Serendipity School

I have been meaning to rate this wonderful school for some time now and this latest review has driven me to respond. I have one child currently at the school and one child who has recently graduated. My children are very different and yet they have both thrived from their education and experience at Serendipity. Yes, the teachers are amazing and yes, Serendipity makes learning fun and exciting, but I also cannot speak highly enough of the Administration. In my experience, and everyone else who I have ever spoken to, the Administration always has an open door (even for unexpected visits!) and outstanding follow through. The team is very well experienced, with many, many years of education and experience between them. I encourage people to visit the school and see for themselves.
--Submitted by a parent

Serendipity is a great alternative to the standard school. We have two children in the school and have been there for 4 years. The teachers are amazing!! We were really disappointed that Ms. Lisa, the former fourth grade teacher, is no longer teaching here though. She was incredible. The administration is nice but often don't follow through with what they say they are going to do. The administration lacks experience and education. Overall a great school though. Serendipity makes education fun and exciting.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is a hidden gem. Its small class sizes and positive learning environment are rare to find in any schools in the Bay Area. Their academics are above average, not super, but the curriculum is well-balanced with other activities like, PE, arts, music, foreign language and tae kwon do. Where else can you find a school that offers such a well-rounded program. In addition, the teachers and administration staff are all friendly and nurturing. They believe in positive reinforcement and the reward system. Even though this is like a commuter school, parents are very close-knit and foster a community spirit.
--Submitted by a parent

If you are looking for a school that is a nurturing environment that embraces your child with the best education, then Serendipity School should be your choice. My son adores the teachers and administration. The staff make learning fun. Every morning, my son cannot wait to go to school to jump start his next learning activity. I only want the best for my son, and Serendipity has surpassed my expectations in the excellence of education. I highly recommend Serendipity School.
--Submitted by a parent

The small class sizes, expert area teachers, and community spirit of this school have done so much for my son. It is a great choice for the early years to build confidence and academic success.
--Submitted by a parent

I too am surprised by some of the reviews here and the banality of the last review caused me to write one of my own. My child recently graduated from Serendipity School, having spent 5 years there. We found the administrators, teachers and staff to be warm, loving and very dedicated. We certainly saw no apathy; on the contrary the teachers are well experienced and well trained in the area of differentiated instruction. The curriculum was challenging and yet fun and my child was well prepared for middle school. The administrators were responsive and everyone was very welcoming. We could not have asked for a more enriching and wonderful elementary school experience.
--Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school for any child with any type of learning difference. I was told that they did not have the time to help my child learn which came as a surprise considering that the classes are so small and they claim to provide individualized curriculum. It was a very unhappy year for my child and now I must go out of my way to help my child catch up.
--Submitted by a parent

Serendipity was a big disappointment for me and my child this past year. Serendipity advertised itself as a school where 'love of learning' is the top goal. That's simply not true. The school concentrates on academic achievement within a very narrow, inflexible range, with an arbitrary mix of high expectations in some subjects and low expectations in other subjects. Anything less than the expected performance is a real problem. However anything more than the expected performance is also a problem, because nothing more is offered. Serendipity does not tend to welcome parents in the classroom and does not look kindly at a parent 'advocating' for their child. If your child doesn't meet Serendipity's definition of the 'perfect student', your child will not be happy there and will probably be more than a little stressed out.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of two very creative, fun loving little girls. Both of my children were in a foreign language program for 3 years prior to attending Serendipity. It was very difficult for me to make the decision to move them into an English program. I looked at several different schools and was enamored by the Nurturing atmosphere at this school. Serendipity greeted our family with open arms. The office staff is fabulous. That is the only word I can say for them. They knew what our family needed before I could tell them. They assessed my children within a matter of minutes. I was shocked on my tour of the school that the staff knows every student by name and disposition. They can tell when a child is having a bad day or is just a little under the weather. They pamper and nurture the child s feelings. It was wonderful. The teachers are so attentive to the children; it makes them feel as if they are learning in a warm, comfortable home environment. The teacher s are not only very interested in what and how the children learn, but what techniques would help them individually. The school is very safe and the parent participation is phenomenal. The school offers Mandarin and Spanish training in the classes as well. I absolutely would recommend this warm, fun loving, academically strong and creative environment to any parent who is concerned about the educational and social well being and advancement of their children. My daughters, now, run to class. We love it!
--Submitted by a parent

Serendipity School provides a very nurturing, safe and wonderful environment for all the children. The teachers are wonderful and creative. The administration staff is caring and attentive to the children's emotional and intellectual needs. There are only about 100 children in school and the students-teacher ratio is very low. Each child is known by name to all the school staff. Report cards are sent home with lengthy descriptions/ evaluation of the child's progress. The school goes to great length to communicate with the parents on a daily/weekly basis. Parents need to understand that this is not an academically accelerated school such as Challenger or Nueva...this is not the intent of the school. We wanted a school that truly addresses the 'whole child'. Our children are happy and excited about learning everyday. They are thriving here. We highly recommend Serendipity School.
--Submitted by a parent