden math teacher was also very knowledgeable and positive.