We have two children at Berkeley Rose and I can't say enough fantastic things about the school and the community that our family has been a part of for the last 6 years. Our daughter is graduating 8th grade this year and was just accepted at Athenian High School for the fall. To me this really shows the strengths of the school- being able to balance the rigorous academics with the focus on nature, movement, and the development of the child at their own pace. Her time at Berkeley Rose has given her the gift of a love of learning.

My partner and I have two children at Berkeley Rose, and we have been overwhelmingly happy with our experience. When our older child entered the school for nursery, we were certain we would transition to our local public school for the grades. However, we were quickly enamored with the thoughtfulness and intentionality of the school at large and the attuned care our young daughter received. We were also surprised and impressed by the strength and creativity of the academic programming in the grades, such that we felt a conviction to stay at the school beyond early childhood and consider ourselves very lucky to have stumbled upon such an educational gem. Perhaps the greatest benefit of Berkeley Rose is its community, which is thoughtful, kind, engaging and interesting. We’ve made great friends to raise our children alongside.

We currently have two children at Berkeley Rose Waldorf School and could not be happier with the quality of education they are receiving and the school community itself. There are a few things that set the school apart from other private schools in the area but perhaps the biggest for us is the emphasis on education without screens. If you are looking for a rigorous educational philosophy with an emphasis on the arts, physical development, and strong academics without the use of tablets or screens, this is your place. If you are looking to join a community of like-minded families when it comes to the use of screens and children, this is your place. We are so grateful for the highly trained teachers and how they are able to see the children for who they are and educate them with an astounding degree of rigor, differentiation, and thoughtfulness. Our children are beyond thriving!

We had to withdraw our child from Berkeley Rose Waldorf. There is nothing more heartbreaking than having to withdraw your 4-yr-old from what he considers his friends at school. But I think BRW needs to look at what inclusive and diversity really mean: It's not as simple as colorful posters or multi-cultural whatever--it's an acknowledgement of differences and being able to work with them. Our older daughter went to a different pre-school--a co-op, and what happened to our son wouldn't have happened there because there was a true commitment to the child. The Waldorf principles are in essence wonderful, but they're not magic. Communicating with the parents and asking for help when things aren't working are just common sense, and the Waldorf script shouldn't preclude this. You're not sending your child off to Disneyland. Some instructors really don't know how to deal with children who seem/are different.