The Berkeley School - updated review?
Seeking a middle school for our 2E child who has a voracious appetite for knowledge acquisition, craves academic rigor and loves music and drama, but also struggles with ADHD, executive functioning and visual and fine motor skills. Art classes are usually a struggle but if the teacher is kind and supportive, they are ok with it.They thrive in a structured environment with clear rules, instructions and expectations. They are a creative and theatrically inclined child. Child needs LD support but not severe enough and the giftedness masks these challenges to a just enough level that IEP is denied in public schools. Child’s passion is musical theater and music (plays several instruments) but child feels lonely at the current small private school where they have not found a kindred spirit who shares the same passion.
We are in Oakland, so we never considered schools in Berkeley but a friend mentioned that we might want to check out TBS. I would love to hear from the current TBS families. Pros and Cons. (No school is perfect.)
Also interested in recommendations for other schools that would be a good fit for my kid and has an opening. The current school isn’t working out. Park Day does not have any opening for this year or next year since we are not starting at 6th grade. Aurora and Berkwood Hedges are in consideration but the size feels too small. Child does not want a single gender school as they are NB and likes a mixed gender environment.
We can’t drive to Pinole, so Big Minds won’t work for us. Commuting to Berkeley will be a stretch and if we could find a school in Oakland, we would not travel to Berkeley.
Parent Replies
You might want to consider public school -- the pool is much bigger -- and the extracurriculars are more varied. Even if your child isn't eligible for an IEP, it sounds like they would be eligible for a 504 plan, which could provide things like extended time on tests, and shorter assignments, depending on their needs. My 2E child who had learning differences in some similar areas that you mentioned, did well in BUSD. They did not get LD support in school, but we hired outside help, and were also able to do some things ourselves. In terms of theater, our experience was a while ago, but Berkeley Rep classes were wonderful.
Hi! We aren't in the middle school yet, but we just switched to TBS this year as our prior (private) elementary school was not a good fit for our 2E kid. While no transition is seamless and no school is perfect (especially for 2E kids!), our experience at TBS so far has, overall, been quite positive. Like your child, our kid needed more structure and help with executive function struggles, and he's definitely getting that at TBS. He's bonded with his classmates, he feels understood, and the social-emotional support has been fantastic so far. On the con side, I'm not yet sure that the academic challenge is there, but we aren't worried about that at this point. For now we are focusing on his needs around socializing and understanding how to work in a group environment. We figure we can always supplement the academics outside of school. Our kid is not into drama, so I can't help with that piece, sorry. He speaks highly of the music teacher at TBS.
Finally, I hear you on the commute. We actually live even farther away from Berkeley than you do, and it is a schlep. But we feel like it's worth it for our child to be in a nurturing environment with his people.
Late post here...I encourage you to check out The Berkeley School just to have a direct sense of what they offer in comparison to other schools. We have been at TBS for several years--before, during, and after the pandemic--and this school year feels like what I remember from our early elementary years--a certain levity and joy in the student body (aren't all of us more regulated now!?); a good flow of communication from admin; fun community-building opportunities; and a tangible commitment to support each student's academic and personal growth. I have seen the positive impacts of this level of attention in my child as they have progressed at TBS. I am confident based on our kid's MAP scores and teacher feedback that they will be able to meet the demands of high school--because they know how to self-advocate and have learned how to study effectively as well as having gained competence in core subjects. An extra bonus is that the science teacher runs an incredible afterschool Maker Club that is now based at TBS and has turned our kid onto science in a way that I never expected.
To your specific questions, the art teachers (both elementary and MS) are wonderful but the music program has struggled to get re-established as a full school year program since COVID when it was put on pause. They've brought in some great teaching artists through Freight & Salvage but I do miss a year-round music program. TBS also takes identity and belonging very seriously--you'll likely notice that right away if you visit. The class sizes are indeed small so it may be harder to find that kindred spirit that your kid is missing now..at the same time, our kid has forged strong friendships that they would not likely have otherwise made simply because there are no alternatives!
Best of luck finding a good match.