With the help of EBISA, the East Bay Independent Schools Association, we have assembled this guide to visitations, tours, and other prospective family events at our area's independent (AKA private) schools. For up-to-the-minute changes, check the embedded calendar here from ebisa.org or with the schools in question. Happy visiting!
{Our guide sponsors}
Calendar of school events
East Bay Independent Schools (sponsored listings):
The Academy (Elmwood in Berkeley)
The Academy upholds its 47-year legacy of academic rigor in a fun and nurturing environment. With a maximum class size of twelve, expert teachers engage students in deep and meaningful learning. Offers Latin and immersive French instruction.
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
Aurora School (Upper Rockridge in Oakland)
Aurora is a progressive, multi-graded school offering students of different ages opportunities to work side-by-side to step up both academically and socially. Aurora nurtures heart-smart and head-smart leaders.
Grades: K through 5th grade
Website >
Beacon Day School (Oakland)
Beacon offers a strong academic program founded on intentional nurturing of respect, responsibility and resilience. Throughout the Beacon extended academic year students in small classes experience personalized, mastery learning that supports academic, artistic and social emotional growth and development. {See 510families spotlight on Beacon Day}
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
The Berkeley School
The K-8 program at The Berkeley School promotes academic vigor, expands critical thinking skills, and supports the development of each student’s unique potential. Students develop and maintain a love of learning and inquiry.
Grades: Preschool through 8th grade
Website >
Berkwood Hedge (Central Berkeley)
A dynamic thematic project based academic program enriched by Spanish, visual art, music, drama, dance, and physical education. For over 70 years Berkwood Hedge School has been cultivating creativity and intellectual curiosity in elementary age children.
Grades: K through 5th grade
Website >
Black Pine Circle School (West Berkeley)
For over 40 years, Black Pine Circle School’s award-winning elementary and middle school has created lifelong learners through a Socratic inquiry-based education that places equal emphasis on both academics and the arts. {See 510families spotlight on Black Pine Circle}
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
Contra Costa Jewish Day School (Lafayette)
Through algebra, art, critical thinking, composition, technology, and Torah, Contra Costa Jewish Day School (CCJDS) students forge an identity rooted in traditions of intellectual integrity, devotion to others, and innovation. Small class sizes enable community to flourish.
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
The Crowden School (North Berkeley)
Children who love music find a home at Crowden, where chamber music combines with a distinguished education for transformative results. The joy in playing music fuels students’ passion to create, explore, and grow at this important time in their lives. {See 510families spotlight on Crowden}
Grades: 4th through 8th grade
Website >
Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (Rockridge in Oakland & Emeryville)
Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) is an independent Spanish-English bilingual school. In addition to Spanish-English curriculum, Mandarin instruction is introduced in 3rd grade. EBI is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School.
Grades: Preschool through 8th grade
Website >
Julia Morgan School for Girls (Oakland)
Julia Morgan currently serves 132 middle school girls. Curriculum includes English, Math, Science, STEAM, Spanish, Art, Music, Sports, and extracurricular activities that include Robotics, Math Club, Band and Chorus.
Grades: 6th through 8th grade
Website >
School of the Madeleine (North Berkeley)
The Madeleine is a nurturing and diverse Catholic school that focuses on community outreach. Offering a 21st Century learning environment with digital and hands-on instruction, the Madeleine also showcases innovation.
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
Montessori Family School (Berkeley & El Cerrito)
Montessori Family School provides an authentic Montessori learning experience with a challenging curriculum that supports hands-on learning, self-expression, and reflective self-evaluation.
Grades: Age 3 through K in Berkeley and Bridge-K through 8th grade
Website >
Park Day School (Temescal in Oakland)
Park has a 40 year history of Progressive Education; where kids come first in a hands-on, collaborative, project-based curriculum from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Park’s approach inspires graduates to think creatively, learn deeply, act compassionately and live fully.
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
Prospect Sierra (El Cerrito)
Exceptional teachers inspire students to seek deep, meaningful understanding; to develop strong academic skills; and to become independent thinkers. Prospect Sierra cultivates compassion, fairness, respect, and individuality within a diverse community. {See 510families spotlight on Prospect Sierra}
Grades: K through 8th grade
Website >
The Saklan School (Moraga)
At Saklan, educating the whole child is a priority, so students are exposed to an integrated program of Art, Music, Spanish, Science, Performing Arts and Physical Education with small class sizes since 1954.
Grades: Pre-K through 8th grade
Website >
The Renaissance International School (Oakland/Piedmont)
The Renaissance International School (TRIS) is a Montessori school providing a high-quality education within a multicultural, multidisciplinary environment. The curriculum includes strong music, fine arts, and English/French/Spanish language immersion programs.
Grades: Age 2 through 9th grade
Website >
Tehiyah Day School (El Cerrito hills)
Tehiyah Day School is a Jewish community day school committed to awakening intellectual curiosity and a strong sense of Jewish identity, building a culture of thoughtfulness and ethical behavior and connecting learners to their community, the world, and their best selves.
Grades: Bridge-K through 8th grade
Website >
If you're already using google calendar, you can embed this EBISA calendar with your own family's schedule pretty easily.
Thanks again to EBISA for wrangling this information to share with families and to our sponsors.
Apologies in advance for any events we listed but were moved, canceled, rained out, or otherwise not what you were expecting. We suggest you always double-check with the school in question. Often RSVP is required or strongly recommended. If your school wants to be added to our guide, please contact Carol AT 510families.com.
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