Mariano Castro Elementary School

Castro School is all about building students' skills and community!

It is our kid''s 4th year at Castro's DI program. Dr. Judy Crates, the principal, is quirky and fabulous - focusing on all the right things. Castro's fundraising programs are ever increasing, garden program is budding, lots of parents are doing very special things for he school, many teachers are wonderful. The largest challenge of how to teach to socio-economically disparate groups of kids is there, like in other schools, where kids are learning English. My daughter speaks beautiful Spanish and is tri-lingual! Expect to see great stuff under Judy Crates' leadership in tandem with her staff and incredible parents.
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school! Our son is in the Castro Dual Immersion Program. We feel that we have been given a priceless gift of giving our child the opportunity to become bilingual. His world is already so much bigger than ours...he can communicate in a language that neither my husband or I can. The teachers and parents are commited to each and every student. The community fostered here breaks many barriers including language and demographics.
--Submitted by a parent

We are now in our 4th year at Castro and what impresses me most about the school is the level of commitment from not only the teachers and Principal but also the parents. Please know that test scores are only ONE gauge by which a school's success should be measured. As parents, wanted our children to learn to cope within a real world landscape of diversity and the spectrum of choices and lessons such a community has to offer to a growing child. We feel Castro Elementary is truly preparing our children and so many others for the choices they will undoubtedly encounter in the world ahead, while providing them with a great education.
--Submitted by a parent

Castro's Dual-Immersion program has been exceptional for my child. Teachers have been very strong educators and care very much about all students. The new Principal (Dr. Crates started in Fall 2008) is very experienced and has been sharing school data with parents and teachers. The Castro parent communityis very involved. We love being at Castro for Dual-Immersion!
--Submitted by a parent

Castro has a tremendously collaborative and involved community. the Principal is fantastic, the teachers are passionate and capable and our experience in the Spanish Immersion program has been priceless!
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school for its offer and caring teachers. Unfortunately, this school does not have all the bells and whistles due to financial constraints... but I'll tell you... the parents & PTA programs really do their best to make up for it and it shows. We did an 'interdistrict' transfer from Cupertino schools. My child is speaking Spanish and loves it. Do it for your child!
--Submitted by a parent

This school had a huge gain in test scores this year! While the 89 point increase is partially attributed to the PACT program moving to the school, all subgroups also made really good gains, and it is now one of the top elementary schools in Mountain View! Check out this school, you will not be disappointed!
--Submitted by a parent

I think this school is wonderful! I truly recomend this school!

While the previous writer mentions the lack of unity at the school, I would have to disagree. Due to a school closure, this was the first year that there is several different programs on campus, so school unity is progressing rapidly after this transitional phase.
--Submitted by a parent