Glenview Elementary @ Santa Fe vs Sequoia, Joaquin Miller

1/2: We’ve been with Glenview Elementary for the past seven years (we have a 6th grader, and a 4th grader), I wanted to let you know how happy we have been with the school.  It was not our neighborhood school (in either location), but we were so pleased to get in, and even with the swap to Santa Fe, have been very happy there.  Yes, having the school in a different location, and having to deal with busing, is a hassle, and yes, it has cut down somewhat on the feeling of community. But since the bus pick up and drop off is at Edna Brewer, which is also a Glenview neighborhood school, (and where a lot of GV students go for middle school), this is not as noticeable as it could have been.  But the school community is very strong, and is always striving to be inclusive.  And since the school draws from many non-GV neighborhoods, it’s always worked hard at that, which we (as non-neighborhood folks – we’re in the Laurel), have always appreciated.  The teachers are great.  We have had only one teacher out of ALL the years who was less than great, and, well, that’s a good learning experience for our kids.  There are some wonderful bedrock teachers who have been there for years and years, and also some bright new ones who I hope will stay for years and years!  They all seem to like each other, and they are all fiercely supportive of the students.  We have loved the principal – she’s smart and kind and funny, and the kids really like her.  We’ve had only a few situations where we needed to seek her out for something, and she took our comments and questions seriously, was very communicative and forthright, and worked with us to resolve things.  The family community is very diverse both racially and economically, and there are plenty of LGBTQ families.  I love that my kids go to school with a classroom full of people who really seem to reflect the diversity of Oakland. I think it can be hard to get that, and I feel that Glenview has worked very hard to maintain that.  As to how the bussing affects younger kids - it didn’t come up for us until we had a 3rd grader and a 5th grader, so I can’t speak to that.  But when I pick up from the bus at Brewer, I see lots of kinders and 1st graders getting off buses and laughing and talking and looking like they’re surviving it just fine. (to be continued in next post)

2/2: (Continued from previous post) As to the new school, and the fact that it’s in your neighborhood, I would JUMP at the chance to be able to attend.  Walking to school seems like such a gift (we’ve never had it, so I can only imagine), and you should think about how much easier it’ll make your life in terms of playdates, as well as evening events.  If you choose a school you have to drive to, remember, it’s not just the school day driving – there are countless evening and some weekend events throughout the year. I would trade dealing with the bus for a year or two, out of your six years there (more if you have younger kids) in a heartbeat for the ease and convenience of being able to walk to school. I will end with one recent example of the caliber of the students and staff at Glenview:  At the recent MLK Oratorical performance, students had practiced poems which they went up on stage and performed in full class groups, small groups, and/or as individuals. Beforehand the principal and the teacher who organizes the event spoke about being a good audience member, and stressed the bravery that each of these kids is showing to go up on stage in front of a whole auditorium of people, and went over what not to do if anyone on stage forgot their lines.  Sure enough, it happened, and I was incredibly impressed with the performers on stage who just put an arm around their stage-frightened fellow performer, and shepherded them off the stage, where they would get hugged by a teacher, and then when they got to their seats, they would get hugged by other students.  This happened with several different kids, and it just made me so proud of them all.