Please contact Sarah in the office to make an appointment. And of course it's helpful to hear about other people's experiences. Like any school, public or private, Columbus is a mixed bag. If your daughter goes to Rosa Parks, esp. For instance, for the native Spanish speakers, introducing them to academic content in Spanish gives them greater access to the curriculum. Candy, soda and gum are not allowed at school. Rosa Parks has lots of energetic teachers with creative curriculums which is crucial for creating students who love to learn (even better than students who just think learning is important). What are the 4th and 5th grade teachers like? Then every day, try to do some form of reading, writing, math and arts. Although several teachers at the school are new, they are generally very experienced and have received great reviews - the district really has put a lot of resources into Rosa Parks. . Both my 10 yr old son and 6 yr old daughter are thriving in the program. The key seems to be good teachers (supported by a principal and school bureaucracy that's effective). Thanks. But, I'm probably the worst parent in the class as far as making sure homework is complete, I don't have a dime saved for college, etc. I am also relatively pleased with Columbus. Please be aware that the before-school time is sacred for teachers who are preparing for the day, so most cannot receive parent drop ins. We are our schools. I'm a parent at Rosa Parks in Berkeley where I have been very active for 6 years. Recess is held in the cafeteria on rainy days. There seems to be a healthy bit of parent involvement, but I must admit I have been a slacker thus far. Go to the Social Groups page (private) to subscribe or unsubscribe, This is the whole shebangfor the quick version, see our, going north on Walnut and south on Oxford, Berkeley LEARNS After School Program at Oxford, Health and Safety Meeting for Oxford 9/1/2021 at 6pm, The gray passenger loading zones on Oxford and Walnut Streets are for. There are a lot of exciting things going on, including a green school yard project that has generated a great deal of enthusiasm. My experience with the Berkeley Public Schools so far has been excellant, with most of the teachers being top notch, highly motivated, and well loved by my children. They were replaced with experienced teachers from within the district and from other districts. We are interested in people's experiences now, as this school is being brought into more balance. Don't discuss your worries when your child can overhear. We have the largest PTA membership of all of the elementary schools in Berkeley, 175. The gradient of language use actually begins with a 90/10% ratio of Spanish/English in K, 80/20 in 1st, 70/30 in 2nd, 60/40 in 3rd, and 50/50 in 4th & 5th. The experience for these two groups is quite different. Within 2 days, she loved the structure of the school (the bells, the library,etc.) Rosa Parks was actually our third choice, mainly because it was furthest from home. We have had a wonderful year under her leadership and I have yet to hear a negative comment directed her way. It has attracted all kinds of money--federal science, technology, and language grants, Bayer Corporation contributions, private fundraising, and probably more than I don't know about. I visited four public schools, three of them twice, spoke with a few other parents going through the same process and found Columbus to be most highly praised in the north zone. It's been sad to hear such negative things said about a school when people don't even visit. project, with a goal of creating outdoor classrooms and places for quiet play for kids who would prefer something other than ball play. Read more hereabout communication with staff. unfortunately, there does seem to be the perception that the spanish immersion program is the 'gifted' track. With my first, having a friend before starting school made the transition much easier. I have never lead a tour over the past 2 years where people were anything but impressed. The downside of Columbus is the reputation of the surronding neighborhood for crime. Rosa Parks elementary (BUSD) will have a Bridge-K program starting Fall 2013. But the district got behind the school and is providing a lot of support. I am really unhappy about this, he was at TO for kindergarten and I really wanted him to go back there. He was assigned to Rosa Parks, which was our third choice after Thousand Oaks and Jefferson. I personally like the physical buildings and grounds. I'm not sure of the plans for school security, but I am relieved to see that fences with locking gates are going up all around the school. An immersion spot never became available for my youngest who is in 2nd grade. * Para traducir la pgina al espaol, haga clic en la "G" en la esquina superior derecha de la pgina y seleccione Spanish. *. The classes were very well balanced and the teachers were wonderful. If you are anxious, then they will pick up on that. Re: Seeking feedback on Northwest Zone schools Yes, he is in the immersion program. So far, not available beyond the usual set of after school classes. His teacher is experienced, caring, and maintains an orderly but pleasant classroom. My kids enjoy the mix of kids they find there, and have made friends of various sexes, races and nationalities. Well, mine's holding steady :) We probably look like a solid poster family for valuing education because, well, we do. Half of the kids in those classrooms speak Spanish at home. Ms. Gallegos is consistently emphasizing writing stories and making the illustrations and the kids love it. Is there a lot of parent involvment? Does anyone have any direct very recent experience with this school (positive or negative) that would be relevant to our making a choice for the fall? Its an exciting time to be part of it if you like to get involved and help shape your child's educational community. The parents who contribute to a good classroom environment support the teacher in a very difficult job, and give of themselves to the classroom community. I can guarantee you that if you come for a tour, you will be pleasantly surprised. I have two children at Rosa Parks, one in 3rd grade and one in Kindergarten. The space for the kinders and the Bridge K was actually designed to be a pre-K: it has it's own space with a separate play structure from the older kids. They go to their little garden where they are learning about plants and planting. In 4th-5th grade this year, all the teachers are doing team teaching, so my daughter has a different teacher for English, and there are teachers for Music, Science, PE, and cooking. They have a strong after school class program (paid for by parents and PTA), with Yoga, Instrument Making, Science, Woodworking, etc. More about meals below. we had 3 new principals three years in a row, and despite this, the school has really hung together. :). I know this sounds like a post from a couple years ago, but I have the same questions. A ten minute drive or bus ride is a very small price to pay for the diversity that the zone system is intended to nurture. As for the native English speakers, many of them tend to arrive to kindergarten with a lot of cognitive development due to family experience which exposes them to literature and authentic experiences that build academic knowledge. All students receive the annual Elementary School Menu calendar in the mail, featuring the breakfast and lunch menus for the year and information about BUSD Nutrition Servicesgo to theLinks pageto get to this years calendar online. Last year when things were so rough at the school I considered sending my Kindergartener to another school. The two other kindergarden teachers also seem very good, as well as (most) of the rest of the upper grades teachers. I'm going to sign up on the waiting list for the other two schools. Cathryn, I'd love to hear from parents with children currently in their second or third year in the Rosa Parks Elementary school immersion program, specifically non-native speakers of Spanish. But for overcoming Cool Kid Ennui (shall we call it CKE? is really making a turn around, and encouraged people to look into it. My son was a Rosa Parks kindergartener last year and I thought it was wonderful. Then when you get home at night it's merely checking the work and marveling at what the kids are learning. ** To make sure your donation goes to students and staff at our school, under "Special Instructions for My Gift" add "Rosa Parks Emergency Fund." Unsubstantiated opinion to follow, take it with a grain of salt -- Something extremely subjective and unverifiable that I just recently realized is that the mix of parents at Rosa Parks is one that I personally really enjoy, and I think it may be related to having our kid in the officially-less-desireable school in our zone (Jefferson is currently ''the good school'', BTW). It is academically certainly on a par with any other Berkeley Public School. Distance learning is never going to capture the magic of great teachers, butthe three 2nd grade teachers have worked together toadapt the curriculum and use google class room quickly and well. However, your child need not be in this program to thrive. how does applying for the Spanish immersion program there work? Incidentally, our children have never been in classes where the teacher is not in total control and they have always attended public schools (both Peralta in Oakland, and Columbus and now Willard in Berkeley). So far I feel pretty comfortable in the neighborhood. The school called it "Gentle Beginnings" but I think it should be called "Rocky Start"! We honor culture and celebrate diversity. RR. Interested parent, I absolutely adore the entire school at Rosa Parks, and the Spanish Dual Immersion Program is fantastic. We live far enough away from our assigned school (Rosa Parks) that our daughter gets to ride the bus. Any one else have a child in Rosa Parks, not in the bilingual program? there were quite a few families who bailed on Rosa Parks (non-SI) around 3rd or 4th grade, in part, because socially and academically, their kids didn't fit in. Each year all elementary students, including those with special needs, are given bus evacuation safety guidelines, and they practice evacuating a bus. Rebecca. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions about the school. (total of 4) If not and your child has had the same experience how did it go for them? Another complication for me (and this may only be for 4th and 5th grades, I'm not sure) is that the school day goes until 3:20 MTuTh F, but only until 2:05 on Wednesdays. The teachers have to manage the incredible diversity of kids that walk into their classrooms every day in order to create a fun, safe place to learn. I don't know what the implications of that are, but I'm sure you can get more info about it. I'm thrilled that parents are discussing this process. Students gather behind the school on the upper playground (or in the cafeteria if its raining). Hopefully you've received the invitation, but if not, call the office. how is the year going for your kid? The current teachers seem strong and the current principal (new this year) is considered the district's best. They seem to have already faced all the turmoil and change that they (you know, THE MAN)use to punish low performers--which I surmise means good things for stability moving forward. Just wait until after back to school night. i find in both my daughters classrooms that the families are motivated and involved. Please refer to thecalendar for menu specifics, or go to the BUSD Nutrition Services web page for further info. Potential Rosa Parks Parent, I can't speak to 4th grade academics, since my son is in K. But what I can say is that he is academically 'advanced' -- he is reading in three languages, interested in math way beyond K level such as multiplication, roman numerals, etc. We'd like reviews from parents with kids in both the dual immersion and the regular classes. As far as our principal goes, she is new to us this year but has been in the district for many years. Rosa Parks has been extremely unstable in past history, and has gotten lots of negative press (as well as low scores for the lovely No Child Left Behind program.) If there's any ''rainbow families'' (GLBT) out there considering Rosa Parks, we could use some more of you! I've been really heartened by how much engagement and passion and creativity there is in the parent community at our school (as, I believe, there is at all the BUSD elementaries, but at Rosa Parks we get to be the striving underdogs of our zone. Katie, Hi, We have a child at Rosa Parks and we are highly educated (too much graduate eduation). My son will be attending Longfellow next year, but he did not get into the Immersion program. K & 1st: 9:159:30 and 10:5011:20 am There is a 30-minute morning meeting with all kids Mon-Thu, and once a week a 10-min checkin with the teacher. t I'm wondering: what is it like at Rosa Parks now? Note that there is always a staff member at the bus zone during drop-off and pick-up. My son is the fourth grade. OK, that might be little more silver lining than you can stomach. I would love to hear what people have to say about the upper elementary school experience at Rosa Parks, as well as Jefferson and TO. I wanted to put in a note for Columbus School. She is extremely involved with the school and may have some good advice. we have been delighted with rosa parks, and with this program. My son came to love Rosa Parks and his teacher is amazing, he had her last year as well. Betsy, Dear Folks, As long as my children can handle it, I would rather that they learn to deal with easy and difficult people throughout their lives, rather than being suddenly thrown into situations that they can't handle when they're older. mom. But after thinking more about it and talking to other Rosa Parks parents, we decided to stay put. There are clear expectations for behavior and consequences for not meeting those expectations. I was apprehensive. Berkeley, CA, 94710 Do you like the families you know who are going to Rosa Parks next year? Taken this way, the decision is no more simple but a lot more exciting. That said, I would also be very interested in people with recent (last year) experience with the program with their young children -- kindergarteners, especially. When my daughter started at King, I was particularly impressed at how well the 4th and 5th grade teachers at Rosa Parks had laid the groundwork for Middle School so the transition was not as overwhelming as it could have been. Please don't hesitate to call one of the numbers on your invitation from the PTA. Look very carefully at the teachers and you will see how talented and professional they are and how much learning is happening in their classes. I wouldn't worry about hearing that many of the teachers have only been there a year or two--this is due to a staffing shake-up from two years ago. Your worry about kids getting the message that education is not cool has not come up for us at Rosa Parks although it may. It feels especially offensive if one strives for this ideal to think about being dismissed with a facile ''good'' or ''dud''. And at Rosa Parks they do. The kids were making books the first week of school. She was never this happy to go to pre-school. there are lots of committees & groups at the school dealing with a range of issues (dental care, counseling, etc) that makes for a very strong community. Now for the specific challenges at Rosa Parks. If you are able, please consider donating to this fund by making a donationhere. I let go of the private and decided to make the public work for us. In fact my daugther's teacher is the first teacher she's had that really gets her. 4th & 5th grades becomes so content rich that students develop much more sophisticated vocabulary through content instruction. She was very helpful, met with me, explained what the goals were, etc. There are a few children who get distracted more easily than others. We have a new science teacher who has been teaching middle school science and her enthusiasm is incredible. As with most (all?) And it's like an hour of free childcare every day! What is the school community like? The downside to attending a more-distant school is that it's less convenient to drop in for brief volunteer things since it's a 10 minute bike ride there and a 20 minute uphill ride back. No stress. I'm asking you to rethink your motives concerning education for your child. The strong emphasis there is science; some parents are working hard on getting more arts integrated in. I can say with complete honesty that the program at the school gets better and better, and promises to continue that trend next year. Hopefully that will continue! Parents, Sign in to post a review on this page. We are in the northwest district. Or is the majority of the school's parent communtity involved? For those who are new to Berkeley, all public elementary schools were either reinforced or rebuilt after the 1989 earthquake, using $58 million in city bonds. Angela. I hope parents who are 'shopping around' will seriously consider public schools. We've had a terrible time at the charter school we're at, so wondering what to expect in BUSD. their teachers have been terrific. Also, our teacher does a morning meeting with the class and also meets once a week individually with each student. The transition to K was surprisingly smooth for both my children, but yes, there was a moment of worry for both kids with a few tears. I'll just say there is good and bad as at most schools and, although the school has been struggling with a number of issues, there are many dedicated teachers and some very involved families. I have a 2-yo to entertain and we both have full time jobs. Our two reading- recovery teachers are among the best in the district. Rosa Parks Elementary School. If you are later than 2:20 to pick up your child, you will find him or her in the office. At Marin School in Albany, where my daughter's friend goes, she has 31 kids in her class. I have a lot to say about my experience but would prefer not to post all of it. Everyone was very friendly and went out of there way to make the event a very comfortable and happy occasion. The teachers are great about making everyone feel welcome and happy. From my observation, it appears that the teachers work as a team on bigger school issues, and that they have a very collaborative style with each other and the principal. * How do native English speaking parents help their kids with homework that is in Spanish? Kids in 4th grade are still really sweet (although my daughter has already observed rougher behavior on the playground - but it was acted on right away). I've read the BPN reviews, it seems like the only people who write in about Rosa Parks love it! But I'm concerned about the level of learning. And yet, their social interaction is the critical link to bridging the gap. Immersion program or non-immersion, I believe that RP is by far one of the best elementary schools in Berkeley. 1st3rd: 2:05 pmexcept Wed 1:15 pm Becky involves parents without overwhelming them, and really listens, which is so nice. It's a great school with talented & dedicated teachers, both inside and outside of the Immersion Program. Both of my children have great teachersthe 4th-5th grade teachers are very good at Rosa Parks. Our teachers are amazing. We were placed on the waiting list for Jefferson, but didn't get in. My son loves it there. is now, including various impressive statistics comparing 2003 to 2005. Of course things at the school aren?t perfect. Get more info about the school zone application process from the school district and/or Berkeley Neighborhood Moms kindergarten information night. My daughter comes home singing songs in Spanish. He also loves his wonderful science teacher, as well as the librarian and gardening teacher. I talked very little about this whole process to my daughter. As a teacher though I feel that a ''shopping'' attitude doesn't respect the fact that each classroom experience involves a student-teacher relationship, not a product. Our youngest son is in second grade now and we're happy. We did notice, though that many teachers stated that this is only their first or second year there. In most cases, our Spanish speakers enter school already at a disadvantage coming from less educated families of lower income. 8:00 am. Our curriculum includes: gardening,cooking, art, and music . You know the people who say, ''We put in an application for BUSD, but if my kid gets assigned to Rosa Parks/unless my kid gets assigned to Jefferson, we're going private''?
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