Featured School Preschool Profiles Profiles

Featured Profiles

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is a Lasallian Vincentian Catholic, college preparatory high school located in the heart of San Francisco’s cultural center. We are dedicated to the intellectual and academic excellence of our students, and we strive to develop the unique talents and passions of each individual. Our devotion is illustrated in our enthusiastic and highly educated teachers, commitment to service and social justice, innovative curriculum and cutting-edge classroom technology. SHC Alumni are accepted into hundreds of colleges across the country, including all of US News & World Report’s Top 10 National Universities. At SHC, academic excellence is not only measured in the range and quality of our courses, but in our students’ curiosity, drive and desire to learn. We challenge our students to stretch themselves, to experience and learn as much as they can, to honor their passions and develop their talents, to generously share those talents, to become their best selves.

We believe that academic, intellectual, emotional, personal and creative development invigorates the whole student. Our cocurricular programs are essential, not extra, elements to the student experience at SHC. Our students excel on the field, onstage and as leaders in our community, just as they do in the classroom. Our state-ofthe-art facilities allow students to engage in a collaborative learning experience, and our successful Bring Your Own Device program gives students the autonomy to use the tools most relevant to them in a digitally diverse and everchanging world. Students and their families choose SHC for the strength of our academics, our diverse array of cocurricular opportunities, and for the warmth of our inclusive and nurturing community. To schedule a tour, contact Director of Admissions Tim Burke ’70 at tburke@shcp.edu or 415.775.6626 ext. 729.

Bellarmine College Preparatory

Bellarmine College Prep, a Catholic school in the Jesuit tradition, is a diverse and inclusive community of students, Jesuits, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends, drawn together by God’s grace to form men for and with others who live a faith that does justice. We challenge young men to become contemplatives in action: young men who know they are loved by God and, as a response, discern how best to put their talents at the service of others. We develop the whole person through a rigorous and holistic curriculum, expansive opportunities beyond the classroom, and a vibrant spiritual formation program. We cherish our diversity as we educate each student to see all people as created in God’s image and as unique expressions of the Divine. Bellarmine cherishes its diversity and strives to educate each student to accept that all persons are created in God's image and are unique expressions of the Divine. Our Diversity Program is based on the core Ignatian value of “Seeing God in All People.” Students at Bellarmine reflect a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences and faith traditions— yet students embrace each other as brothers and love one another as members of God’s family. Our diversity inspires the men and women of our community to create a loving and nurturing environment where each student's talents, abilities, and desires can reach their highest expression. We believe exposing students to an environment rich in difference offers the student a capacity to engage in a loving dialogue with the world upon graduation. Our hope is that this dialogue will build a more just and faith-filled world.

The Diversity Office centers its programming on eight types of diversity, Race / Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Age, Ability / Disability, Sexual Orientation, Geography, and Socio-economic Status. Our approach is to focus on students' awareness of their own identity and experiences and then explore how these insights translate to their perception of others. We look forward to meeting you! bcp.org/admissions

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES Sand Hill School at CHC

There’s just no place like Sand Hill School. Celebrating ten years of caring about children and families. Ten years of providing best-in-class programs delivered by teams of expert teachers and clinicians using the most effective teaching methods available. Ten years with a laser-focus on children in grades 2-8 with language-based learning differences, school-based anxiety and attention and social challenges. Ten years of believing in the promise and potential of all kids. The result? Students build confidence and acquire the skills and resilience they need for home, school and life. Small classes integrate social, emotional, academic and physical learning and include reading, math, PE, visual and performing arts, science, history and social studies. When it’s time to transition back to a more typical school environment, we support families with the transition process. “Sand Hill School changed my life. They had me set high goals and did not allow me to give up. They had me push on. It was really life changing because now I know I can succeed.”

At Sand Hill School, your child comes first. Period.

Visit www.sandhillschool.org to arrange a visit.

I look forward to meeting you soon. Best from, Chris Harris, Chief Schools Officer at CHC

IN 1960, WHILE TEACHING In a public school, Challenger School founder and CEO Barbara Baker became alarmed that her first grade students had received no academics in kindergarten, wasting the best years for establishing a foundation for learning. Barbara decided to leave the comfort of the public schools and started her own preschool where she could teach phonics to children before they went to public school. “I figured that if they learned phonics in preschool, no one could take that away from them.”

In Barbara’s first class, there were only six paying students. Two years later the tiny preschool had grown to 100 half-day preschool students with 100 students waiting for admission. Today, Challenger School educates more than 10,000 students annually.

THINKING SKILLS Challenger School teaches students early on that they are responsible for their own learning and for their successes. Challenger’s emphasis on independent reasoning skills–so rarely practiced in today’s world–results in their students’ extraordinary academic performance.

POISE AND CONFIDENCE Challenger students regularly speak and perform before their peers, teachers, and parents from preschool on. Challenger graduates often point to these experiences as the basis for success in college and the workplace. BREATHTAKING RESULTS Challenger students achieve scores on average well above the 90th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). This means that Challenger’s average student outperforms nine out of ten students who take that test. Challenger School offers preschool through eighth grade and operates a total of 27 campuses in five western states. For a location near you, visit ChallengerSchool.com.

Our mission is to prepare children to become selfreliant, productive individuals; to teach them to think, speak, and write with clarity, precision, and independence; to lead them to recognize and value their individuality and unalienable rights; and to inspire them to embrace challenge and find joy and self-worth through achievement.

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES The Harker School

For the convenience of our many families on the Peninsula we have added a bus service to Harker from Portola Valley and Los Altos.

The Harker School | San Jose, CA | K-12 I Preschool | Summer | www.harker.org

Harker is a community of dedicated, passionate learners committed to celebrating a diverse community of students, and fostering an inspiring space for all. Our goal (and greatest joy) is to help all students uncover their unique gifts through our deep and varied offerings and inspiring faculty. With more than 125 years of experience in bringing out the best in children, we are dedicated to continuing that legacy of excellence.

Kindness, respect, honesty, integrity and personal accountability have been in the school’s DNA since its founding. Community service, character development curriculum, and our honor code all encourage, develop and reinforce these important qualities.

Many things make Harker special, however small class sizes and our attention to each child’s journey is especially unique. Beginning in the lower school, and continuing throughout each student’s Harker journey, we carefully evaluate the course placement that best meets a student’s talents and interests to ensure that each is challenged, encouraged, engaged and inspired to be their personal and academic best. A vital part of that process involves the offering of extensive curricular and extracurricular offerings to help students discover and nurture talents they may not otherwise have known they have. We do this through our deep and varied offerings and through our incredible and inspiring faculty, for whom we search nationwide. Many hold advanced degrees, and all are passionate about teaching and focused on individual student success. Harker is a supportive, safe, fun and nurturing place where parents, faculty, staff, students and alumni form a close-knit community through events, traditions and our common mission. Our students leave Harker uncommonly prepared for college and ready to make a difference in the world.

Educating more than 2,000 students TK-grade 12, Harker is the largest independent school of its kind in California, serving families of preschool, elementary, middle and high school-aged children, with each division on its own San Jose campus.

Charles Armstrong School

Providing Over 50 Years of Transformational Education!

Our Mission: Charles Armstrong School unlocks the unique potential of students with dyslexia and related learning differences, changing the trajectory of their lives

Our Values: We are student-centered.

• Our instructional approach embraces neurodiversity. • We nurture and celebrate individual strengths and talents.

• We cultivate self-confidence and the joy of learning. We grow together. • Our highly-trained faculty foster continuous student growth within a supportive environment. • We educate and actively partner with families. We honor community. • Our students’ shared experience cultivates a sense of belonging. • Our families, faculty, and staff develop meaningful, lasting relationships. We meet students where they are and provide: • A rich academic curriculum

• A safe learning environment • Structured and systematic instructions • Appropriately paced lessons • Multi-sensory and mult-model learning methods • Movement, mindfulness and brain boosts throughout the day • Integrated social emotional learning • And believe in a positive, collaborative partnership with families

• Visit Armstrong: Register on our website to attend a Virtual Information Night or schedule a Virtual Tour.

Armstrong At A Glance: Number of Students: 240 Student to Teacher Ratio: 4.5 to 1 Students per Classroom: Lower School 12-18; Middle School 17-19 Grade Levels: 2nd - 8th Founded in 1968, with families attending from across the Bay area Accreditations: WASC accreditation and CAIS provisional accreditation Leader in the field of dyslexia education, with a proven and long-standing track record of teaching students with language-based learning differences in ways they learn best.

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES Notre Dame Belmont

Notre Dame Belmont is located in the heart of the Peninsula and is the premier choice for an all-girls, faith-based education. Knowing how girls learn best, Notre Dame Belmont is dedicated to educating and empowering girls to become women of vision!

Notre Dame Belmont provides a true sense of community where girls will discover their interests and talents, and have the freedom to be their authentic selves. We are a caring and compassionate community committed to developing responsible young women of active faith, strong intellect, and Christian leadership. Education is not simply about educating a mind, but about forming a human spirit. Notre Dame Belmont is an independent Catholic college preparatory school for young women, sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (SNDdeN), dedicated to the educational mission of St. Julie Billiart. The School was founded in 1851 and the first students were enrolled at the Belmont campus in 1923. NDB is located in the heart of Silicon Valley on over 10 acres in Belmont, California, a professional suburban community located between San Francisco and San Jose. Notre Dame Belmont provides an educational foundation that emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and social awareness. Reflecting the vision of St. Julie Billiart and her pioneer Sisters, NDB continues to be a special place for students to learn, grow, and prepare for a life of commitment and purpose. Although the School’s entrepreneurial and indefatigable foundress began teaching young women “what they need to know for life” during the French Revolution, her spirit lives on as a timely inspiration today for the young women of Notre Dame Belmont, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where they pursue their dreams of becoming innovative change agents and leaders, with a commitment to social Justice. As a member of a Tri-School program with Junipero Serra High School and Mercy High School Burlingame, NDB offers students opportunities for a co-educational experience in the areas of academics, performing arts, and student activities. The School is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). We look forward to meeting you!

Serendipity: n. The gift of discovering valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for Serendipity School: A setting for unexpected and exciting learning experiences that are sparked by discovery, guided by individuality, and supported by community Serendipity School is a rare and remarkable place: an encouraging, engaging, and empowering learning community where academic and personal discovery is prized, where the path to excellence is an individual adventure. A unique educational institution dedicated to progressive education, active and hands-on learning, differentiated instruction, and teaching to the whole child, Serendipity School is committed to the process and journey of learning. The result is a community of students who grow to be lifelong, joyful, and invested learners.

INDIVIDUALITY

Serendipity School’s rich and multifaceted programs promote each child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development in positive ways designed to further curiosity and creativity. Our programs encompass each child’s participation, interest, enthusiasm, and ideas. All Serendipity students are encouraged to meet challenges and strive for excellence. DISCOVERY

Serendipity School believes in providing an educational experience that treats children as individuals and engages students throughout the learning process. Our highly skilled and trained educators teach to the whole child, and implement a differentiated curriculum that is both diverse and dynamic. COMMUNITY

Serendipity School supports effort and achievement by empowering students and giving them tools for academic success. Serendipity helps students to grow and learn with confidence and enthusiasm. Serendipity School students are empowered to experiment, assume academic risk, and take an interest in and responsibility for the world around them.

“Serendipity finds the little thing that makes each child unique and expounds upon that. It creates children who are confident, self-aware, and ready to face the world.” Serendipity School Parent

Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary School Education

San Mateo and Belmont • CA 650-574-7400 (Preschool) 650-596-9100 (Kindergarten and Elementary) www.serendipityschool.com/

Multiple Locations Throughout the Bay Area www.stratfordschools.com

When you provide a safe environment to learn, the extraordinary happens.

At Stratford, high expectations yield extraordinary results. We start early with an intentionally balanced curriculum that challenges students and accelerates achievement. Our ever-evolving, STEAMbased (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum ensures students develop the diverse set of problem-solving skills and creative talents they’ll need in today’s world. Our passionate teachers cultivate a nurturing and fun classroom environment, where children feel safe and eager to try new things. Beyond the classroom, we help students discover and define their passions through a variety of extracurricular activities, personal development, and enrichment. This carefully orchestrated approach prepares students to become tomorrow’s creative problem-solvers, imaginative innovators, and confident, insightful leaders. Learn more by visiting www.stratfordschools.com!

CHRIST-CENTERED COLLEGE PREPARATORY Junior and Senior High School, Grades 6-12

562 N. Britton Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94085 408-481-9900 www.tka.org

The King's Academy

TKA inspires academic excellence, servant leadership, and enduring relationships. At TKA, students graduate with a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, and a sense of significance. With a low teacher:student ratio, students receive individual attention and encouragement to do their best. Our 1:1 technology program and collaborative classroom environment ensures students are responsible digital and global citizens with 21st century literacy skills. Through TKA’s Spiritual Life program and Service Trips, students grow in their faith and make a difference to others. TKA offers a stellar Visual and Performing Arts program known throughout the Bay Area and fields over 50 competitive athletic teams. Attend one of TKA's Open Houses: Saturday, October 23 & December 4, 11:00 a.m. Please RSVP at www.tka.org/openhouse Learn how TKA is preparing students for college, life, service and eternity.

With a firm foundation, we can change the world. Trinity School is where students live academic success, openness, individual learning, and realworld problem solving every day.

YOUR CHILD: A MOTIVATED, CONFIDENT, COMPASSIONATE LEARNER.

Trinity School is leading education in the Bay Area with a proven pathway for critical thinking and academic success.

PERSONALIZED ATTENTION RESULTS IN PERSONALIZED SUCCESS. Trinity’s size creates the rare opportunity for classes and educators to meet the needs of students as individuals. Trinity is an embracing environment for every student: it’s a place for the introspective and shy as much as it is a place for the spirited and inquisitive. TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD, WE SAY ENGAGE WITH IT.

Students participate in community problem solving. They use human-centered design to actively participate with others through service for positive change. EXPLORE FAITH THROUGH INQUIRY. Episcopal values cultivate the mind and spiritual inquiry. Students explore their own beliefs and value the diversity of faiths around them.

PREPARED FOR NOW, READY FOR WHAT'S NEXT Families and students create their own next steps based on the personal strengths and passions of each student—with the knowledge that Trinity has prepared them for anything.

2650 Sand Hill Road | Menlo Park, CA 94025 | 650-854-0288 www.trinity-mp.org

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES

13601 Saratoga Avenue Saratoga, California 95070 408-867-3785 www.st-andrews.org

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School

Located in Saratoga, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is an independent day school for Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old) through 8th grade students. Saint Andrew’s is a community of learners committed to cultivating student happiness, academic achievement, and character. Our complete, balanced, and inspiring approach ensures that our graduates are exceptionally good people who are exceptionally well-prepared to thrive in high school, college, and life. We believe school should be the place where children launch an unstoppable love of learning that sticks with them. Masterful educators not only design captivating learning experiences. They ensure each child feels individually known, unconditionally loved, and deeply valued as an essential member of our warm, inclusive community.

3375 Edison Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-294-4570 www.synapseschool.org

Synapse School

An independent elementary and middle school in Menlo Park, CA, Synapse offers an innovative academic curriculum fully integrated with socialemotional learning (SEL). Synapse's curriculum and school life builds on the foundation of our mission of Educating a Community of Change Makers. The program is carefully designed as a model school to demonstrate the power of blending emotional intelligence training with leading-edge instruction (brain-based, constructivist, projectbased learning in school-wide themes). We are curious, innovative, imaginative, creative, and we have fun!

Adding Transitional Kindergarten Fall 2022

302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 650-851-8221 www.prioryca.org

Woodside Priory School is a co-educational, college preparatory Catholic Benedictine school. Serving grades 6 through 12 and with a student population of around 400 students, we also offer a boarding option for our upper school. Woodside Priory School's mission is to assist all students in creating meaningful and balanced lives, developing as lifelong learners and stewards, and productively serving a world in need of their gifts. Throughout their time at Priory, our students are encouraged to try new activities while simultaneously engaging with cherished ones. Anchored by our Benedictine values of Community, Hospitality, Individuality, Integrity, and Spirituality, our students are engaged with vigor and purpose.

923 N San Antonio Road Los Altos, California 94022 650-941-4350 www.sileducation.org

School for Independent Learners (SIL)

School for Independent Learners (SIL) is a nurturing, private high school for grades 8-12 featuring 1:1 personalized instruction. SIL is WASC-accredited and offer a full host of UC-approved courses, including Honors and Advanced Placement, built and customized by our dedicated faculty (average tenure 8+ years). Individualization and collaboration are hallmarks of our approach with mastery learning at the core of our educational model. We offer flexible start dates for: • Full-time 1:1 or small group classes; • Dual enrollment/part-time enrollment for credit transfer to another school of record; • Tutoring and test prep in all A-G subjects. For more information about how our customized 1:1 learning strategies can position your student for success, go to http://www.sileducation.org.

FEATURED SCHOOL & PRESCHOOL PROFILES

425 Encinal Street Santa Cruz, California 95060 831-423-0658 www.kirby.org

Kirby School is an independent, co-educational college preparatory day school for grades 6-12 located in Santa Cruz. For over 25 years, we have welcomed learners from all backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. Driven by our love of learning, Kirby School engages students in a wide variety of activities that activate critical thinking and inspire creative expression, preparing them to thoughtfully contribute to their communities and shape their futures with confidence. Established in 1994, Kirby was named for Georgiana Bruce Kirby, a Santa Cruz pioneer who devoted her life to education, freedom, and enfranchisement. The school was founded on the belief that students who are respected and encouraged will exhibit great enthusiasm for learning and achieve at the highest levels.

920 Peninsula Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 650-325-1584 www.peninsulaschool.org

Peninsula School

At Peninsula School, we believe that every child is naturally curious, and that each school day should be engaging, meaningful, and joyful. For nearly 100 years, Peninsula School has embraced this belief by supporting children to contribute to the world as confident and creative learners, ethical citizens, and compassionate leaders. As you walk among the classrooms and play spaces on our well-loved 6 acres, it’s easy to observe why our nursery through 8th grade students are excited to attend Peninsula School each day. Please visit our website for more information on our program and philosophy, and learn about and register for admissions events for the 2022-2023 school year. We look forward to getting to know you!

201 Polhemus Road San Mateo, California 94402 650-548-1500 www.odyssey-school.org

Odyssey is an independent, coeducational day school serving students in grades 6 through 8. Odyssey School is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent School (CAIS). Odyssey offers students a robust and challenging academic program as well as a unique and varied expeditionary learning program. We are small by design - enrollment is limited to about 50 students. Our high staff-to-student ratio allows us to mentor each student and to fully support their growth, academic and personal, as students forge their way through the critical middle school years. Situated on an idyllic, green, 3.5 acre campus in San Mateo, Odyssey’s “Base Camp” provides a variety of learning spaces both indoors and outdoors. The entire school and faculty are essential team members on expeditions that transport students away from Base Camp to various places that Odyssians call "Advanced Base Camp" such as the California Redwoods, the Sierra Mountains, the Channel Islands, and Mt. Fuji in Japan, in order to implement the philosophies and educational objectives of our expeditionary learning program.

La Scuola International Peninsula

The world has changed and it’s time for education to catch up. That’s why, every day, it’s the students at La Scuola who ask the provocative questions… they lead—and embrace—their own ability to learn across languages, across cultures, and across subjects. Because when children are open to the world and protagonists in their own education, there’s no limit to their ability to learn, find beauty in life, and discover extraordinary answers.

2086 Clarke Avenue East Palo Alto, CA 94303 415-551-0000 www.lascuolasf.org/inquire/peninsula