Saint Mark's School

We have been with Saint Marks for 14 years - one 8th grader off to high school (University) and two older children now in college (Stanford)! Over the year's we have seen the school grow from a "community generated" school to one of the top schools in the Bay Area and one of the things we appreciate most about the school is their constant attention to evolving their curriculum in a well planned manner. This is not a school that changes teachers, administrators or character every year, but is a solid and consistent school that is always thoughtfully considering how to do better. Children thrive in this stable atmosphere. We absolutely love the "block curriculum" of the upper school (our son has excelled under it) and, despite the "rumors", the homework load is more than manageable....no more than an hour a night for a reasonably focused kid and there is plenty of time to do most of it during the day. We also love the global focus of the curriculum - Saint Mark's truly integrates and appreciates the global lens in how they teach the kids to think. This is a very grounded school with a great parent community to support the teachers and administrators in their work.
--Submitted by a parent

I applied my son here this year 2011, we went through all the application process and today I receive a letter saying my son was accepted but they cannot assist us with financial assistance because their financial assistance has dried up and they will prioritize currents students. Well, for me you are just scamming me for fees that are needed to apply in your school total of $60. An ethical organization would inform me prior to applying that I will no longer quality for financial aid but instead they still took my money and let me know at the end we cannot get financial assistance. Good job St Mark!!!
--Submitted by a parent

I am an 8th grader who is graduating Saint Mark's in less than a month. I've attended Saint Mark's since kindergarten and it had been the best experiences of my life. The teachers nurture their students into respectable children and allow us to have some fun doing it. K-3rd grade was extremely enjoyable and I loved coming to school every day. We didn't have that much homework in 4th-6th grade. 6th grade was my favorite year every. 7th-8th grade wasn't bad with homework either with a maximum of maybe 3 hours a night but almost always around 1. Every kid got into a private school-19 kids got into Branson, 15 to MA, and 6 to UHS. I got into every school I applied: Branson, MA, and UHS and will be attending Branson next year. Saint Mark's is the best thing my parents could have done for me. I loved it.

My son came to Saint Mark's at the upper school level, and it's been a really excellent environment. Saint Mark's was welcoming from the very beginning, there is a really great group of kids here, and the faculty and administration are superb. Saint Mark's definitely knows how to attract and keep amazing teachers -- my son found them all extremely inspiring. They're dedicated, hard-working and energetic, and extraordinarily talented educators. The schoolwork is engaging, and interspersed with interesting challenges. There is a strong arts, electives and cultural program, and the p.e. program is top-notch. We're relocating, and the comments on greatschools.org have been really useful in our search for a new school. For anyone coming to Marin County, I strongly recommend Saint Mark's School without any reservation whatsoever.
--Submitted by a parent

Saint Mark's is a phenomenal school. The kids are happy, engaged and challenged. The teachers care so much about each child. It is a very progressive school that constantly strives to innovate its programs and approaches to teaching, but makes sure that children have a strong grounding in the fundamentals. There is a wonderful emphasis on partnerships with schools in the Canal in San Rafael, South Africa and Beijing. This emphasis on partnership is very different from the way most schools do community service - the ties with each of these schools are deep and respectful and equal. The school is run so well, the community is very welcoming and inclusive...it is such a special and vibrant place. We have not experienced nor have we heard about the heavy load of homework - I think the folks complaining are the exception. We feel so lucky that our children are at SaintMark's!
--Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately, we have experienced a disappointing decline in Saint Marks. The quality of instruction is high, and many of the teachers are extraordinarily earnest. However, the demands they place upon students are crushing: children learn much more about time management at Saint Marks than anything else. It fosters a simply get-it-done attitude and forget about understanding. We've also seen an increasing economically and intellectually pretentious atmosphere over the years. A perfect example of this is a claim the school is not pretentious yet children from Saint Marks play in so much more a high quality fashion.
--Submitted by a parent

I have 3 kids at Saint Mark's & we have been a part of the community for many years now. There are several things about the school that stand out. First & foremost, it is an environment and culture that celebrates intellect and creativity. It's cool to be smart and to think 'outside the box'. I am often amazed at the creative play my kids engage in with their friends from Saint Mark's as opposed to our neighborhood friends (who are smart & lovely, but it's just different). The teachers & curriculum asks the kids to think, and to apply what they've learned broadly. Second, the school truly fosters independence & personal accountability. By 4th grade, parents are asked to be fully hands-off, & the child is in charge of their homework. They are taught time management & organization. Third, the community is warm & accepting & unpretentious. We love it!
--Submitted by a parent

Don't let concerns about homework get in the way of a kid's success. Saint Marks is a great school: it delivers an excellent education and its students move on to the best independent high schools. Look at it this way: You send your kid to S.M. so that he can get into Branson or M.A. You send your kid to Branson so he can get into Stanford or an Ivy. He goes to Stanford so he can fast track at a first-rate enterprise. When he's a corporate officer he'll thank you.
--Submitted by a parent

Saint Mark's School has been such a great experience for our son who has been there since Kindergarten and is now in 8th grade. Saint Mark's has a strong commitment to providing not only an outstanding education but also instills strong character and citizenship through their Seven Pillars of Character program. The Administration, teachers and friends that we have found there have been wonderfully supportive. Our son has always enjoyed school and even now as a teenager looks forward to his days at Saint Mark's. I certainly would highly recommend this school to a prospective parent. I know when we started looking at schools it was overwhelming but when we visited Saint Mark's I knew we had found a home.
--Submitted by a parent

Saint Marks is the 'Home Work School' of Marin. I am astounded by the student reviews below who do not acknowledge this. Yes, it has many lovely programs to give children a broad education, and yes it has some wonderful teachers, and yes it is a very well run school, but the curriculum expects hours and hours of homework from about grade 3 on, particuarly, in grade 7. I would not recomend it because of that reason. There is no famiy time if you have a child at this school. All-nighters in the 7th grade to prepare for tests and get homework done is quite normal.
--Submitted by a parent