Welcome to Gay Parent magazine's annual listing of private schools. Select the state for the schools in your area.
CALIFORNIA
Camellia Waldorf School
5701 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822
916-427-5022
www.camelliawaldorf.org
Preschool - 8th grade
Camellia Waldorf is an independent, co-educational elementary and preschool that also offers Parent & Toddler classes. Our mission is to educate by honoring childhood, appreciating the individuality of each student, and instilling a sense of moral and ethical responsibility while building capacities for learning and encouraging clear and creative thinking.
We strive to develop the mind, body, and spirit of the child, encouraging in the process, the child's spiritual freedom and growth. As in every Waldorf school, our teaching works toward this aim by drawing on the insights into human development pioneered by Rudolf Steiner.
Camellia Waldorf School offers each parent the opportunity to become part of a community that has heart and purpose. There are a number of ways to become involved. Your interests and talents can lead you.
The Camellia community reflects the diversity of the Sacramento area. Parents always cite "community" as one of the reasons they value our school. Another is that their children are nurtured and protected here in their early years, encouraged and challenged in their later years.
Exciting curriculum-based field trips are covered by our tuition. Classes have visited Yosemite, Moaning Caverns, the Balclutha, Full Belly Farm and more.
Campbell Hall
4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91607
818-980-7280
www.campbellhall.org
Campbell Hall – A Balance of Tradition and Progress
For 67 years, Campbell Hall, an Episcopal, interfaith community, has inspired and cultivated the academic, ethical, emotional and spiritual development of its students. The School’s commitment to academic excellence and to nurturing decent, loving and responsible human beings is at the core of the school’s mission.
In fall 2012, The Arts and Education Center will open bringing multi level subterranean parking, 24 state of the art classrooms, an art gallery and extensive use of multi-media throughout. Designed by Gensler, an architectural firm renowned for its expertise in education design and innovative sustainability practices, the project will be LEED certified at completion.
The elementary curriculum provides the foundation for students to continue on into Honors and Advanced Placement Classes at the Secondary School.
Athletic teams regularly win league titles. Visual and performing arts opportunities involve students in all kinds of self expression.
Visit our website at www.campbellhall.org to check out events planned all through the year that you are welcome to attend and to gather more information about Campbell Hall’s programs.
Call 818-980-7280 to reserve a place for a Friday morning tour, to receive a viewbook, or ask any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you.
The College Preparatory School
6100 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618
510-652-0111
www.college-prep.org
The College Preparatory School is a vibrant day school for grades 9-12, tucked into a small wooded valley in Oakland, CA. Our purpose is to prepare students for inspired, ethical lives in college and beyond in an atmosphere of consideration, trust, and mutual responsibility. Our rigorous, classically thorough curriculum includes core academic disciplines balanced by options in music, visual arts, dance, theater, physical education, inter-scholastic athletics, forensics, and community activities.
Francis Parker School
6501 Linda Vista Rd., San Diego, CA 92111
858-569-7900
www.francesparker.org
K – 12 grade
Founded in 1912, Francis Parker School is San Diego's oldest and largest independent, non-denominational, co-educational day school. The School is committed to graduating students who embody those qualities essential for academic success and personal fulfillment – intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, passion for learning, ethical responsibility, self-reliance, community engagement, and global competence – by offering a balanced, challenging, and integrated K-12 educational program in academics, athletics, and the arts, all in a vibrant and diverse school community.
Francis W. Parker, the School's namesake, believed students should "learn by doing," solving problems based on experiential learning, placing a premium on helping students develop social values and global citizenship.
We serve 1,230 students from more than 70 different zip codes throughout San Diego County. The 453 graduates from the classes of 2006 - 2009 have enrolled in more than 140 colleges and universities across the country and around the world.
Since 2001, we have completed a $50 million capital campaign and six phases of construction, opening the following state-of-the-art buildings on two campuses: 2 libraries, 2 lecture halls, 11 science labs, 55 new classrooms, 19 renovated classrooms, 2 Commons buildings, Visual Arts center, Music Building, Student Services Center and new athletic fields.
The Harker School
500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 05129
408-249-2510
www.harker.org
K - 12th grade
Marin Academy
1600 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
415-453-4550
www.ma.org
9th - 12th grade
Marin Country Day School
5221 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925
415-927-5900
www.mcds.org
K - 8th grade
Marin Country Day School is an independent K-8 coed day school enrolling 540 students at its 35-acre bayside campus in the San Francisco Bay Area. The school's mission, underscored by core values of respect, responsibility and compassion, asks children to become skilled learners and ethical individuals, motivated to make a difference in the world.
MCDS teachers work to support both personal and academic development. The broad and balanced program encourages students to question, to reason and to make connections. The classroom atmosphere is highly participatory, with teachers acting as coaches who encourage students' exploration, discovery and reflection.
The founders of MCDS believed that learning is a joyous and lifelong process and that each child's unique gifts should be nurtured. They sought an environment which allowed room for study and laughter, noise and quiet, thought and action. Perhaps most important, they believed that members of a diverse school community could contribute immeasurably to the well-being of one another.
MCDS actively seeks to build an inclusive community which reflects the diversity of race, ethnicity, economic circumstances, family structure and lifestyles of the greater Bay Area. Perhaps the school's most enduring characteristic is its vibrant spirit-of students, families, teachers and staff engaged in working together.
Marywood-Palm Valley School
35-525 Da Vall Dr., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-328-0861
www.mwpv.org
Preschool - 12th grade
Marywood-Palm Valley School is a non-sectarian day school located on 38 acres with stunning mountain views. The campus features three self-contained campus pods housing the Preschool, Lower School, and Middle/Upper School divisions. MWPV is the only PS-12 private school in the Coachella Valley accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools. The school's rigorous curriculum provides a truly college-preparatory environment to nearly 500 students and graduates 100% of its senior class college eligible. Students attending the school reside throughout the Valley: Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and other surrounding communities.
Menlo School
50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton, CA 94027
650-330-2000
www.menlo.org
6th - 12th grade
The Nueva School
6565 Skyline Blvd., Hillsborough, CA 94010
650-350-4528
www.nuevaschool.org
admissions@nuevaschool.org
PK - 8th grade
The Nueva School meets the unique needs of pre-kindergarten through 8th grade gifted and high-ability children in the Bay Area. Founded in 1967, Nueva emphasizes integrated studies, creative and visual arts, differentiated and experiential curriculum and social-emotional learning. Through a child-centered and progressive approach, Nueva builds a true sensibility of lifelong learning and empowers students to connect their studies to the real world. Students learn to hone their critical and analytical skills and experience how joyful and meaningful education can be.
Learning by doing extends to the 33-acre wooded campus itself, where our "2008 Top Ten Green Buildings Project" models sustainable architecture and energy use. Our green buildings house a state of the art media lab and library, and the Innovation Lab which partners with Stanford University's Institute of Design and is the first K-8 Design Thinking program of its kind. The nearby Hillside Café offers freshly prepared lunches daily. Our notable Nueva forts, nestled in a grove of olive trees, give the students many opportunities for outdoor education, imagination, and emerging social emotional learning. Extracurricular opportunities include a variety of individual and team sports, art, drama and music instruction and performances, Japanese, Spanish, and Mandarin language programs, as well as national and international student trips. Bus service is also available for San Francisco and South Bay families.
Nueva students and families are supportive of each other, the school, and of the wider communities and neighborhoods to which we belong. We celebrate individuals and value the diversity of our community and our world. Community at Nueva is part of the daily fabric of Nueva life, and is ultimately a benefit to our children.
The Phillips Brooks School
2245 Avy Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
650-854-4545
www.phillipsbrooks.org
Preschool – 5th grade
The Phillips Brooks School prepares each student to live a creative, humane and compassionate life, and to be a contributing member of society. The school believes in blending the academic, physical and social aspects of its program with spiritual awareness and understanding. This balance provides an environment that celebrates individuality, promotes problem solving through critical thinking, and encourages students to fulfill their potential.
The curriculum emphasizes the basic academic disciplines and their integration into everyday life, while developing the foundation for individual scholastic excellence and inspiring an enthusiasm for life-long learning. The study of foreign languages, Spanish and Mandarin, and the exploration of world cultures, encourage and strengthen global awareness. Students learn to show respect for themselves, others and their environment, and to solve problems through open communication. Students are encouraged to reach beyond themselves to value and embrace cultural, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic diversity, and to respond to the needs and rights of everyone.
The overall school experience weaves the intellectual, spiritual, social and physical areas of growth into the fabric that is the Phillips Brooks School community. This community provides the base upon which students will continue to grow and succeed both as individuals and citizens of the world.
Presidio Hill School
3839 Washington St., San Francisco, CA 94118
415-751-9318
www.presidiohill.org
K - 8th grade
Presidio Hill School is the oldest continually-operating progressive school in California. Founded in 1918 by two artists, Flora Arnstein and Helen Salz, who were inspired by the innovative ideas of educational reformers John Dewey and Maria Montessori, especially the concept of replacing traditional learning by rote with learning by doing.
Presidio Hill is a co-educational K-8 school with an enrollment of approximately 158 students. Each grade has one class, averaging 16 students. In addition to a 1-year kindergarten, the school offers the option of a 2-year kindergarten program to serve younger five-year-olds born in the summer and early fall.
The founders' vision included creating an environment that fostered cultural diversity, community involvement, and social action. Presidio Hill School's staff, student, and parent body reflects San Francisco's richness. Race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, economics, alternative family structure, disability, religion, learning differences, and other forms of diversity are valued. Among Bay Area independent schools, Presidio Hill has one of the highest percentages of its budget devoted to financial aid. The school strives to be a model of democracy and humane relationships.
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School
13601 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga CA 95070
408-867-3785
www.st-andrews.org
PreK – 8th grade
Located in Saratoga, California, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is a coeducational, PreK through Grade Eight day school. Saint Andrew's offers an advanced, comprehensive academic program plus enrichment in the areas of the studio and performing arts, physical education, foreign languages, technology, character development, religion and community service.
What sets an education at Saint Andrew’s apart? We believe it’s a combination of contemporary academics and traditional character.
Our approach embraces the Episcopal tradition; it is open-minded, respectful and inclusive. Everyone is welcome in our community, without labels, without preconceptions.
Within our rigorous academic program, students are encouraged to explore, reflect and inquire—and to realize the value of moral lessons like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship in their lives. Children are introduced early on to the concepts of community service, environmental awareness and their role as citizens of the larger world outside Saint Andrew’s doors.
Our students leave with a clarity about their own beliefs and traditions, and the capacity to empathize with and appreciate other viewpoints and perspectives.
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Visit our website for information: www.st-andrews.org/gpm
St. Paul's Episcopal School
116 Montecito Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610-4356
510-285-9600
www.spes.org
K - 8th grade
Celebrating 30 years of academic excellence, St. Paul's Episcopal School is Oakland's private school with a public purpose. The School is located downtown near Lake Merritt and serves 334 students in grades K-8. Throughout its history, St. Paul's has been equipping young people to be good citizens as well as good scholars. The School features excellent academics, a multicultural curriculum, diversity, spirituality, and an award-winning Service Learning Program in which all students participate.
St. Paul's provides a respectful, safe, and nurturing environment for students and families who reflect the broad diversity of the greater Oakland area. Over half of all students are children of color, and over one-third of all students participate in the School's model Tuition Assistance Program. This ensures socioeconomic diversity. The School also reflects diversity in religion and culture, as well as providing a warm and friendly atmosphere for gay and lesbian families, immigrant families, and young people with learning differences.
The San Francisco School
300 Gaven Street, San Francisco, CA 941134
415-239-5065 ext. 103
www.sfschool.org
Preschool - 8th grade
The San Francisco School embraces multiculturalism and celebrates diversity. The San Francisco School staff is a diverse group of men and women with a variety of ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds as well as sexual orientations. All teachers participate in an ongoing professional development program where teachers reflect, attend workshops, and do independent research. The core of the professional development program involves regular meetings of small groups of teachers focused on questions about student learning. Teachers hone their practice looking at current research, at their own instructional approach, and at student work. The San Francisco School preschool is a Montessori program while many common elements in the Elementary Program provide consistency for the students as they move from grade to grade. While each level has its own goals and challenges, the students can also look forward to familiar routines that build self-esteem and independence throughout the elementary years. Many elements in the Middle School program unite the Middle School students and provide common settings for individual and collective growth.
San Francisco University High School
3065 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
415-447-3100
www.sfuhs.org
9th - 12th grade
San Francisco University High School's campus extends through three city blocks in the northern section of San Francisco. The majority of our students come from the city, though some commute from Marin County, the East Bay, and the Peninsula. Thirty-five percent of UHS students identify themselves as students of color.
Since our founding in 1975, University has maintained a strong, need-based financial aid program. This year, 22% of our student body will receive $1.85 million in financial aid.
UHS offers innovative and invigorating academic and co-curricular programs. Average class size is 14 students. Student to teacher ratio is 8:1.
Every student receives a solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. In the first two years this is achieved through a series of required courses. In the last two years, students experience a greater degree of choice in course selection, and benefit from academic advising that allows them to draw on the strengths and talents of the faculty, the resources of the UHS, as well as their own interests. State-of-the-art technology is thoughtfully integrated into the curriculum. There are also numerous opportunities to pursue independent study projects.
The arts program at University includes the visual arts, music and theater. Nearly 75% of our students participate in one or more interscholastic sports teams and 40% participate in two sports.
Visit us at www.sfuhs.org for information on admission and financial aid.
Sonoma Country Day School
4400 Day School Place, Santa Rosa CA 95403
707-284-3200
www.scds.org
K - 8th grade
Sonoma Country Day School is an independent K-8 school serving 250 students in Santa Rosa, California. SCDS provides a firm academic foundation supplemented by rich programs in the arts and athletics combined with an emphasis on integrity, humanity, intellect, character, and leadership. We are committed to providing students with a rigorous and exciting academic program, opportunities to develop their artistic and creative natures, ideals to open their potential for leadership, and self confidence to express their uniqueness.
All students play an instrument, participate in art classes, experience outdoor education, and have technology instruction as part of their school day. World Language studies include Spanish and Mandarin at all grade levels. Leadership skills, public speaking, and environmental science are also focuses at the school.
Activities and programs at SCDS are meant to ensure student acquisition of high academic skills, encourage the development of attitudes that promote learning and success in secondary school and college, and maintain an exemplary community of educators, parents, trustees and school friends who model participation and leadership in the school and in the larger community. For more information please visit www.scds.org or contact Director of Admission Dana Nelson-Isaacs (707-284-3215 or dana@scds.org).
Synergy School
1387 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110
415-5677-6177
www.synergyschool.org
K - 8th grade
Founded in 1973, Synergy School is a non-profit teacher cooperative for children kindergarten to eighth grade, located in San Francisco. The schools curriculum is multi-cultural fostered by an environment which struggles against racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice. The Synergy community is one of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds.
Academic skills are achieved within a non-competitive atmosphere. The Bay Area Writers Project, interdisciplinary projects, specific skill development utilizing phonemic awareness, and whole language/literature based programs are the foundations of their language arts curriculum. There is an emphasis on problem solving and the written expression of mathematical processes and procedures. Science at Synergy is experiential and hands-on, includes field trips in Northern California and an annual science fair. In their music program children listen to classical and ethnic music and create their own. Students produce and perform plays in Synergy's art and drama program and Spanish is taught to all grade levels. An Afterschool programs is available and over one-third of the children receive partial financial aid.
Turning Point School
8780 National Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310-841-2505
www.turningpointschool.org
2 years, 9 months – 8th grade
Turning Point School, located in Culver City, CA, is an independent coeducational day school beginning in Early Childhood (2 years and 9 months) through Middle School. Rigorous academics are balanced with the freedom that guides children through the many academic, emotional, creative, physical, social and ethical turning points the Primary, Elementary, and Middle School years present. Graduates are well prepared to face a challenging and increasingly complex world.
Founded in 1970, the School adopted the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori. The curriculum represents the natural evolution of growth and research. Emphasis is placed on educating the whole child, respect, and self-discovery where students are stimulated and challenged.
The curriculum includes reading, language arts, mathematics, and social studies complemented by art, music, Spanish, and science classes. Community service, study tours, and field trips are integral parts of the education.
The state-of-the-art campus doubled in size in 2010. Facilities include: multimedia art studio, wet and dry science laboratories, full-size gymnasium, and an outdoor playground and lawn area in addition to a music and performing arts center. One of two schools in Southern California, Turning Point also offers a Smart Lab equipped with technology for circuitry, graphic design, robotics, computer simulation, and more.
The Urban School of San Francisco
1563 Page Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
415-626-2919
www.urbanschool.org
9th - 12th grade
The Urban School of San Francisco was founded in 1966 by a group of Bay Area parents seeking an innovative alternative to conventional secondary education. They believed that adolescents are curious, creative, and eager to make sense of the world around them and that their self-esteem is best developed in an atmosphere of trust, honesty, and mutual respect between students and teachers.
Urban School believes that the best education occurs in a school made up of students, teachers, and parents drawn from many different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, races, religions, and sexual orientations. Students are encouraged to ask questions, to search for their own answers, to voice their opinions, and to think critically and independently.
A feature of the Urban School is the assignment of a faculty advisor to each student. The faculty advisor is the liaison between student, school, and family. Students meet with their advisors in weekly group advising meetings and in individual meetings to review and plan their academic progress. The advisor is also available to discuss areas of concern and offer counsel and support.
Viewpoint School
23620 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302-2097
818-340-2901
www.viewpoint.org
K - 12th grade
Viewpoint School is an independent coeducational Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade college preparatory day school. Viewpoint was founded in 1961. Our campus is set in the Santa Monica Mountains on a 25-acre canyon campus in Calabasas, California.
Viewpoint School, an independent, coeducational school with grades from Kindergarten through Twelve, offers its students a rigorous college preparatory education in a nurturing environment. An integral part of the educational process at Viewpoint is the development of a love of learning and of those qualities which provide strength and direction for a lifetime. Viewpoint recognizes the uniqueness of each child and is committed to the identification, preservation, and development of that individuality. Viewpoint School teaches with respect the wisdom and traditions of the world’s cultures and faiths.
Walden School
74 S. San Gabriel Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107
626-792-6166
www.waldenschool.net
PreK - 6th grade
Walden School students do as Henry Thoreau: "Be True to your work, your word, your friend." Walden School, founded in 1970, is an independent, accredited elementary school, enrolling 240 students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in multi-grade/age classrooms.
Founded on the instructive words of Henry Thoreau, a Walden education is based on balance. Instruction assures children will develop traditional academic skills through innovative and progressive teaching practices. Teachers also strive to lay the foundation for wisdom, to encourage the spirit of Renaissance learning and to help students to understand how they are counted on as a learner and a friend. Students develop a true love of learning. They value their own interests and pursue them with passion and determination.
The Storyteller-in-Residence works with teachers and students to help give voice to the children's experience of the world and to develop the vocabulary to say what they mean and mean what they say.
Walden students matriculate to the finest independent and public schools in the area. Its graduates are described as articulate and forthright, respectful, reflective, resilient, academically ambitious, and globally aware. Walden graduates have learned how to question the status quo in an informed and reflective manner.
Please call (626) 792-6166 ext. 12 for tours. Tours begin at 9:30am, are for adults only, and do require reservations.
Woodside International School
1555 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
415-564-1063
www.wissf.org, info@wissf.org
9th-12th grade
Woodside International School is an accredited, college-preparatory, and co-educational independent high school located in the Sunset District of San Francisco. We are dedicated to instilling the knowledge and skills that will prepare students for success in the colleges of their choice. Our general education requirements meet and exceed both the UC and CSU entrance requirements.
Our program is designed to provide a personal tracking of each student that no large school is able to match, and our faculty and administration are committed to giving the individual attention that every student deserves and every parent hopes for. Small classes allow teachers to spend time with each student.
The curriculum is unique in its breadth. Woodside offers more courses in a given semester than the standard school schedule. Besides the major college prep classes, students take courses in Philosophy, Current Events, PE, Health, and Art every semester through high school. Students enjoy the variety offered by such a curriculum without neglecting their core classes. This results in a broader and more interesting educational experience.
Students who have experienced challenges or disappointments in school will find Woodside's program a refreshing change. The greater individual attention and the more interesting curriculum will provide the student with the opportunity to both make meaningful progress and regain an enthusiasm for school.
With a well-rounded education and greater self-confidence, Woodside students are well prepared for college. They are regularly accepted by their first choice colleges. College admissions officers recognize the advantages that Woodside students have over those coming from larger, more stressful schools, offering a more standard program.
Woodside welcomes students mid-year, space permitting.
