Thousand Oaks Elementary School

Berkeley's only public elementary school to host an annual Science Fair! All students, K-5, participate in this non-competitive, but highly creative and festive event. With science funds slashed elsewhere, we love that science takes center stage at Thousand Oaks right alongside its excellent math, language arts, and arts enrichment programs and curricula. Outstanding teachers are the secret of this wonderful school. And a bonus: the campus is beautiful, the only BUSD school that is also a Berkeley park.
--Submitted by a parent

It is doing its best to give my grandchild a great education.
--Submitted by a parent

This was my favorite school. The kids come first! My son was well taughta and taken care of there. They have a great full inclusion program.
--Submitted by a parent

Despite budget cuts my son continues to receive music, art, gardening, and cooking class! He loves to read and loves to learn and feels part of a wider school community.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great school; outstanding teachers, an involved community, a truly diverse population, and a new principal who is an outstanding leader. Our daughter has been there for 4 years, and we are very happy with the education she is receiving.
--Submitted by a parent

All 5 teachers our kids have had have been fantastic. There's a great energy at the school, with lots of parent involvement and ethnic diversity. Wonderful extracurricular programs. Love Feliz Friday, which is an assembly once a month with performances.
--Submitted by Joel Jacobs, a parent

This school emphasizes a sense of community. There are many school-wide events, as well as programs meant to get kids together. Older kids are paired up with younger ones to 'buddy read,' and there are 5th grade 'junior coaches' who help the younger ones play games at recess. Both teachers that my son has had have been superb. They somehow had lesson plans which included and involved all levels of students, as well as allowing parents to participate. There is a wonderful cooking and gardening program which gets the kids excited about preparing and eating recipes made with fruits andd vegetables.
--Submitted by a parent

Great school for English-speaking children and for non-English speakers who are integrated into regular classes. Spanish speaking students who are in a separate, K-3 bilingral program do well until 4th grade when they are integrated with the rest of the school. At that point, they struggle to keep up with the academics.
--Submitted by a staff

Kids are great. 90% of teachers are great. Facility is new (not on Virginia Street--that's the Adult Education location). Afterschool program is terrific.
--Submitted by Jim Clara, a parent

Awesome arts magnet, culturally enriching and great after school enrichment program.
--Submitted by a parent