I have just moved to the peninsula and have 2 children, one entering 3rd grade and one 1st grade. My husband moved here in March (the kids and I waited until school was out) and I applied to John Gill at that time and have a spot for the older child and hopefully for the younger one also. Now I am looking for rental housing and have been offered a very nice place in Redwood City and an adequate place in San Carlos. I know that everyone says San CArlos' schools are very good. From my research on Greatschool.net I gather that is because there are so few ESL and low-income students there. Great Schools on the other hand says that John Gill has a population of 43% ESL. I haven't been able to visit John Gill, but I am attracted to their program of combining ages in the classrooms and staying with the same teacher for 3 years. My children were at a Waldorf Charter School before and are used to staying with the same students and teachers. Given the demographics, I think John Gill's test scores are quite high and they must be doing something right. I would like to hear from parents familiar with John Gill. What do you consider its strengths and weaknesses? Are bright students who learn quickly adequately challenged? I know that grades K/1/2 are combined; are grades 3/4/5 also? What is the social atmosphere? Any bullying issues? What other questions should I be asking? Am I crazy not to put my kids into a San Carlos school? Can I contact you with more questions? THanks, I so appreciate any thoughts!
i know 3 of the teachers at john gill (just through my daughter's preschool, ballet, etc) - they are wonderful! seriously - all 3 of them also have their chldren in the school - say great things!
You really need to check further into the schools. There is a very large discrepancy in the schools in this area. There are Waldorf schools in the area. I believe one is located in Los Altos or Portola Valley, 2 Waldorf's in San Francisco. Peninsula school in Palo Alto (private) I believe is more like a Waldorf and (in the past) you could volunteer for very large discount in tuition (seemed like a very nice community spirit). I do know, 2 graduates of Peninsula School were just admitted to Ivy League colleges for this coming fall. There is a charter school in San Carlos and Redwood City (must test to gain entrance slot). Personally after years of experience if I had the option I would run to San Carlos or a private school. Dee (age 50 with teens).
Dear E.,
My sons did not attend John Gill, but they went through elementary and middle schools in the Redwood City School District and then attended Sequoia High School, which also has a high ESL population. They have received an excellent education, good grades, good socialization with students from various cultures and economic backgrounds. My oldest is now attending Stanford University, so it worked out really well for us.
I would recommend that you go with your instincts and if you like a program, don't worry that other kids will slow yours down. That was not our experience at all. The diversity aspect ended up to be a positive factor, not a negative one. One of my son's college essays was about how much he learned from tutoring an ESL student to read at Project READ. I'm sure the essay was a factor in his being accepted to elite universities. There is something to be gained from being exposed to others unlike yourself and my son really appreciated that, especially as he got older. It warms my heart to see the variety of his friends--it's like the United Nations at their parties!
Good luck with your school choices.
Well, I went to John Gill as a child. I did well in high school and college. Some of the family still lives nearby but those kids didn't do well enough to stay and ended up in other schools... My kids go to Clifford (K-8)and I think It's the best of both worlds. Great if you kid is smart but supportive ALL the way through 8 th EVEN IF just a regular kid...
