Aurora School

My two children went to Aurora. Aurora academics has always been of concern to some Aurora parents. I'm here to tell you the Aurora kids do really well in middle school, high school, and attend very selective colleges. Our kids were just everyday kids at Aurora, nothing special, but both were accepted to every middle school where we applied. We chose St. Paul's where our kids thrived -- there was no catch up necessary. The Aurora kids were 8th grade presidents about half the time. Our son and 2 of his Aurora classmates attended College Prep.Other Aurora classmates attended Head Royce, Julia Morgan, Redwood Day, Lick Wilmerding, College Prep, Head Royce, Athenian, Oakland Tech engineering program, and Bishop O'Dowd. Our kids did well and had a great time, but they are not straight A students. They fall between B+ and A-. However, many of their Aurora classmates did become straight A students. Colleges attended include Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, Swarthmore, Sarah Lawrence, Cornell, Carleton, Cal Arts, Cal Poly, Columbia, and University of Pennsylvania. So be vigilant, prepare your kids to thrive as adults, but don't worry about Aurora's academics. Christopher Reesor
--Submitted by a parent

While my daughter will only be a first grader next year, I feel that Aurora is a perfect fit for her. She is quiet and slow to warm in new environments and she has thrived at Aurora socially, emotionally, and academically. All problems are addressed with thoughtful consideration and the K-1 teaching staff is top notch and very collaborative. I also personally love the head of school. She is a teachers' principal - focused on the teachers' development and how best to support them, which is very critical to me. Check it out!
--Submitted by a parent

Aurora was a great warm and fuzzy school. When I pulled my daughter out after 3rd grade, she has the opportunity to actually learn some academics. I was never one to complain as some of the other parents, but I look back and can understand all the 'talk' about offering differentiated instruction without any type of tests. Informal assessment are hunky dorie, but it would be nice to get a test here or there to mix it up. My daughter remembers the great songs, stories, and plays from her time at Aurora, but she didn't know how to round numbers, long subtraction, multiplying two digit numbers, etc. Stuff she needed to master by the time she got into 4th grade. I felt she learned more math in 2nd grade. I agree with another posting, she received the same long vowel spelling words in 3rd as she did in 2nd.
--Submitted by a parent

Aurora offers a cozy and intimate environment. The woodshop, art, music, and library classes are fabulous. There have been teacher turnover, but that's not uncommon. I have noticed teachers come in with little or no head teaching experience and camps and assistant teaching don't count. However, they are enthusiastic, young, and hard working. It's taken the new principal some time to settle in, but I think he is making his mark to transform the school where it needs to go. He is often out of the office, sick, or on vacation during the school year. Academically, we've had to supplement based on what our friends and family's kids get at their school. My child did not know how to round his numbers, didn't know how to use a dictionary, or various language conventions...... I use to get frustrated when he would have long vowel silent e homework in 3rd grade.
--Submitted by a parent

I highly recommend Aurora! My child is in her second year at Aurora School. From the first weeks of Kindergarten when she was walking on air at the end of every day to these days in her First Grade year as she practices for the upcoming class play she has been thriving and blooming socially and academically. Her teachers are dedicated, involved, smart and truly loving to the kids in the class. There is attention to the social environment and to values of inclusion and acceptance of difference. Talented enrichment teachers offer Art, Music, Movement, PE, Library, Woodshop, and Spanish instruction that is integrated very well with the classroom curriculum. Many families that choose Aurora are people who prioritize their child's education and want a progressive approach to teaching and learning in these early years!
--Submitted by a parent

We have been at Aurora SchooI for 6 years. We have two boys and both have been there since kindergarten. Although our two boys are very different learners, they have each thrived in the classroom. We feel the teachers know them extremely well and each have been given individualized treatment. Both boys are appreciated for their strengths and given support where challenged. Aurora is a place where children are respected, honored, and constantly engaged. We honestly believe that Aurora does build the foundation necessary for kids to succeed as they move on in life. In addition, Aurora has been an amazing community for us as parents. The environment is open and warm, and the teachers are very accessible.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been an Aurora family for five years now, and it has been a truly wonderful experience. At each grade level our daughter has been consistently engaged in learning, and has thrived with the creative academic program at Aurora. The strong social/emotional curriculum has been a wonderful part of the experience, too. We wanted a small elementary school for our daughter, where the teachers and staff could really know her. Now that we are looking at middle schools, we know she has the confidence and tools to excel in a larger environment. Aurora has been a great home for our family, and we will always be grateful for the strong foundation it s provided our daughter.
--Submitted by a parent

Our kid has been at Aurora for nearly 2 years. We are staying at this school because of the strong community and the focus on emotional and social development. The academic program is different from traditional schools but our kid is thriving in all areas. A well rounded education is what's important to us. There have been turnovers with the staff but it's not unusual. Parents tend to react strongly to changes but kids are resilient. The new head of school has brought structure that is welcoming! Kids who are not ready for Kindergarten were given opportunities to work things out but oftentimes, parents involvement is crucial and perhaps a structure environment is more suitable. Aurora provides a great foundation for our kid in becoming a caring, confident and emotionally intelligent person.
--Submitted by a parent

Two of our kids went to Aurora for six years. Too many kids are not engaged in learning. Lots of kids go to tutors or specialists outside of school because they are not learning the basics or have had difficulties dealing with aspects of the school environment. There is a lot of bullying, teasing and name-calling among the kids; which is inadequately dealt with by the teachers, and interferes with learning. Until this year, there was a warm and cohesive community atmosphere. However, that has changed under the new director, who is not parent-friendly. The theater arts program has been great, but that teacher is leaving. There are still a few talented teachers, a good after school program, and a sensitivity to GLBT families. 'Average' self-motivated well-behaved kids might do OK at Aurora.
--Submitted by a parent

If you are considering Aurora, I would recommend that you spend a lot of time observing the classroom. What we experienced was a very dull and uncreative curriculum. In addition, they are not progressive as they claim to me nor do they teach to a child's differences. Our child spent one year at Aurora and we were very disappointed with the new head of the school and the inexperienced teachers in our child's class room. He went from being a happy kid to an anxious and stressed out kid. I would not recommend this school to anyone.
--Submitted by a parent