Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
We get lots of questions, and you probably have a lot of your own.
To get you started, here’s a list of some of the ones we hear the most:
- When my child leaves TBS, will s/he be prepared for a traditional high school?
- What kind of student is best served at TBS?
- How big is The Berkeley School?
- How many teachers are in each classroom?
- What sets you apart from other independent schools?
- You were called the Berkeley Montessori School for many years. Why did you change your name?
- Do you offer sports?
- Are you affiliated with any other schools?
- I have heard that in “Montessori” programs kids do whatever they want – is that true?
- My child has been attending a play-based or traditional preschool. Will s/he be able to successfully adjust to a Montessori-inspired environment at your ECC?<
- Is it true that TBS doesn’t give grades?
- What enrichment classes does TBS offer?
- My child would be attending your after-school program. Can you tell me more about what kinds of activities are available there?
- Do you give standardized tests? How do TBS students score?
When my child leaves TBS, will s/he be prepared for a traditional high school?
Yes. Our students “learn how to learn”; they know how to use the resources available to them to find the information they need. They are usually extremely well-prepared for their next schools. Our middle school graduates attend the top public and independent high schools in the area. Recent TBS graduates chose to attend Lick-Wilmerding, Marin Academy, College Preparatory School, Bentley, Head-Royce, Berkeley High School, Maybeck, and Athenian, and many other local public high schools. The best way to find out how they do is to come to alumni night. Also, check our graduates page periodically; over time we hope to add stories about our graduates in college and beyond!
What kind of student is best served at TBS?
We are not looking for one narrowly-defined, cookie cutter type of learner. We have a more balanced view of learning, one that starts with admitting bright, curious, and motivated students. But no school can meet the learning needs of all children. We admit one child/one family at a time, carefully balancing the range of learners in any class so that we are able to meet the needs of all the students in the class, including students who require additional resources for either remediation or enrichment. There are specialized schools that do a great job with students with learning differences; our school admits a select number of students with learning and social differences whom we think we have the resources to support, and who can benefit from being integrated into a mainstreamed program.
We do not subscribe to the idea that there is a fixed notion of ‘intelligence;’ we believe that all children and adults come with a range of ‘multiple intelligences’ that often can be supported through a variety of learning modalities. However, because our school puts a lot of emphasis on group work, class discussions, and verbal instructions, students with learning differences who need some additional support but not an individualized program do best in our classrooms. We don’t make admissions decisions with a particular quota in mind, but on whether we believe that we would be able to successfully meet a particular student’s learning needs. Our faculty works to differentiate instruction to serve students with a range of learning styles. With second language learners, particularly Spanish speakers, we attempt to offer translation services for the students and families. Decisions about admissions are made in consultation with our school psychologist, our learning support team, teachers, and administrators. We expect parents/guardians to provide full disclosure of the types of testing, services, and medications their child has received in their areas of challenges or gifts.
How big is The Berkeley School?
Our enrollment varies from year to year, but we are an intentionally small school of between 275 and 300 students. We have four Early Childhood classrooms, and two each of combined Kindergarten-First Grade, Second-Third, and Fourth-Fifth classrooms. Our 6th grade is a stand-alone program which collaborates with both younger and older students, and our 7-8 grades are again combined, although broken into smaller groups for most classes and activities.
How many teachers are in each classroom?
Each of our classrooms has two full-time, professionally trained teachers. In many instances, you will find additional support in the classroom, ranging from specialists to parent volunteers who help with faculty breaks, special projects, and learning support. We have about 20-25 children in each class, a number that is dependent mostly on the physical size of the classrooms.
What sets you apart from other independent schools?
TBS has several key differentiators from other schools. The depth and breadth of our support for our teachers’ professional development is unequalled among schools our size. Our teachers, many of whom chose to work here for this very reason, are able to take advantage of a variety of exciting professional learning opportunities such as studying at Harvard’s Project Zero and learning about the unique preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. We know that keeping the learning of the teachers fresh and up-to-date translates directly into a better experience in the classrooms for the students.
We are also a host school for the Bay Area Teachers Training Institute (BATTI) program. Our classrooms, and school as a whole, benefit from the wealth of knowledge that these experienced teachers bring to TBS as they complete their California Teachers Credential. Several of our classrooms have the structure of a “lead” teacher together with a BATTI intern, to the benefit of all, including the students!
Another unique element of our Early Childhood Center in particular is the relationship of our teachers to the Extended Day program there. Our ECC Extended Day option, offered until 6:00 pm, is staffed by regular, full-time teachers; they come in mid-morning and work in different classrooms until dismissal. Unlike a lot of other programs, we don’t have a separate staff who come in from 3:00-6:00.
All of these elements, and more, which we’d be delighted to describe to you at length on our admissions tours, set TBS apart from the crowd. Come see for yourself what all the excitement is about!
You were called the Berkeley Montessori School for many years. Why did you change your name?
We changed our name for a variety of reasons, perhaps mostly because while we are big believers in many of the concepts and ideas that underlie Maria Montessori’s legacy, we felt that there were other important pedagogic ideas that had been incorporated into our curriculum and program, and that keeping the Montessori name led people to believe that from pre-school to middle school, Montessori was the dominant teaching philosophy, which was really no longer the case. Furthermore, the use of strict Montessori methods naturally ebbed as children moved from pre-school, through elementary school. By the time they reached fourth grade, and certainly by middle school, the Montessori methods were used infrequently. Our teachers and administrators had developed curriculum intended to ensure that our kids were prepared to enter competitive academic programs when they went on to high school. Last, since Montessori is not a well-known educational approach among the general public, many prospective parents would make assumptions or jump to conclusions about what Montessori schools were all about. We found ourselves spending a lot of energy explaining what it meant, countering misunderstandings, and so on. So, in the end, the Board of Trustees felt it was time to make a change.
Of course! We have a wonderful sports program that is run by our resident physical education coach, Craig Jackson. The sports program includes co-ed Flag Football, Volleyball, and Basketball, and is open to any student in the Middle School who wants to play. Of course everyone gets to play sports intramurally during recess and outside time. Although we don’t field a soccer team, many of our students play in community leagues throughout the Bay Area. The Sports program for Middle School students is covered as part of tuition.
Are you affiliated with any other schools?
Many people wrongfully assume that independent schools or schools that have been associated with Montessori are merely satellite schools of a parent organization. TBS is an independently-operating institution with roots in the Berkeley Area that go back for over 45 years. We are a member of the East Bay Independent Schools Association, but are governed by our own mission, pedagogy, curriculum and Board of Trustees.
I have heard that in “Montessori” programs kids do whatever they want – is that true?
Absolutely not. While we are no longer strictly a Montessori school, we still use the principles of Montessori education, mostly in the lower grades from pre-school into the mid-elementary years. We can’t explain the Montessori philosophy in this space, but rest assured that children follow a proscribed, challenging curriculum that results in deep understanding of the subjects they study.
The kids often have a choice of “works” (subjects / projects) from which they can select what they will work on at a particular moment – but the set of choices is carefully defined by the teachers to ensure that they are learning the right things at the right times. That moment-to-moment choice of activity within a limited set is often misunderstood by non-Montessori parents.
My child has been attending a play-based or traditional preschool. Will s/he be able to successfully adjust to a Montessori-inspired environment at your ECC?
Our experience has been that most children make a happy and successful transition from other types of schools into our Montessori-inspired classrooms. They usually respond enthusiastically to the chance to have more autonomy and responsibility. Sometimes a child who is extremely dependent upon adult direction and limit-setting has more difficulty adjusting, but even then, with the patient encouragement of our teachers, he or she usually succeeds in our school.
Is it true that TBS doesn’t give grades?
Yes. We have historically never given letter grades except in 7th and 8th grades, and in 2009 our Middle School adopted detailed narrative evaluations in place of letter grades, recognizing that letter grades do not adequately reflect a student’s mastery of a given subject. We made this change after much discussion with high school admissions officers, who assured us that it would not handicap our students in the admissions process. Given where our students were accepted last year, we believe them!
What enrichment classes does TBS offer?
Many of what are commonly considered “enrichment” or “outside” classes, such as art, music and drama, are actually incorporated by our teachers into the children’s daily classroom experience. For example, the children in each Elementary classroom, working with their teachers, have typically produced a year-end play, with the children choosing the play and creating costumes and backdrops. We have specialist teachers for Art, Physical Education, yoga, music, and Spanish. We also offer enrichment classes such as carpentry, skateboarding, and creative writing during Extended Day, our after-school program.
My child would be attending your after-school program. Can you tell me more about what kinds of activities are available there?
Extended Day runs from dismissal until 6:00 pm every day, at both campuses. At the ECC, the Extended Day program is a relaxed extension of the school day, reflecting the need of these youngest children for activities that are not tightly structured if they stay for a long day. For Elementary students, our Extended Day program works on the same principles as our classrooms, so that the school day is fully integrated in terms of teaching methods and expectations. Regular collaboration between the classroom teachers and the Extended Day team ensures a consistent experience for the children in which each child is seen as an individual. Every day, students prepare a healthy, delicious snack to share with everyone who is staying late in the program. The daily routine in Extended Day is itself an enriched program: there are activities prepared for the children to choose from, including sports, art projects, and quiet reading or homework. Special enrichment experiences, such as clay, cooking, and Spanish, are also offered, in the format of drop-in clubs. For Middle School students (grades 6-8), Extended Day is included in tuition and features supervised study and quiet conversation.
Do you give standardized tests? How do TBS students score?
The ERB is given to TBS students in the fourth through eighth grades, and they achieve very competitive scores. Along with most other independent schools, TBS recognizes that standardized tests do not adequately measure the full range of a student’s academic abilities. We use detailed narrative evaluations to measure a child’s progress through the year.
