Mulberry School

My family has had a very positive experience at Mulberry. The teachers really care about the learning going on. The curriculum is fresh and interesting but also academically appropriate. The teachers really walk the walk in using Positive Discipline with all of the children in all circumstances. There is a great deal of diversity among the families and many cultures are explored and celebrated. The best part is that my children look forward to going to school everyday and their enthusiasm shows in their schoolwork. Mulberry is a wonderful environment for children and their families.
--Submitted by a parent

This could be a great school if they put their money where their mouth is. Overall program is good, BUT has all this touting about open-mindedness by staff, yet poor leadership leaves it at talk. Walk the talk, staff and parents. If you really were into open-minded diversity, it would exist there. Form a diversity committee to increase diversity events, staff and scholarship programs for students-real upfront scholarships/aid not 'lip-service'. Offering some aid but you don't know until after you pay unrefundable deposit and committ to high tuition and promise to give up your free-time to volunteer with no guarantees of aid or idea of how much is really more of a pseudo gatekeeper keeping the school in a bubble. If you are mid to upper middle class mid-road politics-caucasean, this school caters to your demographic. You can feel good about being "open-minded" and feel safe that your kids really are just hanging out with kids just like them. Step up to the plate Mulberry...I was so dissappointed it wasn't real, it really seemed like a great place. I'll say it again, it's time to step up, Mulberry....."walk the talk".
--Submitted by a parent

I have had 3 children at Mulberry since 2001. Although the parent participation has been a challenge for me, I do it because it is such a wonderful place for my children. The teachers are such committed, gifted, and loving individuals. They put so much into their very creative curriculum. Although I initially had worried about whether it was academically challenging enough, I now have seen how well my kids and their friends have done since their graduation from Mulberry, going on to excellent schools, and am completely reassured. I think the best part of this school is the social skills the kids gain. The kids in the 5th grade have better conflict resolution skills than most of my professional colleagues. Although, each of my 3 kids are very different from each other, they have each found what they need to thrive at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

My son is in his 2nd year of preschool at Mulberry and will go to JK there next year. Our daughter will enter preschool there next year. This has been an amazing school for my son and he has really thrived there. The teachers are great!!! I'm surprised to see reviews saying that Mulberry 'caters to special needs' children - I have not found that to be the case at all! In fact, most of the children there are extremely bright. We also have not had any problems with bullying or discipline - the teachers are very responsive and handle these type of situations very well. I am so happy we found Mulberry!
--Submitted by a parent

the teachers are amazing, able to teach to each child's individual strengths while building on areas of weakness. focus on developing the whole child, including fostering problems solving, emotional intelligence, leadership skills in addition to strong academics
--Submitted by a parent

The school seems to cater to children with special needs. The curriculum and student performance is below grade level. There appear to be many social emotional problems in the student body that are not adequately managed.
--Submitted by a parent

My son has attended Mulberry from preschool through 5th grade. The extra parents in the room make it possible for each child to receive lots of individual attention and for the teacher to provide lots of hands-on projects. He is now entering 8th grade at a more traditional middle school and is doing very well.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is wonderful when it comes to the staff and the quality of the teachers. But somehow bullying still goes on undetected and unaddressed in the school and the children are testing below grade level, in some respects two grade levels below. The school at this point in it's history is quite a contradiction and has gone from being a rock solid emotional and social growth school to less than what we would expect from a public school. It is sad because again, the teachers are a wonderful team. Also, having the parents and parental politics involved really effects the development of the children and they are greatly effected by the tension when it occurs.

We fell in love with this school's mission and philosophy, but were bitterly disappointed by the disconnect between intentions and implementation. The academic expectations and performance level of most students in our child's classroom was below grade level. The classroom environment was chaotic and often unsafe emotionally and physically. Our concerns and comments were repeatedly dismissed at all levels.
--Submitted by a parent

An excellent parent-participation elementary school providing a well-rounded curriculum designed to help students become life-long learners. Focus on not only traditional subjects, but an extensive music and arts program is also a part of regular classroom life. The current Education Director, January Handl, is a gentle loving soul that the children adore. The teachers are absolutely wonderful and we look forward to the beginning of each school year. Recently recognized by Dr. Jane Nelson, author of the Positive Discipline books, as a model school due to the approach used at Mulberry. The WASC Accreditation team also provided praise about the program during the School's recent re-accreditation process. What was most impressive to me about the school when touring prior to enrollment, was the amount of laughter and joy was a part of the learning process. The children truly seem happy while being fully engaged with their teacher while learning.
--Submitted by a parent