Black Pine Circle School is a private, non-profit elementary and middle school in West Berkeley. It offers a series of workshops in the Sierra Nevada and a weeklong field trip to Yosemite. The school prides itself on its Socratic method of instruction, based on inquiry and questioning. History of philosophy is part of the eighth-grade curriculum. Detailed curriculum material is available on the school's website, including grading standards and planned textbooks. About 30 percent of students receive financial aid of up to 75 percent of tuition. There is a 10 percent sibling discount. Extended-day programs are available. John Carlstroem is the school's head.
One of the central programs of the Chez Panisse Foundation, the Edible Schoolyard is an organic garden and kitchen classroom at Martin Luther King Jr. middle school. Students get hands-on experience in the entire food cycle, from growing to harvesting to preparing food so that they might better understand the natural world and the connection between human society and the environment.
Martin Luther King Middle School is proud of its newly rehabilitated historic wing, computer and science laboratories and new dining commons. The school is located in North Berkeley between Rose and Hopkins streets. Its Edible Schoolyard, supported by the Chez Panisse Foundation, helped to launch nationwide interest in better eating for children. The impressive track and field area on Hopkins Street is open to the public after class.
This independent, alternative K–8 school was once a Montessori school and comes from that tradition. It also incorporates practices based on modern research. It prepares students for the modern workforce by focusing on developing competencies in not just reading, writing and math but also in media and technology. It maintains a diverse student body and employ a wide variety of teaching methods suitable for a range of learning styles.
Willard Middle School offers a classic school curriculum for students between the sixth and eighth grade. Its classes include math, science, English and history, and it provides a lunch break and advisory period. It also has PTA meetings on either the first or second Monday of each month. Furthermore, it offers tours of the school on Tuesday mornings at 9:45 pm. Please note that you must be a parent and the tours last approximately one hour.
Longfellow is proud of its rehabbed historic campus, including an auditorium with a state-of-the-art sound system. It has several bands and orchestras open to all students. Kids can compete inter-scholastically in softball, flag football, soccer, basketball and volleyball. The school offers a fee-based after-school enrichment program until 6pm daily with sports, art, food and tutoring by UC Berkeley students. Patricia Saddler is principal.
The German International School of Silicon Valley, Berkeley is located in the historic Hillside school building, which is located in the Berkeley Hills. This is a satellite school that is an extension of the greater German International School in the Bay Area, serving K - 5th grade students. The GISSV East Bay campus shares the same bilingual and educational philosophy, curriculum guidelines and student-to-teacher ratios as the parent school in Mountain View.